Augusta Southern 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA

Class 72 (Locobase 6497)

Data from the List and Descriptions of Southern Railway Locomotives 1914 supplied in March 2004 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

This engine probably came to the AS from the Lehigh Valley Railway. It was a relatively small Ten-wheeler.

Class 73 (Locobase 13346)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 32, p.61 and Volume 45, pp. 177-178. See Locobase 6496 for a brief history of the August Southern. Baldwin works numbers were 33239 in March 1909 and 33630 in August.

Responsiveness to one's customers was important to continuing success for a capital-equipment supplier like Baldwin. Note here that the specifications applied to the 75 addressed some of the issues encountered in the 73 a few months earlier. The pilot was too short on the 73 "to properly protect loco. in case of cow or other obstruction on track." Parallel rod bushings needed to be changed to avoid having to drop the main rod brasses and large end to tighten the parallel rod bushings.

Of particular notice was the valve motion, which was "working badly." The problem lay in the lower connection below the crosshead, which had been made of "two flat bars held by bolts and cotters [cotter keys]." The motion had already shown 3/8"of lost motion. "Badly worn" bolts were to be replaced by case-hardened bolts to be"taper fit and secured by bolt and cotter". The AS sent the 73 to the Georgia Southern, where the valves "were reset and made square ...and engine works all right when down in corner." But, "when linked up one of four exhausts is barely perceptible. In resetting it was found necessary to alter the length of some of the levers."

Whew! Not a very good report card. 75 was to be better and 73 was to be "corrected."

When the Georgia & Florida took over the AS in 1919, it retained both Ten-wheelers, but renumbered them 173 and 175. The 175 was first to be sold from the G & F, going to the Tallulah Falls Railroad in April 1936 as their 77. 173 was sold in 1941 to the Virginia Blue Ridge. In 1942, the Army bought the 173 and renumbered it 6961. After its military service, the 6961 wound up with the Mead Corporation as their 200.