Air pumps on BSR 7 & 8?

[Anthony Vo]

So I was doing research on the use of vacuum brakes on the various two-footers and found that BSR 7 and 8 had air pumps added sometime in the 1950s at Edaville. I have found pictures on eBay of 8 in the 1950s with the pump mounted in front of the cab, before it was moved lower down in line with the running board. Presently, 7 still has its pump, so I'm curious: what was the purpose or reason for adding the air pump? Did Edaville have a need for the two to have compressed air?

[Gavin Dalessandro]

To answer your question no Edaville didn't need the air pumps as none of the cars had it hooked up but it was more of a personal opinion. After Ellis Atwood died in 1950, the park and railroad was ran for a few years by his wife and her cousin until the operation was leased to George Richardson and F. Nelson Blount. Blount thought that 7 & 8 just didn't look right without pumps as both are much more modern engines compared to 3 & 4 what with walcherts valve gear and electric headlights not to mention road pilots and leading trucks and having some rinky-dink vacuum brakes just didn't agree with the aesthetics of the locomotives
 

[Dante Lakin]

Gavin, do you have a source for them being added for aesthetic reasons? I would've thought it's because air brakes are stronger than vacuum, and the trains 7 and 8 could handle almost necessitated the extra braking force compared to 3 or 4.

Also, if aesthetics were the reason, then it seems awful strange that 8 was regularly outfitted with a box headlight and faux diamond stack, even with air brakes.

[Gavin Dalessandro]

I can't remember off the top of my head exactly who told me but I think it was James Nobilini