I'd like more information and hopefully drawings on the Brookville locomtive referenced below and seen on Taplines. Does anyone have photos or drawings that could be used to build a model of this locomotive? Also, was the locomotive shown used without the cab, or is it that way as a result of abandonment?

Any assistance much appreciated.

Regards!

-Richard

Brookville 3-ton model BFA 36 inch gauge Blue Ridge Talc Co. ,Inc. Henry, Va on Sept. 9, 1982 Brookville s/n 2903 built June, 1943 Acquired from Kimbalton Lime Co.(original owner) Kerns, Va. in May, 1951

-- Richard Finlayson (richardf@steamup.com), February 24, 1999

Answers

I'm not sure of the exact history of this locomotive (Blue Ridge Talc), but all BFA's were Ford-powered and had Ford hoods. This locomotive is unusual, though, in that it clearly has a flathead Ford V8 inside, but the characteristic Ford hood is lacking. The frame is BFA. I suspect that either the owner modified it as a result of an accident damaging the original hood, or it was ordered for whatever reason to have a special hood (no other Brookvilles that I've seen had this type of hood). As for the cab, the BFA could be ordered with or without one, depending on the operating conditions. It also saved money if the cab was deleted. I don't think this one had a cab, although there is a possibility due to the raised floor under the operator's chair. A good source for photos is James S. Eakin's book, Critters: vol. 1. Of course, all of the BFA's in this book have the Ford hood. I am also interested in drawings or photos of locomotives like this one, please e-mail me if you come across any. Thanks! Mike

-- Mike Oestreich (moparqman@fuse.net), July 14, 1999.