The Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad ran 153 miles from Lake Erie to North Bessemer, PA near Pittsburgh, PA. From early spring until the first freeze the B&LE hauled iron ore from the lake boats to the steel mills and carried Pennsylvania coal back to the lake front.

When tonnage increased, new power was needed. In 1929, the B&LE bought a single 2-10-4 (road number 601) from the Baldwin Locomotive Works to give the "Texas" type a try. This 502,630 pound locomotive was designated as Class H1a.

In 1930, nine more were delvered (road numbers 602 through 610). These locomotives were designated Class H1b and were very similar to number 601.

Ten Class H1c 2-10-4s (road numbers 611 through 620) arrived from Baldwin in 1936, and another ten Class H1d (road numbers 621 through 630) came from the American Locomotive Company in 1937.

The 1940s saw seventeen more "Texas" types added to B&LE's roster. They were acquired in three orders: five Class H1e (road numbers 631 through 635) in 1941, two Class H1f (road numbers 636 & 637) in 1942 and ten Class H1g (road numbers 638 through 647) in 1943 and 1944.

The entire B&LE fleet of 47 "Texas" type locomotives were all built to the same basic specifications which included 31" dia x 32" stroke cylinders, 64" dia. drivers, a boiler pressure of 250 psi with a resultant tractive effort of 96,700 pounds.

The B&LE transferred 18 Texas type locomotives to the DM&IR in 1951. They were used by the DM&IR until 1961.

There is one surviving B&LE "Texas" type locomotive, number 643. It is stored west of the P&LE shops in Mc Kees Rocks, PA.