N&W in 1910--Shay accident

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
March 4, 1910

FIREMAN CARTER SERIOUSLY BURNED
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Engineer Rinard Also Injured by Explosion on Engine on Williamson Yard
    The well known Shay engine which was a source of so much trouble between this city and Flat Fop, where it was used, has again sprung into the limelight at Williamson, where it has been used of late to push cars over the hump leading to the scales.  In some way the saddle exploded yesterday morning about 2 o'clock and as a result Engineer W. J. Rinard and Fireman O. H. Carter were injured.  The men were taken to the Railroad Y. M. C. A. at Williamson where they were treated in the temporary hospital.  Mr. Rinard was not seriously burned and was joined last night by his wife.  The fireman was brought to Bluefield last night on No. 16 and taken to a local hospital for treatment.  His burns are considered serious.  The engine, which is known as No. 56, was used at one time between this city and Flat Top for pushing coal trains, but as it was not able to make more than twelve miles per hour, it continually got in the way of other traffic and in that way became too expensive to operate.  It was a frequent visitor to the shops and on account of its complicated mechanism, the sight of it wending its way in the shops was disliked by every man on the line.
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[The following info on this unique N&W locomotive comes from Prince's book on the N&W and Koch's book on Shay locomotives:  It was built 8-21-1907 as N&W No. 1, but later renumbered N&W No. 56.  This 150-ton, 4-truck Shay was among the largest Shays ever built.  Sold by N&W in 1915 to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. (dealer), Birmingham, AL; Sold 4-5-1917 to Phelps-Dodge Corp., for use on El Paso & Southwestern Ry. as No. 99; Sold 1919 to O. W. Brown Loco. & Supply (dealer), Seattle, WA; Sold 12-1919 to United Commercial Co. (dealer), San Francisco, CA; Sold 2-1920 to Red River Lumber Co., Westwood, CA as No. 99; Scrapped 1934.  This history has to qualify it as being one of the most traveled and/or having the most owners of any N&W steam locomotive.

I can understand how the Shay would have caused congestion as a Flat Top to Bluefield pusher.  The problem was probably not so much its 12 mph limit when pushing coal trains, but its slow speed returning downgrade from Bluefield to Flat Top.]

Gordon Hamilton
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