The Maumelle Ordnance Works were built by the War Department in 1941 to produce the explosives picric acid, ammonium picrate, and ammonium nitrate. The plant began production in 1942 and the locomotive was purchased to move freight cars around the facility, which was spread over 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) to minimize the risk of incidents spreading from one production unit to others. The plant stopped production in August 1945 and was decontaminated and shut down by November. The land passed through several hands and eventually became the planned community of Maumelle, Arkansas.[3]
The Arkansas nomination document says that locomotive #1 was then transferred to the Army, renumbered 8223, and sent to the Newport Army Air Field.[3] The airfield, however, had been renamed "Marine Corps Air Facility Newport" in 1944 and turned over to the City of Newport at the end of the war.
Wherever it spent the period after the war, in the early 1950s the government sold the locomotive to the Augusta Railroad, a 1.65-mile (2.66 km) line that connected Augusta, Arkansas, near Broadway and 1st Street, to the Missouri Pacific at 6th Street in New Augusta.[8] Parts of the railroad right of way are still obvious on the Google aerial view. The little gasoline locomotive replaced a 1924 Alco2-6-0steam locomotive that had been condemned. During the 1950s, the railroad gradually died, as its traffic shifted to trucks. The railroad went through an abandonment proceeding in 1958 and was purchased by Glenn Taggart and Bing Miller. Subsequently, Tommy Taggart bought Miller's interest. He kept the locomotive until he donated it to the Fort Smith Trolley Museum in June 1988.[3]
Designedit
The locomotive's controls
Locomotive #1 is an unusual combination. Virtually all internal combustion locomotives are diesel-electrics, powered by a diesel prime mover driving a generator which in turn drives one or more electric traction motors; apart from some diesel-mechanical and diesel-hydraulic locomotives. All of the major manufacturers had discarded the use of gasoline engines by the middle 1930s in favor of diesel, primarily on the grounds of fuel economy. Vulcan continued to produce a very limited number of both while it also continued to produce steam locomotives. In early 1942 it is likely that war needs made it easier to get a gasoline engine than a diesel because a gasoline engine uses much less material.
Electric drive is almost universal because a railroad locomotive is a difficult environment for a mechanical gearbox, as the loads vary widely from second to second as the slack action runs in and out. Only on very small locomotives, pulling a limited number of cars, generally on level track, have there been any successful gearbox locomotive drives. In the case of Locomotive 1, the four-speed gearbox drives a jackshaft under the cab which is connected with side rods to the two driving wheels. The choice of mechanical drive may also have been driven by war availability – a generator and traction motor take hundreds of pounds of copper, which was scarce.
The nomination document quotes a Vulcan ad in the 1947 Locomotive Cyclopedia, ""All Vulcan diesel and gasoline geared locomotives are equipped with a distinctive four-speed, constant-mesh, spur-geared transmission which permits easy gear changes at relatively high speeds. Gears and shafts are heat-treated nickel-chromium steel mounted on anti-friction bearings and operating in an oil bath. Extra-heavy cross-equalized semi-elliptic springs and Vulcan 3-point suspension assure easy riding on rough track and minimize derailments."[3]
^C.B. Peck (ed.). 1950-52 Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice. New York: Simmons-Boardman. pp. 200–1.
^Pinkepank, Jerry A. (1973). The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide. Kalmbach. pp. 405–6.
^ abcdef. Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (an agency of the state government's Department of Arkansas Heritage). 2006. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
^. Fort Smith Trolley Museum. Archived from the original on September 18, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
^ abc"Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 9/18/06 through 9/22/06". National Park Service. September 29, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
^ ab"National Register of Historic Places: Search results for locomotives in Fort Smith, Sebastian County". Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (an agency of the state government's Department of Arkansas Heritage). 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.[permanent dead link]
^USGS Topographic quad, available through GPS Visualizer.
