2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA

In 1885 six locomotives with a 2-6-2 wheel arrangement were built by Baldwin for New Zealand Railways. In October 1898 Baldwin built a 2-6-2 for the McCloud River Railroad that was similar to 2-6-2s that they built for southern loggers in the previous two years.. In 1900 Brooks built several of this type Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. They were planned to be used on the mid-western prairies. However, they did not find favor with the Class I railroads. Only 1500 Prairies were built with many of them destined for short lines.

Railroads that used 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA (data provided by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media)

Railroads that used 2-6-2 locomotives in other countries

Surviving Examples of 2-6-2 "Prairie" Locomotives in the USA

No.	Class	F.M. Whyte	Gauge	Railroad Line	Location	Status	Builder Info	Notes
1108	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	near Ardmore depot, Ardmore, OK	display	Baldwin #20691, 1903
2968 (5245)		2-6-2	24"	Byron RR (U.S. Army)	Norgrove Gardens, Arroyo Grande, CA	stored	Davenport Locomotive Works #1700	From Monroe, WA, then Watertown, NY. Rebuilt in Creston, IA by Byron Hiatt.
7		2-6-2	36"	Eureka Nevada	Silverwood Theme Park, Athol, ID	operational	H.K. Porter #5724, 1915
903		2-6-2	15"		Hanson Technology Center, Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI	display	House of David	Stored off site.
7		2-6-2	15"	Redwood Valley Railway	Redwood Valley Railway, Berkeley, CA	operational		Named The Oak; Drive wheels were borrowed to build model of Sierra Railway #3 used in filming Back To The Future III.
1096	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Beatty Rogers Park, Blackwell, OK	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #20579, 06/1902
110		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Cliffside (Swamp Rabbit)	New Hope Valley Railway, Bonsal, NC	restoration	Vulcan Iron Works (Wilkes-Barre) #3738, 07/1927	From Stone Mountain where is was named Yonah II.
2		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Manatee Crate (Taylor Country LUmber)	Manatee Historical Village, Bradenton, FL	display	Baldwin #40861, 1913
1080	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Santa Fe Depot, Brownwood, TX	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #20376, 1902
100		2-6-2	4'-8½"	FSM	Alger-Sullivan Historical Society, Century, FL	display	Baldwin #52261, 1919	From the Whitewater Valley Railroad, Connersville, IN.
786		2-6-2	14"	TMR	Jimmie Thomas Miniature Railroad, Cheraw, SC	display	1940s
1079	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Walter Johnson Memorial Park, Coffeyville, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #20375, 1902
5		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	Coronet Phosphate	Colfax Railroad Museum, Colfax, WI	display	H.K. Porter #4874, 1911	From Annandale, MN.
4		2-6-2	36"	WP&Y (Klondike Mines)	South Park Rail Society, Como, CO	out of service	Baldwin #37564, 1912	From the Petticoat Junction Railroad, then El Reno, OK, then Dry Gulch USA, Adair, OK, then Silver Plume, CO. Wood-fired. Out of service for boiler repairs.
262		2-6-2	18"	Snug Harbor	NRHS Oregon Coast Chapter, Coos Bay, OR	display	Oscar Coffman, 1946	From Malibu, CA then the Alton & Pacific Railroad, Eureka, CA, then David Stare.
1139	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Boot Hill Museum and Front Street, Dodge City, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #21506, 1903	Displayed with builder plate (21617) from 1144.
1140	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	Southern Pine Lumber (AT&SF)	Louisiana National Guard Camp Minden, Doyline, LA	stored	Baldwin, 1902	From Shreveport.
2435	T	2-6-2	4'-8½"	NP	Lake Superior Railroad Museum, Duluth, MN	restoration	Alco (Brooks) #42250, 1907	Cosmetic restoration only.
1		2-6-2	18"	Venice Miniature Railway	unknown, El Monte, CA	stored	Johnson Machine Works (Los Angeles), 1905
1015	1014	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Fremont Park, Emporia, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #19642, 1901
11		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Everett Railroad (Morehead & North Fork)	H&BT Depot, Everett, PA	display	Baldwin #33333, 04/1909	From the Williams Grove Amusement Park, Dillsburg, PA. Used for excursions in the 1960s.
26		2-6-2	36"	SS&S	NJ Museum of Transportation, Farmingdale, NJ	display	Baldwin #53796, 1920
901		2-6-2	15"		NWORRP, Findlay, OH	operational	House of David, 1948
5		2-6-2	36"	Argent Lumber	Ardenwood Railroad, Fremont, CA	display	Lima #1116, 1910	From the Nevada County NG Railroad Museum, Nevada City, CA.
