In the newest issue of TRAINS, there is a photo of switchers working a power plant in Middle Grove, Illinois, and says that they were in service until 1963. Whatever became of these engines?

Although in reality it doesn't mean as much as we'd like to think, I have no listing for any such locos (M&StL, switchers, or Middlegrove, IL) in either the 1988 Conrad Steam Loco Directory of North America or its predecessor 1967 Koenigsberg U.S. Steam Locomotive Directory. Two M&StL 2-8-0's are in the Conrad, at Mason City, IA (#457) and Annandale, MN (#429/471). My presumption is that the locos in Trains may have been scrapped between 1963 and 1967.

Ziel & Foster's "Steam in the Sixties" states that this Midland Electric Coal Co. plant had a half-dozen of these ex-M&StL 0-6-0's; #80 is on pp. 92-93. My most recent atlas shows a UP branch still serving that power plant on the former M&StL main, so.........

They too were scraped at Northwestern Steel and Wire in the early 70's If anyone else like to share any history,or info. about of what ever became of the old Midland Coal and Eletric coal operations or, whats on the site today? I know Peabody took it over. I really enjoyed my visit to the little steam rairoad back in the summer 1963 the engineer let me even stoke the little Ex M&St.L 0-6-0#80.

Greetings all:
Only fout of these made it to NWS&W.
One of them (No. 85, I believe) was being overhauled at Middle Grove and was scrapped on site.
Midland Electric was a neat little operation. Much of the line ran right next to a state road and since they ran slow it was an easy line to chase.
Really freindly folks too. We once showed up rather late in the day and a couple of the guys ran one of the engines back and forth for us.
On a somber note, it was also the site of a fatal failure of a main reservoir (old riveted type). It exploded while the locomotive (No. 81?, 84?) was in the shop, a guy was walking next to it...My recollection is that they ran the locomotive with only one main reservoir thereafter.
J.David