Trinity & Brazos Valley 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA

Class C-3HI (Locobase 14105)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 29, p. 276. See also Nancy Beck Young, "TRINITY AND BRAZOS VALLEY RAILWAY," Handbook of Texas Online ([]), accessed May 01, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Works numbers were 31329, 31356-31357, 31381, 31411 in July 1907.

The Valley Road (or, as it was better known, the Boll Weevil) was a Texas road that began construction in 1902 between Hillsboro (about 45 miles south of Fort Worth) southeast to Mexia and northwest from Hillsboro to Cleburne. This 77-mile line wasn't as profitable as hoped and its original investors sold out to the Colorado & Southern in 1905; the C&S sold half of its interest to the Rock Island. Suitably juiced with more capital, the T & BV built 224 more miles in two years; the main line then stretched from Waxahachie southeast to Houston. The T&BV also had trackage rights from Houston to Galveston on the C&S's Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe.

One benefit was joint orders for locomotives from Baldwin. This quintet was produced at the same time as the C & S's identical class shown in Locobased 14104. They were a good size and weight and had drivers suitable for most passenger service on the relatively unchallenging profile.

Never especially profitable, the T&BV entered into receivership in 1916. It was reorganized in 1930, taking the names of its two biggest sponsors in the new entity: Burlington Rock Island.

48-49 were scrapped in 1931. 51 followed in 1936, 50 in 1937, and 47 in 1939.