The Turntable in Action at Steamtown National Historic Site
The Step-by-Step Turning of Canadian National 2-8-2 #3254

by Ken Humphreys

While visiting the roundhouse and turntable at Steamtown in September 2002, I saw a roundhouse door being opened and realized that the staff was about to bring a locomotive out for a scheduled steam excursion trip. This was an opportunity I couldn't miss so I kept shooting photos until the locomotive was ready to pick up its train. The loco was Canadian National Railway #3254, a type S-1-b 2-8-2 Mikado built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1917 for the then Canadian Government Railway. Originally numbered as #2854, it was renumbered as #3254 when Canadian National Railway was formed in 1918 with the merger of Canadian Government Railway and Canadian Northern Railway.

Click on each image below in sequence to see its full sized version. Hit your back button to return and view the photo, etc. Look at the photos in order to see the entire movement of the locomotive from the roundhouse and it rotation on the turntable. All images are copyrighted by Ken Humphreys.


ImageDescription
The roundhouse door is opened.
The rear light of the tender on #3254 comes on.
Backing out of the roundhouse onto the turntable.
Nearly on the turntable and slowing to a crawl
On the turntable.
Rotation begins.
The tender passing the yard lead track.
View of the tender as it passed the yard lead track.
Rotation is complete.
#3254 applies steam to move onto the yard lead track.


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