April 10, 2024
maumelle, ordnance, works, locomotive, gasoline, powered, mechanically, driven, axle, railway, locomotive, which, built, 1942, vulcan, iron, works, wilkes, barre, pennsylvania, united, states, department, maumelle, ordnance, works, added, national, register, h. Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1 is a gasoline powered mechanically driven two axle railway locomotive which was built in 1942 by Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania for the United States War Department s Maumelle Ordnance Works It was added to the U S National Register of Historic Places in 2006 6 7 and is preserved at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum 3 Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1Type and originReferences 1 2 3 4 Power typeGasoline mechanicalBuilderVulcan Iron Works of Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania Serial number4364Model35 tonBuild dateApril 1942SpecificationsConfiguration Whyte0 4 0 AARB UICBGauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm Loco weight35 short tons 32 t Prime moverHercules gasolineRPM range1800Transmission4 speed constant mesh via side rodsCareerOperatorsMaumelle Ordnance Works 1US Army 8223 c1945 Augusta Railroad 7 c1952 Delivered1942Last runc 1958Retired1958Preserved1988Current ownerFort Smith Trolley MuseumDispositionOn static display based in Fort Smith ArkansasMaumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1U S National Register of Historic PlacesShow map of ArkansasShow map of the United StatesLocation100 S 4th St Fort Smith ArkansasCoordinates35 23 8 N 94 25 50 W 35 38556 N 94 43056 W 35 38556 94 43056Arealess than one acreBuilt1942ArchitectVulcan Iron WorksNRHP reference No 06000835 5 Added to NRHPSeptember 20 2006 6 History editThe Maumelle Ordnance Works were built by the War Department in 1941 to produce the explosives picric acid ammonium picrate and ammonium nitrate The plant began production in 1942 and the locomotive was purchased to move freight cars around the facility which was spread over 7 000 acres 2 800 ha to minimize the risk of incidents spreading from one production unit to others The plant stopped production in August 1945 and was decontaminated and shut down by November The land passed through several hands and eventually became the planned community of Maumelle Arkansas 3 The Arkansas nomination document says that locomotive 1 was then transferred to the Army renumbered 8223 and sent to the Newport Army Air Field 3 The airfield however had been renamed Marine Corps Air Facility Newport in 1944 and turned over to the City of Newport at the end of the war Wherever it spent the period after the war in the early 1950s the government sold the locomotive to the Augusta Railroad a 1 65 mile 2 66 km line that connected Augusta Arkansas near Broadway and 1st Street to the Missouri Pacific at 6th Street in New Augusta 8 Parts of the railroad right of way are still obvious on the Google aerial view The little gasoline locomotive replaced a 1924 Alco 2 6 0 steam locomotive that had been condemned During the 1950s the railroad gradually died as its traffic shifted to trucks The railroad went through an abandonment proceeding in 1958 and was purchased by Glenn Taggart and Bing Miller Subsequently Tommy Taggart bought Miller s interest He kept the locomotive until he donated it to the Fort Smith Trolley Museum in June 1988 3 Design edit nbsp The locomotive s controlsLocomotive 1 is an unusual combination Virtually all internal combustion locomotives are diesel electrics powered by a diesel prime mover driving a generator which in turn drives one or more electric traction motors apart from some diesel mechanical and diesel hydraulic locomotives All of the major manufacturers had discarded the use of gasoline engines by the middle 1930s in favor of diesel primarily on the grounds of fuel economy Vulcan continued to produce a very limited number of both while it also continued to produce steam locomotives In early 1942 it is likely that war needs made it easier to get a gasoline engine than a diesel because a gasoline engine uses much less material Electric drive is almost universal because a railroad locomotive is a difficult environment for a mechanical gearbox as the loads vary widely from second to second as the slack action runs in and out Only on very small locomotives pulling a limited number of cars generally on level track have there been any successful gearbox locomotive drives In the case of Locomotive 1 the four speed gearbox drives a jackshaft under the cab which is connected with side rods to the two driving wheels The choice of mechanical drive may also have been driven by war availability a generator and traction motor take hundreds of pounds of copper which was scarce The nomination document quotes a Vulcan ad in the 1947 Locomotive Cyclopedia All Vulcan diesel and gasoline geared locomotives are equipped with a distinctive four speed constant mesh spur geared transmission which permits easy gear changes at relatively high speeds Gears and shafts are heat treated nickel chromium steel mounted on anti friction bearings and operating in an oil bath Extra heavy cross equalized semi elliptic springs and Vulcan 3 point suspension assure easy riding on rough track and minimize derailments 3 It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 6 7 References edit C B Peck ed 1950 52 Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice New York Simmons Boardman pp 200 1 Pinkepank Jerry A 1973 The Second Diesel Spotter s Guide Kalmbach pp 405 6 a b c d e f Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1 Fort Smith Sebastian County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program an agency of the state government s Department of Arkansas Heritage 2006 Archived from the original on October 29 2013 Retrieved June 13 2012 Roster of Equipment Locomotives Fort Smith Trolley Museum Archived from the original on September 18 2009 Retrieved February 8 2010 National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service March 13 2009 a b c Weekly list of actions taken on properties 9 18 06 through 9 22 06 National Park Service September 29 2006 Retrieved June 13 2012 a b National Register of Historic Places Search results for locomotives in Fort Smith Sebastian County Arkansas Historic Preservation Program an agency of the state government s Department of Arkansas Heritage 2012 Retrieved June 12 2012 permanent dead link USGS Topographic quad available through GPS Visualizer Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1 amp oldid 1119515205, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
