Washington & Lincolnton 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA

Class 203 (Locobase 16037)

Data from DeGolyer, Volume 76, pp. 372+. Works number was 58489 in June 1925.

(Note: this locomotive's history was drafted by Chris Hohl from several sources and emailed to Locobase on 31 March 2015. It is presented here in lightly edited form.

Chris's sources included:

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#203 was a typical saturated-boiler, light-traffic Consolidation built in 1925 by Baldwin for the Washington & Lincolnton Railroad, which was financed by the Georgia Railroad (which connected with the W&L at Washington, GA). [Most such Baldwin 2-8-0s of the time had more cylinder volume, used piston valves, and many were superheated. The 203 was smaller, saturated, but used 9 1/2" (241 mm) piston valves.]

The W&L hauled timber and cotton out of the county, but the Depression doomed the railroad and it was abandoned in 1932. #203 was then sold off to the Rockton & Rion, a railroad which served a quarry operation in South Carolina. However, #203 was not suited for the strenuous work required on the line, so she was stored in Rion, SC for over 40 years.

In 1976, #203 went to work as a tourist locomotive at the short-lived Trilby, San Antonio & Cypress (also known as the Orange Belt Line). The line lasted just over a year at its original location of San Antonio, FL, and then, it moved to Webster, FL, where it ran for a few more months. In 1984, the Mississippi Railway & Transportation Museum started a steam excursion business, and they ran #203, which proved to be an excellent performer.

However, the operation was not successful, and, after being stored in Meridian, MS, #203 was sold to the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad (near Myrtle Beach, SC) in 1990. In 1995, Pete Claussen's Lexington & Ohio acquired #203, and she was overhauled at the ex-Southern Railway complex in Knoxville, TN. At some time in #203's life after her time at the Mississippi Railway & Transportation Museum (most likely when she was overhauled in Tennessee), she was converted to burn #4 fuel oil (recycled motor oil). Her tender capacities are now 975 US gallons (3,690 litres) of fuel oil and 4,500 gallons of water.

Now known affectionately as "Lindy", she operates at Three Rivers Rambler in Knoxville, TN. A quote from Pete Claussen on the Three Rivers Rambler website nicely summarizes his purpose in buying, maintaining, and operating this nonegenarian:

(For someone running shortlines in the South, Lindy is a very special engine. From the time she was delivered to the Washington & Lincolnton until today, this locomotive has never been outside of the South, and she has never been owned by a big railroad. 203 is the quintessential Southern shortline locomotive.ÿ

And he adds: (Besides that, shes beautiful.ÿ