1902		2-6-2ST	24"	USATC	National Infantry Museum, Ft. Moore, GA	display	Davenport Locomotive Works #1682, 1918
1		2-6-2	4'-8½"	WBT&S	Galveston Railroad Museum, Galveston, TX	display	Baldwin #53413, 1920
25		2-6-2	4'-8½"	MCR	Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, Garibaldi, OR	out of service	Alco (Schenectady) #66435, 1925	From the McCloud Railway Co., McCloud, CA. Appeared in 'Stand By Me' (1986 movie). Taken out of service in early January 2023. Undergoing mandated 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.
102		2-6-2	12"	WF&P	Wabash, Frisco & Pacific Railroad, Glencoe, MO	out of service	Ted Young, 1983	Modeled after CS&CCD Railway 102; Awaiting new boiler.
1		2-6-2	4'-8½"	LA Cypress Lumber Co.	Roosevelt Railroad Museum (defunct), Griffin, GA	private	H.K. Porter #6663, 1921	Previously owned by Warren Frye. Current location unknown.
9	61 ton	2-6-2T	4'-8½"	GP	Wynoochee River Gorge, Grisdale, WA	sunk	Baldwin #57709, 1924
7		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Prescott & Northwestern (Caddo & Choctaw)	Black Hills Central Railroad, Hill City, SD	display	Baldwin #51771, 1919	Named The General Custer.
103		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	PT	Black Hills Central Railroad, Hill City, SD	stored	Baldwin #55482, 1922	Used as a spare parts source for sister PT locomotive 104.
104		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	PT	Black Hills Central Railroad, Hill City, SD	operational	Baldwin #59137, 1926
45		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Rayonier (Polson Logging)	Polson Museum, Hoquiam, WA	restoration	Baldwin #27311, 01/1906	From Mineral, WA.
205		2-6-2	4'-8½"	SMV	enginehouse, Independence, OR	operational	Baldwin #57613, 1924	info & photo Uses the tender from sister SMV locomotive 100. Restoration work started in 2006. Restored to operation in September 2021.
1050	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Independence Riverside Park, Independence, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #20132, 1902
7 (8)		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Amador Central (MCR)	Police Department Park, Main St, Ione, CA	display	Burnham, Williams #1895, 1901
4		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Cypress Lumber (Lee Tidewater Cypress Co)	WK&S Railroad, Kempton, PA	disassembled	Baldwin #41652, 1914	From Monee, IL then purchased disassembled from Hardin Southern Railroad, Hardin, KY in 2008.
1024	1014	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Warren Ave Park, La Junta, CO	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #19684, 1901
1819	1800	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	behind Amtrak depot, Lamar, CO	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #29425, 1906
4		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Fairchild & NE	Laona & Northern, Laona, WI	operational	Vulcan Iron Works (Wilkes-Barre) #2535, 1916
1129	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Highway 329 & Grand Ave., Las Vegas, NM	display	Baldwin #21306, 1902	Restoration to operation is being considered.
1	A-C-A	2-6-2	18"	Timnath Northwestern	John Blue Complex, Laurinburg, NC	out of service	Alex Schneider and Roger Mitchell (Loveland CO) #1, 1984	From the Swetsville Zoo, Timnath, CO.
1073	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Watson Park, Lawrence, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #20333, 1902
7 (13)		2-6-2	4'-8½"	S&F (DV&RL)	Travel Town Museum, Los Angeles, CA	display	Alco (Dickson) #26264, 12/1902	Originally built as a 2-6-0 type.
2		2-6-2	18"	BJWRR (Venice Miniature Railway)	Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, Oak Meadow Park, Los Gatos, CA	operational	Johnson Machine Works (Los Angeles), 1905
294 (47)		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Republic Steel (River Terminal)	Lynnville Railroad Museum, Lynnville, TN	display	Baldwin #59760, 1927
105		2-6-2	4'-8½"	VSP&SSRR	Modoc Northern Siding, Merrill, OR	stored		Fred Kepner collection. Being kept by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, Garibaldi, OR for a planned museum.
1		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	OP&E	Modoc Northern Siding, Merrill, OR	stored		Appeared in the movie "Emperor of the North". Fred Kepner collection. To be moved to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, Garibaldi, OR.
