Special Guest Post: Knott's Berry Farm Locomotives - Part 3
Hey hey! Today is Part Three in the series of posts contributed by GDB amigo Steve DeGaetano. He scanned a bunch of his Knott's Berry Farm postcards, all featuring the locomotives that we all love. And of course he provided some amazing history and information, for valuable context. Take it away, Steve!
Knott's 13: Here’s the second vertical card, this time showing No. 40, Green River. The pedant in me frets to no end about the very tippy end of the cowcatcher being cut off! Note the chain railings that kept guests from getting too close. Since these images were taken, the engine has been renumbered to 340—the number it wore when it served the Denver & Rio Grande Western—and the orange trim has been relegated to history.
Knott's 14: We’re now on to the last three cards. All of these appear to have been manufactured in the second decade of this century. Here we have a similar shot of Green River as the one above, but thankfully the entire cowcatcher is visible! The engine is under power, with a dramatic plume of steam issuing from the cylinders. Today, after a seven-year rebuild completed in 2016, Green River is painted mostly green (go figure?), with brass boiler bands, black cab with green panel under the windows, and a black tender with Rio Grande “speed lettering.” She has also been renumbered back to 340.
Knott's 15: This is a very cool nighttime shot of No. 41 passing under the cliffs of the Timber Mountain Log Ride, 32-volt headlight piercing the darkness. The crew has spent considerable time trying to make the engine look as much as it did in the late 1940s as they could, from the rectangular number plate to the spark arrestor on top of the smokestack. This is the first time we’re told that the engine was renamed Walter K in 2012 (Boo. I much prefer the original, evocative name of Red Cliff. Mr. Knott, while a true visionary, already has an entire park named after him!)
Knott's 16: And finally, another shot of Ol’ No. 41 in daylight. The only concession to the “amusement park locomotive aesthetic” are the glossy black paint and the brass handrails. The crew have even replaced the long, pointy cowcatcher with an authentic stubby “pilot” made of used boiler tubes. The Knott’s handcar photobombs in the foreground. A few years ago No. 41 was completely rebuilt by the Durango & Silverton Railroad in Colorado, and did several test runs on its old right-of-way in December 2023. You can search YouTube for some amazing videos of her in her natural element!
Knott's 17: Since the majority of the postcards have featured No. 41, I thought, as a bonus, to throw a bit of photographic love towards No. 340, Green River. Here are a couple of unusual pictures from my personal collection, featuring the cab interior of the engine.
This first photo is from the engineer’s side. The Knott’s engines are much different than the Disney engines, in that the boilers extend through the cab all the way to the back cab wall! This is known as a “deckless” engine. I’m no expert on these engines, but I can point out a few things. The largest gauge at top center is the steam pressure gauge, with the brake gauge to its right. The throttle is the horizontal bar under the two red valve handles to the right, and the worn brass release of the vertical reverse lever, or Johnson Bar, is below that. The large overhead pipe is the steam line to the water injectors.
Knott's 18: And finally, this is the fireman’s side of Green River. Again, the pipe along the roof goes to the Fireman’s water injector. I’m guessing the brass valve under the red valve handle to the left is the firing valve. I’m also not sure what the white gauge is at the center—possibly for the atomizer, which sprays the fuel into a fine (and very combustible) mist.
There you go! I have truly loved this multi-part look at the locomotives (and vintage postcards) at Knott's Berry Farm - a park that I has meant so much to me since I was a child. And come on, who doesn't love a big ol' train?? I want to thank Steve DeGaetano for his generosity in offering to create these posts, with the scanning and research and writing. It's a lot of work! But so worth it. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.
9 comments:
Major-
Let me add my encomium to yours for this great series of images [and info] so generously-provided by Steve.
Wow, the Red Cliff looks a wholllle lot different here! Chuck won't be needing the Pepto-Bismol this morning. Amazing how a paint job can make an engine look more respectable and classy.
The interior shots are fascinating. Purely utilitarian with no effort to 'prettify' things. Gauges, valves, and handles are placed where they can be easily seen and used. And the piping and tubing is placed wherever there's room for it. In the last pic, is that asbestos wrapped around the pipes, or just cloth to keep people from getting burnt?
A nice series showcasing the Knott's trains, Steve. Thanks. And thank you, Major.
Thank you so much, Major, for giving me a platform to share all this. It was fun!
JB, the stuff covering the pipes is plaster-impregnated gauze, like a doctor would use to make a cast back in the day. You dip it in water and wrap the pipes with it. Later, wire is wrapped around the pipe to keep the hardened plaster in place. It is indeed there to protect people from the hot pipes (Firing my first steam locomotive, I once reached across the cab for something, and my forearm briefly touched an unwrapped steam line...I was very proud of that scar (more like a brand!) for many years!
Oh, and here's a pretty fun video of Ol' No. 41 after her rebuild in Colorado, getting to stretch her legs a bit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uepMcgSiC4
Yes indeed, THANK YOU Steve!
I know more now about locomotives in general, and Knotts locomotives in particular than ever before in my life. I have reached higher train (ing), than I thought possible, although I’m sure there’s further to go.
Thanks Major, for bringing this all together.
JG
Nanook, I thought “encomium” was a baby’s first… well you know. I guess I should pay more attention in class!
JB, I’m so used to seeing the KBF locomotives in their 50s, 60s, and 70s colors that they are hardly recognizable with their more-authentic looks! I like them both (the old look and the new) for different reasons. I can’t imagine working in that cab with the boiler actually IN there with you. It must get incredibly hot - hotter than the Disneyland versions!
Steve DeGaetano, when I am placed in charge of all steam locomotives, I will make sure that they are all upgraded to what I call the “no more tears” standard!
Steve DeGaetano, thank you for the link to that video, gosh the old #41 looks fantastic. BUT… it isn’t upgraded to “no more tears”! It was cool to see the big turntable rotate. That Colorado landscape is perfect for the train, I am jealous of the people who got to ride it there.
JG, ha, me too, after reading Steve’s books, and the Michael Broggie book, I have learned (and forgotten) more about trains than ever before!
Major, if you want to talk heat, it gets up to about 140 degrees F in the locomotive cab. And the crew wear bib overalls, long-sleeve shirts, gloves and hats. In our cab, I have to use a candy thermometer, because regular ones from the home improvement stores don't go high enough...
Steve, thanks for the video link. Really interesting to watch that turntable in action. And seeing the engine coming down the tracks, spewing steam and smoke from all of its orifices (plus the sounds of the whistle and bell) ... it really seems alive!
Thank you, Steve, for an obvious labor of love. I now know more than I ever thought I would about steam trains in general and Knotts in particular. Thanks, Major, for providing the venue.
Zach
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