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Description
Not too terribly long ago, there ran a railway to the north of here. It hauled gravel, spoil, timber, and passengers from time to time. This was their first, and for a long time, only locomotive.

Hildae, a Manchester Locomotive Works one off, was built in 1899, in Manchester New Hampshire. Built specifically for the stone and timber hauling Hudson and Pelham Line, she sported a 5' 6'' diameter boiler (steel throughout,) a wooden cab, piston valves, a very large and peculiar spark arrestor and a smokebox front. Her smokebox door had the traditional "dogs" common on most american locomotives, but also sported the european style "handle and latch" system for extra tightness and redundancy.

Hildae was often affectionately called "Slushie" by her crews, because of the wet sloshing sound her exhaust made due to the lack of superheating. She often burned low grade soft coal, although occasionally she burned wood or whatever was available to be burnt. Due to her very wet exhaust and her sub par fuel, she often made what the railroaders called "black rain." This, as you may have guessed, was an extremely unpopular phenomenon for any hapless person who was unfortunate to be line-side any time she came thundering by with a heavy train.

It should also be mentioned that the locomotive is of a well tank design, making her an 0-4-0WT, although she often sported a very large and ungainly 4 axle tender. The eccentrics were sandwiched between the frame, and the well tank, which was small, but adequate enough for solo journeys down the line or in the yards. The tender was very much a point of great stress for the railway men, as it was almost always derailing or causing some form of damage to the track.

The railway was constantly in financial crisis, and the line was made out of sub par materials; untreated timber sleepers, dirt and gravel roadbed and brittle iron rails. The line was only ever able to afford and sustain this one locomotive, which survived 30 years of derailments, washouts, collapsing bridges and derailments. Finally the line was not able to pull its own weight. The company was liquidated with all assets sold to a private collector in England. I have not heard a word on the whereabouts of the locomotive now. I've heard that the ship never made it to England, and that it sank in a terrific storm in the North Atlantic.

Description
Not too terribly long ago, there ran a railway to the north of here. It hauled gravel, spoil, timber, and passengers from time to time. This was their first, and for a long time, only locomotive.

Hildae, a Manchester Locomotive Works one off, was built in 1899, in Manchester New Hampshire. Built specifically for the stone and timber hauling Hudson and Pelham Line, she sported a 5' 6'' diameter boiler (steel throughout,) a wooden cab, piston valves, a very large and peculiar spark arrestor and a smokebox front. Her smokebox door had the traditional "dogs" common on most american locomotives, but also sported the european style "handle and latch" system for extra tightness and redundancy.

Hildae was often affectionately called "Slushie" by her crews, because of the wet sloshing sound her exhaust made due to the lack of superheating. She often burned low grade soft coal, although occasionally she burned wood or whatever was available to be burnt. Due to her very wet exhaust and her sub par fuel, she often made what the railroaders called "black rain." This, as you may have guessed, was an extremely unpopular phenomenon for any hapless person who was unfortunate to be line-side any time she came thundering by with a heavy train.

It should also be mentioned that the locomotive is of a well tank design, making her an 0-4-0WT, although she often sported a very large and ungainly 4 axle tender. The eccentrics were sandwiched between the frame, and the well tank, which was small, but adequate enough for solo journeys down the line or in the yards. The tender was very much a point of great stress for the railway men, as it was almost always derailing or causing some form of damage to the track.

The railway was constantly in financial crisis, and the line was made out of sub par materials; untreated timber sleepers, dirt and gravel roadbed and brittle iron rails. The line was only ever able to afford and sustain this one locomotive, which survived 30 years of derailments, washouts, collapsing bridges and derailments. Finally the line was not able to pull its own weight. The company was liquidated with all assets sold to a private collector in England. I have not heard a word on the whereabouts of the locomotive now. I've heard that the ship never made it to England, and that it sank in a terrific storm in the North Atlantic.