Black Diamond Inspection Locomotive

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The inspection engine, though considered by some to be a bit of an oddity, appears to have been commonly used by railroads in the latter half of the 19th century and the first two decades (or more) of the 20th century. Many of them are odd looking beasts, often looking like a cross between a carriage and a steam locomotive.

Many of the northeastern railroads used them, but they were found elsewhere as well. They were often built in the railroad’s own shops, but some were commercially built as well. The book The Locomotives that Baldwin Built by Fred Westing (Bonanza Books, 1966, out of print) shows several photographs of inspection engines, though they are not always called that. They were most often used to transport VIP's on inspection trips to various parts of the railroad, but were sometimes used by the paymaster to carry payroll to crews working on the railroad as well. They could be used for almost any function that called for moving a small number of people over the railroad. Some railroads used similar engines for low-density passenger lines, perhaps pulling an extra coach. A photo in the Fall, 2008, issue of Classic Trains (page 32) shows a similar locomotive being used with one or two coaches on the Big Stone Gap and Powell Valley in Big Stone Gap, West Virginia.

The inspection engine was typically quite small, and often carried less than 10 people. The boilers and other mechanical systems were also quite small. They were typically not designed for speed, nor were they intended to pull heavy cars. In today’s terms they would be a simple automobile converted to hi-rail use. Speed was also not a big concern, as is evidenced by the small diameter driving wheels, small cylinders, low boiler pressure, and short rod throw.

While detailed history is scarce, and perhaps a bit confused, the Reading Railroad and its corporate relatives appears to have owned at least 13 of these unusual engines. According to Edwin Wiswesser in his book Steam Locomotives of the Reading Railroad, they are:

Picayune	2-2-0	built 1845
Ariel	2-2-2	built 1846
Gem	2-4-0	built 1851, rebuilt and renumbered 893 in 1868
Stag	2-4-2	built 1851, later renumbered 892
Witch	2-2-2	built 1855
Alpha	2-2-2	built 1856
New Ariel	2-2-2	built 1872, later renumbered 103
Transit	2-2-2	built 1867
Black Diamond	2-2-2	built 1889 (Baldwin)
1	4-4-0	built 1898 (Baldwin), renumbered 101 in 1900
100	4-4-0	built 1902
103	4-4-0	rebuilt 1903 from 116, a C3-a class engine
100	4-4-2	built 1913

Wiswesser includes several photos, drawings, and technical specifications in his book, but detailed information is sketchy at best.

During my research, I uncovered a letter from 1940 that attempts to give a history of the Reading’s inspection engines. I have not been able to determine the author of the letter, but the source of the information is declared to be ‘old annual reports’. While the letter adds a few details about some of the engines, it appears to be far from complete. The information in the letter regarding Gem completely contradicts Wiswesser’s data. Also, the information regarding the Black Diamond, while showing the difficulty of such research, appears to be incorrect as well. Another letter from 1949, from Howard Hill, Superintendent of Motive Power for the Reading Company, shows even more confusing information.

As Wiswesser states regarding the Black Diamond, it is probably the oldest, and perhaps the only, inspection engine still in existence. While information is a bit confused, here is what I have been able to piece together regarding this engine.

The Black Diamond, which is currently at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO, was built in either May or August, 1889, by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA. It was originally built for the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company (P&R C&I Co.). It was the fourth of five engines named the Black Diamond by this company. According to a 1949 letter from M. W. Smith, President of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, it bore Baldwin Construction Number 10,174. The technical specifications were as follows:

Boiler 20 ½" diameter, containing 33 2" tubes and 4 1 3/4" tubes, tube length 6' 8 1/4"

Pressure 160 pounds

Cylinders 8 1/4" X 8 ½"

Driving wheels 42" diameter

Weight 26,350 pounds

Length approx 20'

While the body is made of wood, it was “sheathed with steel plates”. The passenger seating area contained four revolving chairs and a central box seat. Interior woodwork was walnut. The locomotive was painted “raw umber and gold”. The wheels and pilot bars were red.

Another document (undated) shows some additional information regarding the locomotive.

While I cannot ascertain if this is correct or not, there is some written evidence that the locomotive originally had inside cranks and was later converted to outside crank. However, my examination of the unit shows no evidence of such a conversion.

The engineer’s area is very compact and crowded. There is evidence that, due to the close quarters, a “small boy” was typically used to fire the locomotive. Most likely, this would have been a boy of 13 or so, who was apprenticing for the railroad.

We have been unable to determine when this locomotive was last used, but we can say with some degree of certainty that it ran at least until 1906. It is likely that it ran into the 1920's or later, but I have been unable to find any concrete evidence of this.

By 1948 the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis had contacted the Reading Railroad regarding the donation of equipment. The trail again picks up with a 1948 letter from the Railroad to the Museum offering the loan of the Black Diamond to the Museum. Apparently the Museum was interested in other equipment, possibly a “Camelback” locomotive, but the Railroad was only interested in a sale of such equipment. It appears that discussions and preparation for the move of the locomotive continued for over a year.

At some point prior to shipping to the Museum, the Railroad did at least a cosmetic restoration of the Black Diamond. It is not known if the locomotive was in operating condition when delivered to the Museum, but photos of the time show that it was freshly painted and in relatively good condition.

The locomotive was finally shipped to the Museum on April 20, 1949. It apparently was loaded in a gondola car and routed over the Reading, Western Maryland, B&O, and Missouri Pacific. It arrived at the Museum on April 29, and was unloaded by May 3. Photos of the time show that the locomotive was unloaded by making a ramp of a section of track and wheeling the loco down that ramp.