Thus far, this is being reported on ONE railfan site and one linked Facebook post, and a Reddit thread:

https://www.okthepk.ca/news/2024032501.htm

https://www.facebook.com/stocolakelodge ... u1g8Cm2rol

It's too close to April 1st for my comfort, and the reporting raises several red flags for this journalist.

Anyone want to report back when they get better outside confirmation or stories from the Ontario media?

Hoax or not, she is an oldster!

Here's a Global News story from August 2018 about the search for this lost locomotive.

https://globalnews.ca/video/4379628/loc ... f-dry-lake

And a local history video (also from 2018) with an overhead shot of the muddy little pond where the engine seems to have been found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8-lTkKLLp8

I just talked with Roger Hanna from the Tweed News -- first link in post number one. He confirms that the loco was dug out as reported. The excavating company, Scott Trudeau Construction comes up as a legitimate company.
Hanna stated that the loco has been pulled out, but still sits nearby on private property. There are no firm plans to deal with it yet. It could go on display at Marlbank or at nearby Tweed at the Tweed & Area Heritage Centre.
There was the Ontario Portland Cement Co. works at Blue Lake Ontario near Paris. That company dug marl out of the lake bottom for cement manufacture. I have pictures of tank engines used by that company. It ran during the 19-teens. There were no doubt many such operations.
So? It seems to be true. Best wishes to them!

Talked with the owner. He sent some pics but asked that I not post them for now.
They were eight days digging her out -- 25 feet in the mud! There had been two tries to get her out before. They had to dig and pump out the water.
She has a Baldwin Locomotive Works plate on her with 1872 on it, and below that M.Baird & Co. (earlier Baldwin name). He says it has the number 3060 at the bottom of the round plate.
The loco is on private property.

This is fascinating. The tall steam dome suggests it was built with a saddle tank, but the wooden lagging implies a boiler jacket. Regardless, does anyone know of another surviving standard gauge Baldwin 0-4-0 from the 1870s? I suspect it may be unique.

-Philip Marshall

Hi All,

Hi All,

Baldwin CN #3060, built 12-1872 as 0-4-2t, on road 1-1873, 14x24-45” standard gauge for Great Western of Canada #314, renumbered #414 unknown date. It was rebuilt at some point to an 0-4-0t and sold 8/1882 to Grand Trunk RY and numbered 909. It was sold 6/1897 to unknown buyer.

Hope this helps some.

Happy Easter to everyone.

Allen Stanley

Mr. Stanley,
That is a great help. I'll pass that along. Thank you.
That even adds to the mystique because the Great Western disappeared into the Grand Trunk in 1882. Some of its locos endured, even into CNR times, but this one is a real survivor.
Happy Easter to you and to everyone on here.

Most saddle tankers have lagging and jackets under the tanks. Heating the water in the tanks doesn't make injectors happy.

Thank you, Dave. As you could see, I did not know that.

-Philip Marshall

I haven't found any photos, in-service or otherwise, of this engine, it's a frustrating search due to the large number of Great Western railroads, including one in Saskatchewan and one in Colorado right now, but there were also three Grand Trunks. There was a book published a few years back that may have photos, would love to see what this thing looked like on rails: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Western-Ra ... 695&sr=8-1

This picture was on facebook. Sorry, I do not have a citation for it, and probably could not find the pic again if I tried. Looks like it is from a local history book.

Thanks, I was going by the numbers Allen Stanley provided above, #314, #414, and #909 and couldn't find anything, I will recheck with #54 (or 34), that may be a later owner's number. Looks like a normal tank engine, a lot of Great Western stuff from the 1880s had big drivers, big balloon stacks and elaborate paint and names.

That engine looks more 1920ish. I think it is probably more like a 0-4-0 version of this 0-6-0T which is in the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. It is only two years newer. http://www.railpictures.ca/upload/one-o ... ay-1964-it

Railroad History 147, Autumn 1982, by The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. is an excellent roster of the Grand Trunk Railway. The roster was assembled by William Edson and Raymond Corley. It shows the roster notations for Great Western no. 313 on page 78. On page 79, there is a picture of a similar loco in the 0-4-2T arrangement.
This book has been reprinted.