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

Class 5 (Locobase 12937)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 28, p. 188 and Volume 34, p. 297. Works number was 29984 in January 1907 and 34466 in April 1910.

Logging Prairies with these dimensions and burning both coal and wood were thick on the ground in the South in the first couple of decades of the 20th Century. Baldwin pulled this design off the shelf. Part of William Buchanan's Louisiana lumber empire, the sawmill on this railroad was located near Jena, La at Goodpine.

Nothing is known of 5's subsequent career, if any, but 6 was moved to another part of Buchanan's network to operate on the Turkey Creek Lumber Company. Sometime later, the 6 moved again within the empire and served the Tall Timber Lumber Company as their #21.

Class 6 (Locobase 12938)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 48, p. 304-305. Works number was 40278 in July 1913.

Good Pine's second #6 was also a logging Prairie (compare with Locobase 12937), but it had more size and power. The Tall Timber's #6 (Locobase 14162) was identical and also served a William Buchanan timber company. Later the 6 operated on the Turkey Creek Lumber Company's rails, from which it moved to Evangeline Lumber.