104		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	ORAMLumber	Modoc Northern Siding, Merrill, OR	stored		Was the back-up engine to 105 on the Verona South Park & Sunset Railroad. Fred Kepner collection. Not being offered for sale. Being kept by the Oregon Coast Scenic for a planned museum.
3		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Arkansas, Louisiana & Missouri (Brown Paper Mill)	Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, Monroe, LA	display	Baldwin #60295, 12/1927	From Graphic Packaging, West Monroe; Driven into park under its own power in 1962.
8		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Feather River	Art Wilson Co., Mound House, NV	stored operational	Baldwin #32160, 11/1907	From V&T Railroad then Gold Hill. Appeared in Great American Train Rides I.
5		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Nahma&No RR	Nahma Township Park, Nahma, MI	display	Baldwin #38846, 1912
2		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Lee Tidewater Cypress Co (Barfield Lumber)	Collier County Museum, Naples, FL	display	Baldwin #53177, 05/1920	Named The Deuce.
6		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Skagit River	east of N Cascades National Park, Hwy20, Newhalem, WA	display	Baldwin #60440, 1928	Last operated in early 1980s between Sedro-Woolley and Concrete.
1880	1800	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Military Park, Newton, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #31460, 1907
11		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Reader (Caddo & Choctaw)	Riney-B Park, Nicholasville, KY	display	Baldwin #58194, 01/1925	Operated until 1993.
5		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Calcasieu Paper	Ameristar Casino, North Kansas City, MO	display	Baldwin #38219, 1912
		2-6-2	2'	West Tocoi & Bostwick	Northeast Florida Live Steamers & Railroaders, Inc., Palm Coast, FL	operational
2 (107)		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Ventura County	Orange Empire Railway Museum, Perris, CA	out of service	Baldwin #55415, 1922	Taken out of service in October 2021. Undergoing mandated 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.
11		2-6-2	4'-8½"	St Joe Lumber & Exp	The Centennial Bldg, Port St. Joe, FL	display	Baldwin #45365, 1917
4 (22)		2-6-2	4'-8½"	WTCarter Lumber	Reader Railroad, Reader, AR	stored	Baldwin #40958, 1913	From the Reader Railroad. Later leased to the Tavares, Eustis & Gulf Railroad, Tavares, FL.
7		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Long Leaf Lumber (VF&W)	Reader Railroad, Reader, AR	stored	Burnham, Williams #31063, 1907	Paritally dismantled.
2		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	SV&E	Shasta Cascade Rail Preservation Society, Redding, CA	display	Baldwin #32651, 1908	From Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City, NV.
1010	1000	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, CA	restoration	Baldwin (Burnham) #19630, 1901	Scott Special Featured in the TV series 'Death Valley Days' (1952-1970). Restoration to operating condition began in early November 2023.
1903 (233)		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	SP (Central Pacific)	California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, CA	stored	CP (Sacramento), 01/1882	From the Niles Canyon Railway, Sunol, CA.
3		2-6-2	4'-8½"	ST&E (Delbeer & Carson Lumber)	Timber Heritage Association, Samoa, CA	stored	Baldwin #55248, 01/1922	From the California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento, CA.
29		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Pacific Lumber	Timber Heritage Association, Samoa, CA	stored	Baldwin #34484, 1910	From Eureka, then Timber Heritage Association, Glendale.
3 (1)		2-6-2	36"	Laurel Valley Plantation (Barker & LePine)	Pacific Coast Railroad, Santa Margarita, CA	private	H.K. Porter #1790, 1897	Named Melodia, from Space City USA then Carowinds Amusement Park, Charlotte. Converted from an 0-6-2RT to 2-6-2.
12		2-6-2	15"	Paradise & Pacific RR	McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 E Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale, AZ	display
1		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Brooks Scanlon	Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton, PA	display	Baldwin #41649, 1914
12	B-3-E	2-6-2	36"	GL (Kahului Railroad)	Georgetown Loop RR, Silver Plume, CO	out of service	Baldwin #60690, 1928	From Hawaii, then the C&TS, then Mt. Pleasant, IA, then Silverwood amusement park, Athol, ID, then Georgetown, CO. Loaned to the Midwest Central Railroad from 2012 to 2019. Returned from the MCRR and placed on temporary display in Silver Plume, CO in 2019.
18		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Florida & Alabama	Sioux City Railroad Museum, Sioux City, IA	restoration	Baldwin #52850, 01/1920	From White Sulfer Springs, MT then Pelgas Propane Co., Atlantic, IA then Freemont & Elkhorn RR, Hooper, NE.
