Zoo Steam Locomotives--By RJR

As you likely know, I'm a devoted fan of steam locomotives. So was Clin Keeling, the late British zoologist and historian. He wrote me on 12 Sept 1992 as follows - - " I am indeed a steam-locomotive buff. It's quite astonishing just how many zoologists and naturalists are - - in fact it's more or less officially suggested its because they are the most animal-like of all machines." So there you have it from the irrepressible and unforgettable Clin. With that as background, I will say that for the first time I rode the Milw. zoo's steam powered train around the long loop. That little steam loco is a beauty - -a 4-6-2 Pacific type coal burner. At the risk of being overly pedagogical, I will explain that "4-6-2" refers to the wheels under the locomotive - -in this case - - 4 small ones, followed by 6 large driver wheels, and then 2 more small ones. Different types of locomotives are identified by such wheel arrangements. Above photo.

The engineer said it is 30-years old and was built for the Milw. zoo. But in the afternoon it was replaced on its runs by a boring petroleum powered F-Unit diesel look-alike. I checked the Internet and found that the steam engine was built in 1978 for the zoo by the Sandley Locomotive Works of Wisconsin Dells (now gone). It is named the " Irwin Maier" for the chairman of the Journal Publishing Co (publishers of the Milwaukee Journal).

The finest zoo steam loco I've ever seen is Omaha Zoo's little 1890 0-6-2 side tank engine from the Krauss Works, Linz, Austria. Named "Riva," it saw service on railroads in Italy, Austria-Hungary and Rumania before landing in the Omaha zoo. It has a fine engine house and shop maintained for the zoo by the Union Pacific RR which is headquartered in Omaha. As you may have heard, Omaha's classic baseball park, Rosenblatt Stadium (site of the College World Series - -and largest baseball park not a major league one) is to be torn down to make way for zoo expansion. It abuts the zoo. Here is Riva coming out of the zoo engine house. Note the rectangular side tank for boiler water. There's another one on the other side- - -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEfocBqhdg0

Knoxville zoo also once had two (I think) steam locos but I believe they were replaced by petroleum driven ones owing to cost. That track goes over some high trestles at the far end of the zoo.

"Clin Keeling may have been onto something. What do you think, Jim Stockley?