RailRoadFan.com

There are some great online features this month about the Pere Marquette, so of course they are centered on Michigan. Steam at East Saugatuck, Muskegon, Waverly, Saginaw, Passenger trains at Delray, the carferries, and more. Several albums of photos I've not seen before.

Check it out!: https://ctr.trains.com/railroad-referen ... ght-trains

I don't get this caption. The pusher engine would be off to the right and out of view as the tracks begin the decent, including a slight curve to the right, on Saugatuck hill.

J T wrote:I don't get this caption. The pusher engine would be off to the right and out of view as the tracks begin the decent, including a slight curve to the right, on Saugatuck hill.

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If you blow the photo up you can clearly see what what the caption describes. There is another steam locomotive back there puffing. Maybe the location or perspective is slightly different than what you are imagining.

Are we looking at the same picture? I do not see any smoke/steam from a second engine. And JT is right, the pusher would be out of the frame to the right, and wouldn’t be visible anywhere in the photo.

SD80MAC wrote:Are we looking at the same picture? I do not see any smoke/steam from a second engine. And JT is right, the pusher would be out of the frame to the right, and wouldn’t be visible anywhere in the photo.

After looking at the map of the area it all makes sense. There is a slight (ever so slight) bend to the right (west) then the sharper curve to the east. You can see the second locomotive exhaust back there. The train bends right then left out of the frame. You can see the smoke from the pusher. its on the left side of the locomotive, down the grade. I think it makes perfect sense.

Upon looking at it on a bigger screen, I see it. And yeah, the tracks do eventually curve that direction going down the hill, I just figured you wouldn't be able to see that far, and today you wouldn't, too many trees. That little wisp of steam between the telegraph poles to the left/behind the engine. Such a tiny thing to notice in the picture its a wonder that they even bothered mentioning it.

SD80MAC wrote:Such a tiny thing to notice in the picture its a wonder that they even bothered mentioning it.

Pretty sure they mentioned it specifically to get JT's goat.