Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA

Class General Miller (Locobase 14230)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 49, p. 305, and Vol 65, pp. 177+. See also Dr Roger B Saylor, "Lake Erie, Franklin and Clarion Railroad," Chapter 26 of The Railroads of Pennsylvania (1964), archived at [], last accessed 16 June 2012. Works number was 40945 in December 1913 and 54422 in January 1921.

The first of these two Consolidations was sold to General Charles Miller's Pennsylvania Southern Railroad. By the time the engine was ordered, General Miller had incorporated a private road with the Pittsburgh, Summerville & Clarion, which was reorganized as the Pittsburgh, Clarion & Franklin. This road was consolidated with the Pennsylvania Southern and the PC&F to form the LEF&C in November 1913.

All of this business concerned a line that had a 15-mile (24.1-km) main line from Clarion to Summerville and branch lines that ranged from quite short to the surprisingly long Mill Creek branch that covered 17 miles (27.4 km). In the 1921-1925 period, the LEF&C operated 67 miles (107.9 km) and included 957,000 passenger miles (1,540,770 km) and a net income of $10,000. To accommodate the greater demand, the railroad returned to Eddystone in October 1920 for a duplicate of the 99, which for some reason it numbered 98.

The 98 was retired in November 1935 while the 99 remained on the roster until November 1939.

By 1941, the mileage had contracted to 15 miles.