Downtown in Roanoke, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Celanese Porter Fireless #1
Manufacturer: H.K. Porter Company, 1943
Length: 22 feet
Weight: 70,000 pounds (lbs.)
Construction Number: 7378
Boiler Pressure: 15 pounds per square inch (psi)
Cylinders: 20 inches Χ 18 inches
Wheels: 0-4-0F
Driver Wheel Diameter: 31 inches
Tractive Effort: 12,700 pounds-force (lbf)
The Celanese Porter Fireless has all of the functions of a steam engine, but does not have its own boiler. This engine stores steam from an external steam source. When the pressure got low, it went back to the source for more steam.
Fireless engines were designed to work in industries where sparks or flames created potential fire hazards, such as in mines.
The #3 was built for the Celanese Corporation/plant in Celco, Virginia (near Narrows), and was last used at a branch of the Celanese Fiber Company in Amcelle, Maryland, in 1966.
Erected by Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1943.
Location. 37° 16.398′ N, 79° 56.82′ W. Marker is in Roanoke, Virginia. It is in Downtown. It can be reached
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Mountain Region and in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Whitcomb 30DM31 Diesel Switcher (here, next to this marker); Mining Train (a few steps from this marker); Amoco Oil ARA III Tank Car AMOX #9465 (a few steps from this marker); Virginian Railway Class C-10 Caboose #321 (a few steps from this marker); 1936 F-20 McCormick Deering Farmall Tractor (a few steps from this marker); Norfolk Southern Research Car #31
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 448 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
