Olev Taremae/photos as noted
Reading through a recent issue of Railfan & Railroad magazine, I saw a reference in a Kevin EuDaly piece to the existence of an EMD Model 40 diesel locomotive in York, Pennsylvania. My slide collection includes five of the eleven examples of one of the most unusual and unmistakable locomotive models ever manufactured, but not the example in York. Time for a road trip.
A TRUE CRITTER – Motive power such as this one created by Brookville served as Tom Lawson’s inspiration for the term “critter.” The piece of equipment was used by Koppers for moving cars loaded with ties or other wood products at its creosoting plant in Gainesville, Florida. A metal box serves as a seat for the operator. Lights point in both directions to illuminate the surroundings. Larry Dilts found this unit on June 5, 1971. — Larry Dilts
Veteran readers of Railpace may remember that in its early years, this magazine included an occasional column named Critter Corner. What is a critter, and how did the term come about? In the 1970s, locomotive historian Thomas Lawson was working for a Birmingham, Alabama used locomotive dealer. As he later recounted, he saw a homebuilt piece of equipment consisting of a small diesel engine, control mechanisms, and a seat mounted on a flat surface above a two-axle truck to be used for shifting railroad cars. The term “critter” came to his mind. It came to represent any smaller locomotive, typically 44 tons or less, that was designed for use in industrial settings…
