Brinson / Savannah & Northwestern 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA

Class 115 (Locobase 12873)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 29, p. 236. Works numbers were 29791 in December 1906 and 29978-29979 in January 1907.

Brinson's order requested identical dimensions for all four engines, but four different diameters of drivers and 210-psi settings on the second pair. So the tractive efforts varied as follows:

Road Number BP DD TE

115 200 56 25,573 lb

116 200 50 28,642 lb

226 210 68 22,113 lb

The last of the 4 apparently was not built. Its numbers would have looked as follows:

116 (sic) 210 62 24, 253 lb

See Locobase 2114 for a discussion of the very small grates (and very high heating surface/grate area ratios) found in three Baldwin orders in this period. In addition to the single Dayton & Union in that entry, one can see an identical design sold to the Idaho & Washington Northern in Locobase 13161.

George Brinson built this railway beginning in 1906 to connect Savannah with Sylvania and beyond to Waynesboro. It roughly paralleled the Central of Georgia, which lay to its west, until the two met at Waynesboro. When Brinson left the company in 1914, it was renamed the Savannah & Northwestern. Already operating the Savannah & Atlanta's segment between St Clair and Warrenton and Carmak, the S & NW was merged with the S & A in July 1917.

Class 337 (Locobase 12972)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 23, p.170. Works numbers were 33613, 33631 in August 1909 and 34233 in January 1910.

Within a few years after the Brinson bought these three lightweight Tenwheelers, which were bought to run on 40-lb rail (20 kg/m), Brinson retired and the line was renamed the Savannah & Northwestern When the S&NW was merged with the Savannah & Atlanta in July 1917, the trio were surplus to requirements and all were sold to locomotive rebuilder/reseller Georgia Car & Locomotive Company in 1919.

338 was the first to enter a second career when GC&L sold it in March 1920 to Himmelberger Harrison Lumber Company of Moorhouse, Missouri as their #10. 339 followed in May when it was bought by Florinda, Florida's Consolidated Crate & Lumber Company as their #10. In 1936 the 10 was sold to Dowling & Camp Lumber Company in Slater and later operated for the W C Sherman Company.

337 languished in GC&L limbo for several years before being sold to Lyon Cypress Lumber Company of Garyville, La as their # 11.

Class 444 (Locobase 12973)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 43, p.140. Baldwin works numbers were 36174-36176 in March 1911.

Brinson apparently felt the need to acquire some mixed-traffic engines for his short line in northern Georgia and settled on this trio, which shared many dimensions and areas with other middle-sized Ten-wheelers of the day. After Brinson's departure in 1914, his railroad was renamed the Savannah & Northwestern.

The S & NW was merged with the Savannah & Atlanta in July 1917 and the locomotives, now flaunting the new herald, operated over the same road for almost 2 more decades.

444 was sold by the S & A in 1935 to the 29-mile Marianna & Blountstown in Florida, where it operated until at least 1947 and remained unti 1966 when it was sold to local doctor Albert Folds of Malone, Fla. In 1982, Folds sold it to The George Foundation, which stored it in anticipation of restoring it. Wes Barris of steamlocomotive.com notes that a Blountstown group bought it back in the 1980s, cosmetically restored it, and placed it on display in the M & B Train Park.

446 went to the Wrightsville & Tennille in 1936 followed by 445 in 1937; they were renumbered 42-43.