Joe Rogers was my point of contact in Vietnam for landing a job on the C&LC. I met him as a result of a fellow bridge player asking whether I knew a GI in a nearby barracks who owned a real locomotive. At the time I was spray painting, using a rattle can, an S scale MILW composite gon placed on top of some sand bags.

I said I didn't but asked where I could find him. Joe was the owner of ex-CUT's Lima-Hamilton #25. He leased it to the C&LC.

Joe told me about trying to keep Fred Steck's #18 hot, using slab wood scrap that was free? from an on line pallet plant in Lake City. The #18 was superheated as built, but the interior superheater units had been removed and not replaced. Too much heat sailed through the large flues before it could be transferred to water within the boiler. The railroad scheduled three round trips a day, but could only make two rounds with the #18. The train had to stop on the way to "North Cadillac" to build up steam. I believe but will confirm with Howard that the #18 was in Lake City only for the time it took #2 to be a movie star.

I never heard that the #2 moved to Chicago under its own steam. Howard told me how the engine messenger boxed up the cab of the #2 while he rode it from Weyerhauser's shop in Washington to Missaukee Junction. The messenger's job was to keep the bearings oiled while the engine was moved dead in train. In 1964, it may have been the last steam locomotive to cross the straits via the Chief Wawatam.

Joe did tell me the #2 on its return trip from Chicago moved dead in train as far as Owasso. An oil burner, it was fired up at the AA's shop. It had just a spot fire, which went out. The hot fire bricks which lined the firebox vaporized the oil which continued to drip. When Joe threw in a fusee to relight the fire there was a very loud 'Bang" as the fumes ignited.