Remarkable Engines: America's Only Double Fairlies

After making a few Rio Grande-related errors in the past few videos, I decided to make up by covering an obscure engine rostered by said railroad based on an obscure double ended design. But while researching for this engine, I also stumbled upon another American engine with the same design, so I decided to cover both of them in the same episode! This, is the story of Rio Grande "Monutaineer" and Lehigh Valley "Janus", also known as America's Only Double Fairlies.

Credit for all photos used go to their original photographers.
All music used in this video is from the YouTube Audio Library.

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976: allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Sources:
Denver Public Library Special Collections, RR-896, RR-817

Music used in order:
Eyes of Glory - Aakash Gandhi
Dude, Where's My Horse - Nat Keefe with The Bow Ties
Fun In The Sun - Chris Haugen
Double You - The Mini Vandals

[rottenroads]

2:39. It was Numbered 13.
Now, we should all know the reputation of Number 13.

Also, there should be an HOn30 Model of the Denver & Rio Grande Western “Mountaineer” locomotive, and an HO scale model of the Janus Locomotive.

[DCProductions]

On the subject of Double Fairlies, New Zealand Railways was apparently one of the world's largest users of the type despite only having around 35 examples. One them them - E 175 'Josephine' - is on static display at a museum in Dunedin.

[kiwitrainguy]

2:40 that loco was just named Mountaineer. The Fairlie Patent plate on the other end appeared on all Double Fairlie locos. On at least one New Zealand Double Fairlie it had the Fairlie plate on one tank and Patent on the other tank. Later ones had Fairlies Patent all on one plate.

[SteamFan]

Just so you know, Hyce is no longer a Railroads Online developer

[HWRR]

Hyce is not going to be happy about this one

[PowerTrain]

The Central Railroad of New Jersey also had a double ended "baby-faced" Baldwin engine nicknamed Janus, after the Roman mythological God of beginnings and ends or duality, often depicted with two faces.

[waterlevelproductions]

Fun fact the oldest running steam locomotive in the US is a mason bogie.Calmet & Hecla mining company number 3 or torch lake can be found in the Henry Ford Museum in Greenfield village

[willsen]

I have two ideas for a remarkable engines episde, the 1000th Siemens vectron operated by DSB, and DSB traktor nr 57. Nr became popular after the Olsen banden på sporet (Olsen gang on track) where they used 57 to make their escape i think. 57 became very popular after the movie and is now located at the Danish railway Museum

[Zy]

6:02-I looked at that, and my first thought was "Boston Revere Beach and Lynn". And I was

[paulmishler]

Would be cool to get an HOn3 model of that one day

[Grantthetruthteller]

Would you consider the Garrett a decendant of the Fairlies or is it a totally different branch of the steam Loco family tree?

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The Double Fairlies might have been more appreciated on American logging railroads & mining shortlines (which I'm betting is what the Canadian & Mexican ones were used for).

[mowncry]

Well the 1744 at the beginning is cool since it's at the Niles canyon railway now

[SteamLance]

I like how only the Welsh have managed to successfully use Double Fairlie locos, while other countries are just confused by it. If the Ffestiniog can use them for 150+ years, then how hard can it be for others to?

Also on the note of rough riding, if the US think a Fairlie is bad they haven't experienced a quarry Hunslet... I have (I'm a trainee fireman at the Bala Lake Railway) and they are bouncy but still useful little locos

[justinwilliam]

I read somewhere that five double fairlies were used in Canada built by the Avonside engine company Bristol in the 1870’s two in Ontario a few miles from Toronto on separate railways and three in Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia but all are just scrap and junk now.

[TomLuTon]

Sorry dude, but the Canadian Fairlies were NOT on the Grand Trunk Western.

Your photo is of Toronto & Nipissing #9 Shedden, which was destroyed by fire in 1883. The T&N started as a narrow gauge line running NE out of Toronto. In 1882 it was bought by the Midland Railway, which was leased to the Grand Trunk Railway in 1884. The Grand Trunk went bankrupt after WW1, and became part of the Canadian National Railway. The Grand Trunk Western was created in the 1920s by CNR to operate it's American lines west of Detroit.

The second Fairlie was Toronto Grey & Bruce #7 Caledon, which was scrapped in 1883. The TG&B eventually became part of Canadian Pacific

Three more Fairlies were owned by a coal mine in Nova Scotia, where they worked until 1902.

[MattSmith-uwpg]

Of course hyce know that was wrong because he works on a k 37

[TrainBandit]

Great video! You did such a great job keeping the video entertaining! Ive done videos like this before and its so easy for me to start rambling 😂
Mind if i share the video?

[Nictrain]

Shame Fairlies didn’t take off that well in the States, but let’s face it. America is just too big and steep for these engines.