Today a new photo of one of the J&L South Side Works Porter 0-4-0Ts appeared, which brings to four the number of photos existing of these locomotives in service. There
are actually five photos total including the builders photo of 58 which appeared in the 1941 Locomotive Cyclopedia.
This is the 58's builders photo, taken by HK Porter at the Porter plant. Apparently the original of this image exists in the NMRA Porter photo collection, but is currently inaccessible as the collection is being relocated to the California State Railroad Museum.
This ad, found in a steel industry trade publication in the early 1940s show the 57, 58 and 59 at work. These photos give us a few more details that we are missing and will help in the restoration project. The one thing that we notice is that in two of the three photos the safety valve is popping off, indicating that these locomotive had no problem generating steam for the service they were in. The photos also give us a glimpse of what the ingot mold cars and the idler cars looked like.
The latest photo of the 59 gives a little more insight into the design of the tender, as well as a look at the slightly different ingot molds with hot tops being handled.
Unlike traditional railroad locomotives that operated out where they could be viewed by the public, the Porters operated exclusively behind the walls of the South Side Works and away from the cameras of railfans. Perhaps a few more photos of the Porters exist, and if so we would certainly like to find them!
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