Heater Car Project
Information Needed
With the death of steam motive power on the O&W
in 1948 the railroad had no way to provide steam heat to it's aging passenger
car fleet. Non of the diesel locomotives which replaced the steam power
were equipped with steam generators. In May of 1948 the O&W built HT-1
out of the tender frames of scrapped steam locomotives. HT-2 would be built
the following May and would only remain in service until August of 1953.
The Fernwood Columbia
and Gulf purchased HT-2 and attempted to use it in MOW service to provide
steam power. I am told that HT-2 was sidetracked and eventually scrapped.
HT-1 hung around on the O&W until the roads demise and found it's way
to the old Camp Shanks warehouse facility in Tappan, NY where she met the
scrappers torch in 1970. I remember seeing HT-1 in the camp when I was
a kid, of course I never took a picture. Carefull study of the photographs
I have collected show a number of differences between the two cars. I would
appreciate any information available in the form of pictures, diagrams,
dimentions, etc. I am gathering this information with the hopes of being
able to make an HO scale model kit available. In addition my good friend
Ray Buteux is also building a 1/29th scale model to go with his USA Trains
O&W F-3's and would like to add as much detail as possible. If you
have different detailed pictures or drawings you would like to share please
contact me at the above phone number, address or e mail to AL1HDAGENT@ aol.com
HT-1 as I remember her as a child in 1966. Unfortunately HT-1 and the rest of the O&W equipment stored here in the old Camp Shanks warehouse would meet with the torch in 1970.
Some nice detail of the roof of HT-1 The structures in the background are the warehouses which supplied Camp Shanks and the American forces on their way to the European theater during WWII. Over 1,000,000 men and women passed through Camp Shanks on their way to Europe.
Marv Cohen captures HT-2 in Middletown as she begins her first winter of service. These "Heater Tenders" carried 600 gallons of diesel fuel and 6,000 gallons of water. Each unit cost approximately $19,400 to build. HT-2 would be sold to the FC&G for $3,750 in 1953.
