More than 30 locomotive laborers, bosses and owners stand and sit proudly before a stoked new engine with various tools and parts displayed in 1916 at a locomotive works in Werdau, Germany.

A wide range of ages are also on display as this firm employed men presumably from the prior century with vast knowledge and experience, in the new century this firm also employed two women.

Each person depicted was probably confident that their job would last a lifetime and history recorded this as fact; steam had a solid 60 plus years left. Skilled labor that could not be outsourced, downsized or outmoded; our contemporary culture cannot grasp the life these men and two women experienced, as members of society they shared in the transport of people and goods by growing (my Wife prefers “building”) these powerful locomotives that lived beyond many in this photograph. A specialist is required to identify the tools and parts, but some stand out including calipers and wrenches (supersized).

In a future post I will be consulting with such a specialist to help identify these parts as well as the most unusual steam loco design. And perhaps I will also be able to uncover another photo of the locomotive in its entirety so stay tuned.

For now we will enjoy the people watching and take note of the clogs.

If anyone has anything to share on this photo please feel free to comment, I will give you credit and add to the description.