Virginia & Carolina Southern 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA

Class 27 (Locobase 14071)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University, Volume 45, p. 191. See also Richard Smith, "Across the Mountain and Back Again", Washington County News [Abingdon, Va] (22 July 1965) archived at [] . Works number was 33389 in April 1909.

Hassinger Lumber Co built a 7-mile spur southwest from its mill in Konnarock, Va in 1907 to Damascus, where it connected with the Virginia-Carolina,.This Ten-wheeler was bought in early 1909 to serve that branch.

The V-C was a longer road that ran down from Abingdon ( a few miles north of the North Carolina border) 75 miles southeast over the Blue Ridge Mountains to Elkland, NC. Its slow-paced passenger trains earned their nickname as the "Virginia Creeper". See Richard Smith's evocative article cited above.

V-C later absorbed the V & CS and the combined railroad was taken into the Norfolk & Western in 1918 as the Abingdon Branch.

Class 29 (Locobase 14148)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 48, p.264. Baldwin works numbers were 40314 in August 1913.

The V&CS, which never actually approached Virginia, was chartered in January 1907. It was a 64 mile North Carolina road south of Fayetteville and north of Wilmington whose main line consisted of the 25.2 miles north out of Lumberton to Hope Mills. Just about halfway between those two towns began a longer branch between St. Pauls southeast to Elizabethtown.

The Lumberton to St Paul section opened in December 1907 with the northern extension to Hope Mills completing in June 1909; the St Pauls-Elizabethtown branch was competed in May 1911.

The V&CS was leased in 1922 by the Atlantic Coast Line.

Class 30 (Locobase 14598)

Data from Baldwin Locomotive Works Specification for Engines as digitized by the DeGolyer Library of Southern Methodist University Volume 59, p.393. Baldwin works number was 53161 in April 1920.

The V&CS returned to Baldwin for another Ten-wheeler in which the principal difference was the adoption of a larger grate. A locomotive of modest operating ambition, the 30 used balanced slide valves, had no superheater, and weighed 63 tons fully loaded.