Alabama & Vicksburg 4-4-0 "American" Locomotives in the USA

Class A1 (Locobase 6076)

Data from the 1926 Alabama & Vicksburg locomotive diagram book supplied in March 2004 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 16, p 29 and Volume 22, p. 183. Works numbers were 10803-10804 in April 1890, 16114 in August 1898, 17386 in January 1901, 23658 in January 1904 and 23876 in April. with the VS & P's 305 (works 23657).

The A&V was a Mississippi railroad whose main line ran 140 miles from Meridian to Vicksburg. Established in the 1880s, the A&V was one of several that were controlled by the Erlanger Syndicate, a British company, the Alabama, New Orleans, Texas & Pacific Junction Railways, Ltd. Much later the A&V linked up with the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific (which looked west 171 miles from Vicksburg to Shreveport) as the Vicksburg Route. In 1926, they were absorbed by the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley. The Y&MV operated independently of the Illinois Central until 1946.

402 was scrapped in June 1918. 403 was sold in May 1913 to the Meridian & Memphis as their #20. The M & M was taken over by the Gulf. Mobile & Northern in 1923 and the 20 became the 37; by that time its boiler held 226 tubes. Three years later in 1926, the 37 was sold to the Louisville Tie Company. 405 was sold to the Illinois Central as 4980 and scrapped in May 1927.

400-401 were dismantled in September 1923 and 404 followed in November 1925.

Class I (Locobase 7952)

Data from CNO&TP 1893 Locomotive Diagrams supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange. See also DeGolyer, Volume 5, p. 98 (Jackson and Meridian), Volume 8, p. 176 (N G Bryson), and Volume 10, p. 64 (D B Cummings and Anderson).

The six locomotives that are grouped in the same diagram were delivered at widely varying times. 308 arrived in 1866.

Works number 2253 and 2256 were produced in October 1870 for the 5-foot gauge Vicksburg & Meridian (and named "Jackson" and "Meridian") with the same general dimensions.

408 (works number 4227 in December 1877) wore #1 and the name N G Bryson. Its boiler had three more tubes than the 1870 engines. The 118 tubes each measured 13.15 feet (4.0 metres) long Grate area grew to 12.5 sq ft (1.15 sq m) and driver diameter increased to 59 1/8" (1,502 mm).

By 1880, the V&M had converted to standard gauge when they took delivery of two more locomotives -- #2 D B Cummings and #3 Peter Anderson (works number 5173 in June 1880, 5243 in August). These had similar dimensions to the NG Bryson, except for a slightly deeper firebox and 57" drivers,,and the same broad Radley & Hunter stack.

Grouping all of these in Class I appears to have been prompted by the shared cylinder volume and driver diameter. The 308 originally was delivered to the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific and Locobase believes it's the only one that properly belongs. The others all came to the Alabama & Vicksburg when that railroad acquired the Vicksburg & Meridian.