Equipment: Katalla And 0-4-0Ts

Lone Janson's book covers the start of CR&NW construction from Katalla, rather than Cordova, in June 1907. Construction of a railroad intended to go north to Kennicott via the Bering River coal field continued until November of that year. However, in a political move, Theodore Roosevelt withdrew the Bering River coal field leases, and severe storms in November 1907, which destroyed much of the work that had been done to that point, convinced the Morgan-Guggenheim syndicate to transfer their railhead to Cordova.

Some equipment appears to have been used in Katalla and then transferred to Cordova, while other equipment was not. For example, here is a photo of an 0-6-0 locomotive switching wooden hopper-style ballast cars on the Katalla project.

While it appears that Dickson 0-4-0Ts, steam shovels, and some Western dump cars went from Katalla to Cordova, there is no record that the 0-6-0 shown in the photo went to Cordova, and the hopper-style cars also do not appear in later CR&NW photos. This page says a Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg 2-6-0 number 82 was sold to the CR&NW about 1906. The page adds that the BR&P locos were used as switchers with slope back tenders. It's hard to see from the photo whether the loco shown has a lead truck, or whether it may have had that lead truck removed at some point. In any case, if it is not a BR&P loco, its origin is a mystery, as is what happened to it after 1907.

Here is a closer shot of the hopper-style ballast cars and a steam shovel with a crude shelter. These apparently did not go to Cordova.

This looks like assembly of a Dickson 0-4-0T from a kit, probably in June 1907. A more proper steam shovel is in the background.

Here is a completed Dickson loco on the line in July 1907.

But by November 1907, storms had wreaked havoc with the Katalla operation:

Here's a good shot of loco 5 after transfer to Cordova:

The 4-wheel Western dump car is lettered "Katalla Company" with the number 53. The Katalla Company, according to Janson, continued after the move to Cordova and was the actual buider of the CR&NW steel bridges. This photo shows two of the Dickson dinkies with more Western 4-wheel dump cars, all lettered for the Katalla Company.

Some of the larger 12-yard Western dumps may have been used at Katalla as well.

However, if work stopped at Katalla during November 1907, it suggests that snow on these cars would imply they've been moved to the Cordova operation, or never worked at Katalla.

Janson says the CR&NW had four steam shovels. Here is one, apparently at Katalla, lettered for the Katalla Company:

Here is a different shovel, apparently at Katalla:

It seems likely that these were moved to Cordova.

As always, I am eager to be corrected.