West Virginia Northern 2-8-0 "Consolidation" Locomotives in the USA

Class 10 (Locobase 11959)

Data from NdeM 1950 Locomotive Diagrams Standard Gauge supplied in December 2010 by Allen Stanley and from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 27, p. 31, p 98. Works numbers were 24738 in September 1904, 28500 in June 1906, and 32313 in November 1907.

Incorporated on 5 July 1899 as the successor to the abbreviated Tunnelton, Kingwood & Fairchance, the WVN operated coal trains pulled by steam locomotives out of Kingwood down a tortuous ten miles until they connected with the Baltimore and Ohio at Tunnelton. In 1947, the whole operation converted to diesel power and continued in service until 1991.

The first Consolidation #8 was redirected to the New York & Susquehanna as their 111. Its placed on the WVN was taken about 250 production slots later by the second 8. 9 followed 21 months later and 10 14 months after that.

Both the 8 and 9 had similar careers, operating on the WVN for more than 45 years before being sold in 1950 to the Preston Railroad of Crelllin, Md as their 18-19. Earl Leap of

Madley, Pa, bought both engines in 1961 and in 1961 sold them to Don Leap, then in Hyndman, Pa, in 1970. They joined a couple of small Orentstein & Koppel engines in storage. More than thirty years later in 2005, the West Virginia Railroad Museum bought both engines with the intention of repairing them to be operated in tourist service.

The WVN only operated the 10 for a short time before selling it to the Cambria & Indiana in 1911.

The C & I operated it as the 3 for about 5 years before letting it go to the Minatitlan al Carmen as their #1 in October 1916. The MaC was nationalized by the Nacional de Mexico, which numbered it (briefly) 2080A. In the NdeM diagram, the boiler is shown as having 300 tubes, grate area was 29 sq ft, and the firebox heating surface is given as 177 sq ft; this probably reflected the addition of 29 sq ft of arch tubes. Weights increased to 131,744 lb on the drivers and 149,100 lbs as total engine weight.

The NdeM passed the 2080A on to Petroleo Mexicano (Pemex 1051) and there it remained until retired in 1957.

Class 11 (Locobase 14350)

Data from NdeM 1950 Locomotive Diagrams Standard Gauge supplied in December 2010 by Allen Stanley and from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 53, pp. 377+ and Vol 59, pp. 400+. Works numbers were 45352 in March 1917 and 52381 in September 1919.

Locobase 11959 shows the earlier short-stroke Consolidations that served this small coal road that was based in Kingwood, WVa. The last of those was delivered in 1907 and the next engine had more power (thanks to higher boiler pressure) and slight adjustments to the firebox and wheelbases. In addition, the specs called for a Walschaert gear of "modern design", a puzzling requirement, really, given that all of the other WVN 2-8-0s had the same gear. The 12 was built to the very same specs two and a half years later.

Like several of the earlier engines, the 11 suited WVN requirements satisfactorily until the late 1940s. In 1947, Michigan short line Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpenas bought the engine as their third #11. They scrapped the locomotive in 1951.

12 was sold to F C Coke of the Alexander & Southeastern