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

Class 1 (Locobase 13939)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 43, p. 39. See also William Mosteller, "A Short History of the Washington and Old Dominion

with Modeling Suggestions" (originally published in The Virginian Creeper, newsletter of the Old Dominion Division, Railroad Enthusiasts, P. O. Box 50434, Arlington, VA 22205), archived at [] . Works numbers were 38950-38951 in December 1912.

The Washington & Old Dominion was incorporated before the Civil War to link Shenandoah Valley farmers with the port at Alexandria, Va. As Mosteller notes, however, the initial construction was under capitalized and only reached Leesburg. War led to destruction both in battle and by Confederate raiders. Later construction inched west to Bluemont and ultimately to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

But the railroad wasn't profitable either under original ownership or when controlled by the Southern Railway. In 1912, the Great Falls & Dominion electric railway leased the W & OD, but traffic never increased nor was it electrified.

Even so, they continued to try and these two Consolidations came on the road in 1912. The specification included a detailed consideration of equalization: "Front Engine Truck and front pair of drivers to be equallized together and the main, intermediate, and rear drivers equalized together. Provide a more flexible spring between the main and rear drivers and a longer and more flexible spring back of the rear driver."

By 1920, the W & OD sold the1-2 to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Birmingham Rail & Locomotive. The BR & L found a buyer for both in May 1920 in the South Georgia Railway of Quitman, Ga, which paid $32,000 for both of them and renumbered them 104-105 (see Locobase 12284 for a short description).

Years later, the GSRwy retired the 104 first by selling it to Southern Iron & Equipment in 1937; SI & E scrapped it 5 years later. 105 was retired in December 1940.