Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA

Mr. W.S.F. Tatum, who owned the Tatum Lumber Company in Hattiesburg, MS, bought the Hattiesburg Brach from the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railway in 1923. This 27-mile branch connected Hattiesburg to the main line of the GM&O at Beaumont, MS. Tatum began operating a railroad on the branch, which he named the Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern Railroad. Using this branch railroad gave Tatum the ability to open new logging operations in southern Mississippi and transport timber to the Tatum sawmill in Bonhomie, MS and to take the cut lumber to the GM&O at Beaumont.

The B&HS had five steam locomotives when it began operating in 1925. Three of those locomotives were bought new from the Baldwin Locomotive Works and the other two purchased used from other nearby railroads. Two of the new locomotives were "Mikado" type. One was built in 1924 and assigned road number 301 and the other was built in 1925 and assigned road number 300. Both of these locomotives had 52" diameter drivers and 19" x 26" cylinders, a 200 psi boiler pressure, they exerted 30,685 pounds of tractive effort and each weighed 160,700 pounds.

There is one surviving B&HS 2-8-2 "Mikado" type locomotive. It is number 300, which is on display behind the Southern Railway Depot in Hattiesburg, MS.


Roster

Qty.Road NumbersYear BuiltBuilderNotes
13001925Baldwin1
13011924Baldwin2
Notes:
  • Number 300 retired in 1961 and is preserved and on display in Hattiesburg. MS.
  • Sold to Eastern Carolina and became Eastern Carolina number 301 in 1940 and then scrapped in 1952.

    Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

    Class 300 (Locobase 15316)

    Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 73, p. 359+ and 369+. See also the Hawkins Rails' entry on the Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern Railway at [link] and the Mississippi Rails' account at Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern. Works number was 58241 in March 1925.

    The TLC was based in Hattiesburg, Miss and wanted to expand its logging to a nearby Denco, Miss site. It offered to buy the 27-mile (43.5 km) Gulf, Mobile & Northern branch line in 1923 from Hattiesburg to Beaumont to link to the Gulf, Mobile & Northern junction. According to Mississippi Rails, the Mississippi Central tried to block the line to preserve its leased monopoly and appealed to the Interstate Commerce Commission. The ICC finally approved the sale on 1 January 1925.

    Victory in this protracted legal fight led immediately to an order for the a light-rail Mikado to be numbered 100. Before delivery,however, the engine was renumbered 300.

    The 300 operated on the 60 lb/yard (30 kg/metre) main-line rail, met gentle 1% grades (although the crown sheet had to be arranged to handle 3% grades), and arced around curves of 22 degrees (radii of 262 feet/79.9 metres). Their superheated boilers supplied steam hot enough to require 10" (254 mm) piston valves to distribute it to the cylinders.

    The 300 later was sold to Fred Kepner of the National Railway Historical Society, which placed it on display in Hattiesburg. A 2013 photo showed a rusting locomotive with greenery growing out of the domes.

    Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
    Class300
    Locobase ID15316
    RailroadBonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern
    CountryUSA
    Whyte2-8-2
    Number in Class1
    Road Numbers300
    GaugeStd
    Number Built1
    BuilderBaldwin
    Year1925
    Valve GearWalschaert
    Locomotive Length and Weight
    Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)14 / 4.27
    Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)30.08 / 9.17
    Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.47
    Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)57.50 / 17.53
    Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)
    Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)124,000 / 56,246
    Engine Weight (lbs / kg)156,000 / 70,760
    Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)140,600 / 63,775
    Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)296,600 / 134,535
    Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)7000 / 26.52
    Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)12 / 11
    Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)52 / 26
    Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
    Driver Diameter (in / mm)52 / 1321
    Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)200 / 1380
    High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)19" x 26" / 483x660
    Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)30,685 / 13918.50
    Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.04
    Heating Ability
    Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)168 - 2" / 51
    Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)26 - 5.375" / 137
    Flue/Tube length (ft / m)13 / 3.96
    Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)162 / 15.05
    Grate Area (sq ft / m2)30.75 / 2.86
    Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1770 / 164.44
    Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)394 / 36.60
    Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)2164 / 201.04
    Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume207.50
    Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
    Robert LeMassena's Power Computation6150
    Same as above plus superheater percentage7257
    Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area38,232
    Power L112,448
    Power MT885.26

    Photos

    • 300 (Google maps view)
    • 300 (Unknown photographer)
    • 300 (Robert Weston photo)
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