1809	1800	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	W Lubbock & S 8th, Slaton, TX	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #29281, 1906
5		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Rosco Snyder & Pacific	Scurry County Coliseum, Snyder, TX	display	Baldwin #52918, 1920
250	10-34-D	2-6-2	4'-8½"	Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern	Edaville USA, South Carver, MA	display	Baldwin #59239, 05/1926	From WK&S, then Hobo RR, Lincoln, then Concord, NH.
902		2-6-2	15"		Michigan Flywheelers Museum, South Haven, MI	restoration	House of David	From Eden Springs Park, Benton Harbor, MI.
9		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Amador Central (MCR)	Age of Steam Roundhouse, Sugarcreek, OH	stored serviceable	Baldwin #18596, 01/1901	Sold to YWRR in 1939; sold to ACRR in 1944; sold to NP&I in 1945; to Mid-Continent RR Museum in 1966; to Kettle Moraine RY and operated until 2001; purchased by Jerry Jacobson in 2015.
108		2-6-2	4'-8½"	A&NR	Church St., Sulphur Springs, TX	stored	Baldwin, 1920	From Reader, AR, then North Conway, NH.
30		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Sierra	Niles Canyon Railway, Sunol, CA	stored	Baldwin #55412, 05/1922
2		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	Quincy RR	Niles Canyon Railway, Sunol, CA	out of service	Alco, 1924
3		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	Robert Dollar	Niles Canyon Railway, Sunol, CA	operational	Alco (Schenectady) #67544, 11/1927	Traded to PLA from the Western Railway Museum, Suisun City, CA.
100		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Weyerhaeuser	Central Park, Sutherlin, OR	display	Cooke Locomotive & Machine Works #62965, 1921	photo & info
103		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Sumter & Choctaw	RMNE Yard, Thomaston, CT	stored	Baldwin #58754, 1925	From the Valley Railroad, Essex, Connecticut. To be restored.
1035	1014	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Kaw River, Topeka, KS	sunk	Baldwin #19764, 1901	"Iron Horses of the Sante Fe Trail" state that these 3 locomotives sunk in the Kaw River on July 13, 1951. However, "The Santa Fe Railway and the Lost Locomotives of Topeka" state that 3167 and 1035 were found in late 1951 and 1956 and cut up for scrap.
207		2-6-2	4'-8½"	DFI	Tulsa Fairgrounds, Tulsa, OK	display	Baldwin #45549, 05/1917	A group has been formed in 2023 with the ultimate goal of making this locomotive operational.
101		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Tuskegee	Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL	restoration	Baldwin #58057, 1924
9		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	Coronet Phosphate	Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL	display	H.K. Porter #6992, 1925	From Thompson Winery, Monee.
1		2-6-2	24"	Rome & Fort Bull Railroad	Railstar, Black Clawson, Watertown, NY	stored	Nolan	From Erie Canal Village, Rome, NY.
1067	1050	2-6-2	4'-8½"	AT&SF	Sellers Park, Wellington, KS	display	Baldwin (Burnham) #20268, 1902
6		2-6-2	4'-8½"	CIC	John Larkin, Wells, MI	restoration	Baldwin #43340, 1916
4		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Long Bell Lumber	Baldo Locomotive Works, Willits, CA	stored		From Gene Autry, Melody Ranch, Newhall, CA, formerly part of the Fred Kepner collection, Merrill, OR. Slope-back tender.
7		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	Port of Olympia	Roots of Motive Power, Willits, CA	private operational	Baldwin #34666, 1910	Restored to operation by the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad.
14		2-6-2T	4'-8½"	CA Western	Roots of Motive Power, Willits, CA	restoration	Baldwin #58050, 1924	From Fort Bragg, CA.
104		2-6-2	4'-8½"	WW Cummer & Sons Cypress	Florida Railroad Museum, Willow, FL	display	Baldwin #53141, 1920	From Leesburg.
16		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Lee Tidewater Cypress Co	Clyde Schurman Machine Shop, Woodland, WA	display	Baldwin #51871, 1919	From North Lake, WI.
2		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Yakutat & Southern	Y&S RoW near school, Yakutat, AK	display	Lima #1057, 1907	Only successful locomotive to work for the Y&S Railroad. Worked there until 1949, before attempts to modernize motive power failed. Awaiting future cosmetic restoration.
7		2-6-2	4'-8½"	Brooks Scanlon	Pioneer Park Museum, Zolfo Springs, FL	display	Baldwin #41650, 1914	May possibly be returning to Wauchula.