#294, was built as a Prairie type (2-6-2) locomotive by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1924 for the St. Louis & O'Fallon Railway in East St Louis, IL, as #8. It was later sold to the Manufacturers Railway Company in St. Louis, IL, and then, in 1941, to the River Terminal Railway of Cleveland, OH, where it was renumbered #47. In 1948, it was transferred to the Republic Steel Corp., in Birmingham, AL, and renumbered #294. At some point, the locomotive had its front truck removed, probably due to derailments during switching operations.
As built, #294 had a 27’ 6” wheelbase and 11’ driver wheelbase. It weighed 195,000 lbs, 147,000 lbs on its 51” drivers. With Walschaert valve gear and 20” x 26” cylinders it has a 44.7 sq ft grate, 174 sq ft firebox and total heating surface of 2,742 sq ft. Operating at a boiler pressure of 200 psi, it delivered 34,667 lbs tractive effort. The tender weighs 141,000 light and had a capacity of 7,000 gallons of water and 12 tons of coal.
Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.
Republic Steel was founded as the Republic Iron & Steel Company in Youngstown, OH, in 1899. In 1927, Cyrus S. Eaton acquired and combined Republic with several other small steel manufacturing companies, with the goal of becoming large enough to rival US Steel. The new Republic Steel Corporation, headquartered in Cleveland, OH, eventually became America's third largest steel company. It prospered until the 1970s, when rising foreign imports, labour costs and other factors caused severe stress throughout the US steel industry.
#294 was the last steam locomotive to run commercially in the Birmingham, AL, area, having finally been retired by Republic Steel in May 1964.
In 1964, Republic Steel donated the locomotive
to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Club in Birmingham, AL.
#294 is now on display outside the historic
depot building in Lynnville, TN. It has a two wheel set placed underneath the front of the smokebox
to give the appearance of a lead truck, and simulating the appearance of the Prairie type it once was. For some reason I have not been able to establish, it bears the number #7 and has been tricked out with red detailing, including the smokebox door.
