Southern Utah 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA

Class 100 (Locobase 16426)

Data from "Consolidation Locomotive for the Southern Utah Railroad", Railroad Age Gazette, Volume XLVII [47], No.24 (10 December 1909), p. 1147. See also "Southern Utah Railroad, Castle Valley Railroad" on UtahRails.net at [], last accessed 21 April 2019. Lima works numbers were 1088 in October 1909, 1106 in December 1909 (for Castle Valley Railroad), and 1127 in December 1910.

This set of small Consolidations reflected plain steam locomotive design using inside link motion and balanced slide valves with no unnecessary appliances or capabilities. This stubby duo featured a large grate, presumably to accommodate the low-calorie coal likely to be found in owner Consolidated Fuel Company's territory.

UtahRails.net compiled a detailed timeline from which the following highlights are taken. SURR leased the 100 from Lima for one year after its 21 October 1909 while it paid off the $11,000 cost in four installments. The 102 benefited from a similar arrangement. Its lease began on 8 January 1911 and also allowed payment of the $13,155 purchase price in four equal installments. On 12 May 1912, the SURR was able to take ownership of both engines.

101 was transferred in November 1916 to United States Smelting, Refining & Smelting's El Paso, Tex-based smelter, where it was renumbered 2060 Then it was sent to Cia El Monte Y Pachuca. Sold to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive as their inventory number 799. BR&L found a buyer in June 1923 to the San Antonio & Aransas Pass as their 270. Listed on the Southern Pacific's Texas & New Orleans roster in class C-21 as of 1927, the 270 remained on SA&AP rails until September 1950.

Meanwhile, Castle Valley locomotive #1 (later 101) arrived at Price on 4 January 1910. Although the two railroads were corporately linked, it wasn't until 1 December 1917 that the 101 was leased to the Utah Railway. It was sold to the URR on 1 July 1918 and remained in service until scrapped in July 1939.

(See the much bigger Brooks locomotive that operated on the Southern Utah at Locobase 12511.)

Class 104 (Locobase 12511)

Data from "Equipment and Supplies - Locomotive Building," Railway Age Gazette, Vol 48, #4 (28 January 1910), p 214. Works number was 47772 in April 1910.

In the same year that ten wide-firebox Consolidations were logged in Alco's order book for the Buffalo & Susquehanna as their 169-178, the line went into receivership. The orphans were distributed widely with the 177 going out to the Southern Utah.

Later renumbered as Utah Valley 4, the engine lasted until 1956.