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Torch Lake Steam Locomotive Derailed in Greenfield Village, December 1981

THF133935 / Torch Lake Steam Locomotive Derailed in Greenfield Village, December 1981
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Artifact Overview

Derailments were a frequent irritation in the mid-19th century when locomotives and cars were comparatively light. Ice and snow could be enough to force a train from the track. Fortunately, because speeds were slow, damage was usually slight. Here a crew works to put the 1873 locomotive Torch Lake back on track after a derailment in December 1981.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

28 December 1981

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

EI.1929.P.B.90745.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 5 in
Width: 7.125 in

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    Torch Lake Steam Locomotive, 1873

    Torch Lake, built by Mason Machine Works in 1873, hauled ore for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The engine is an articulated design. The driving wheels pivot under the boiler, allowing the locomotive to handle sharp curves. Torch Lake joined The Henry Ford's collection in 1969.
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