2-2-2 "Single" Steam Locomotives in the USA

The Choctaw Oklahoma & Gulf 2-2-2T inspection engine "Arapahoe" with pilots at both ends was built by Baldwin (#16027) in 1898 for $3500. When built it had 8" x 12" cylinders and 42" drivers. It had vacuum brakes and a toilet at the rear of the passenger compartment ahead of the sliding door on the right side. It was the second such locomotive built by Baldwin. The first was the "Black Diamond," built in 1889 for the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company. Both had driving wheels without flanges, which made them able to run on very sharp curves at coal mines or construction sites. At some point on the CO&G its boiler was replaced with a longer one that put its smokebox door and stack outside the body, which made maintenance easier. The CO&G was taken over by the Rock Island in 1904. It was sold on November 7, 1905 and went to a dealer in used equipment. It was then sold to the Due West Railway in South Carolina but was not a success and replaced by a former elevated line Forney in the following month. This and the "Texas" of the MKT are thought to have been the only inspection engines in the Southwest.

A Rock Island diagram for this locomotive dated July 27, 1904, that was discovered at the Lake States Archive shows it was modified while in use on the CO&G. It was given a new and longer boiler. This extended the smokebox and smokestack outside the body for easier maintenance, which may have been a reason for making the change. The body was also modified with the toilet moved back into the cab area with a door into the front compartment. The sliding door to the cab on that side was removed. And a funnel arrangement for watering the locomotive was added at the rear. This may have been removable and kept in the cab instead of a permanent fixture. The diagram is marked to indicate the locomotive was sold on November 27, 1905 and then scrapped. But it wasn't scrapped and was sold through a dealer to the Due West Railway in South Carolina. (Lake States Archive, Rock Island Collection, #2012-012)

Differences from the Baldwin specs show that the boiler was replaced. According to the Record of Recent Construction (above) as well as its specifications from the Baldwin collection at the DeGolyer Library at SMU show its original boiler had 33 two-inch flues and four 1 3/4" ones. These were 6'-8 1/2" long. The new boiler also had 37 tubes, all 2" ones that were 9'-2" long. The boiler diameter and firebox dimensions are also different. The original one had a rear end diameter of 21 1/4" and on the new one this was 26". The grate area of the firebox changed from 9.17 to 9 square feet. Its total heating surface changed from 159.34 to 177 square feet. The wheelbase is also different, as it changed from 9'-7 1/2" to 9'-8 1/4". The difference was how far the front axle was moved towards the front. The weight on the drivers changed from 13,000 to 14,000 pounds.

In Railroad History #226, Spring/Summer 2022, we shared more about the history of the Arapahoe, an inspection locomotive built by Baldwin for the Choctaw Oklahoma & Gulf in 1898 that went from the Rock Island, which took over the CO&G, to the Due West Ry of South Carolina, and eventually the El Paso & Suburban in Texas. But by sheer chance we have also learned it was very briefly used on the Fayetteville Street Railway and Power Company in Fayetteville, NC.

It was sold to the organizers of the Due West by Joseph E. Bowen of Norfolk, VA, and opened the line on December 27, 1907, but was immediately found to be inadequate for the line's use. In mid-February Mr. Bowen arranged to replace the Arapahoe with a heavier locomotive, a former elevated railway 0-4-4T Forney, which arrived on February 27, 1908.

The Arapahoe was then leased to the Fayetteville Street Railway and Power Company of North Carolina on May 21, 1908 along with an open bench streetcar trailer. The distance from the Due West to Fayetteville is 202 miles as the crow flies. This was discovered when the photo below was found in Railroading in the Carolina Sandhills: The 20th Century, 1900-1985, by David Carriker, published in 1987. Two deeds with this date were filed with the Cumberland County Recorder of Deeds that confirmed the lease of the Arapahoe, and an open bench streetcar trailer to the Fayetteville Street Railway and Power Company by Mr. Bowen. In one deed the locomotive is identified by builder, year built, and construction number. They were to be delivered by May 26, 1908. This was the same used equipment dealer that worked with the Due West. The Fayetteville company was chartered in August 1906 and began construction in 1907 and operated 1.25 miles of track. Gasoline motor cars were used at first. The use of the loco on the street in Fayetteville was quite brief as there were complaints that it was noisy and scared the horses, and there was no mention of steam power being used on the line in the local press. We only have the photo of it in use. But the Bureau of the Census did have a footnote to table 185 of its 1907 Special Report on Street and Electric Railways (published in 1910) which showed the line as having two "motor cars," one electric and one steam. There was no date for the report used to compile this data.

The banner seen at right in the photo refers to Robert Broadnax Glenn, state governor from January 11, 1905 - January 12, 1909. Based on the date of delivery and the May 21 date on banner at the right in the photo was likely made in the last few days of May 1908. If the banner wasn't removed in a timely manner the operation could have been later. This may be a test trip for the street railway company and those on the front may be company officials. In October 1908 the line was being electrified, and note that there are no trolley wires over the track in the photo. And by October 1908 the locomotive was on the El Paso Suburban Ry in Texas where it was used until 1914 on the flat land of the area. Thanks to David Carriker, who provided the location of the lease documents for this article. /p>

Information provided by Ronald Goldfeder.