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FEC Pacifics
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22567		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  bobyar2001 [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  FEC Pacifics
These did not survive, but as others did, I thought some might like to see these:


The 109 at Miami in 1922:
http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?s ... fec109.jpg

The 147 at New Smyrna Beach in May 1952:
http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?s ... fec147.jpg
Author:  Les Beckman [ Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
I noticed the "doghouse" on the 147's tender. Were these 4-6-2's used in freight service by the FEC? Do any of the five surviving Florida East Coast Pacifics have doghouses?

Les
Author:  EDM [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 12:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
Also note the footboards in the later photo. I suspect that the engine had been assigned to freight service by the 1950s. Many a proud passenger engine wound up in freight or even work train service after the diesels took over the premier assignments.
Author:  Andrew Durden [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
I believe 147 may have made her way to the BayLine before being cut up.

AD
Author:  Les Beckman [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
Andrew Durden wrote:
I believe 147 may have made her way to the BayLine before being cut up.

AD


Andrew -

Well, you made me get out my book on the Central of Georgia by Richard E. Prince which I remembered contained a roster of Bay Line (Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay) steam locomotives. Lots of second hand power including the following Pacifics from the Florida East Coast; 131, 142, 143, 145, 146 and 154. No number 147 unfortunately. Amazingly, four of the six ex-FEC 4-6-2's were eventually sold to OTHER lines for continued service. Man, those FEC Pacifics sure did get around!

As long as I had Prince's book out, I looked up a couple of other rosters. Here's what the Apalachicola Northern (Port St. Joe Route) had in the way of ex-FEC 4-6-2's; numbers 111, 115, 123, 150 and 155 and two of these were resold to other lines later for continued service!

Another roster from the Prince book showed these ex-FEC 4-6-2's on the Georgia & Florida Railway; 96, 127, 128, 129, 132, 133, 134, 135, 144, 145 (from the A&StAB; see above), 149, 151, 152 and 156. None of these G&F 4-6-2's was resold and all were scrapped in the 1950's.

One final roster from Mr. Prince's book; the Savannah & Atlanta. The roster shows only three ex-FEC Pacifics; numbers 80, 136 and 141. The number 80 of course survives today as S&A #750.

But amongst all of these second hand FEC 4-6-2's Andrew, the number 147 does not appear. But who knows? She may have gone to some other line!

Les
Author:  Stephen S. Syfrett [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
And let's not forget the three acquired by the Georgia Northern Railway:

FEC 69 (GN Ry 106)
FEC 88 (GN Ry 107)
FEC 130 (GN Ry 130)

As far as I know the 106 and 130 were scrapped either in Moultrie or Albany, but 107 survives in Albany, GA at Thronateeska Heritage Center, still undergoing a prolonged on again-off again cosmetic restoration. And actually, only the engine of 130 was scrapped. The tender now with 107 is the tender that came to the GN Ry with No. 130. And it was originally built for FEC 126. 107's tender was apparently scrapped when 106 and 130 were scrapped.

The October 1984 issue of Mainline Modeler has a summary table of the FEC pacifics that were sold to other lines (quantity only, not the road numbers) and the years of acquisition. Seth Bramson's book "Speedway to Sunshine" has good disposition information for these and all the other FEC locomotives, though not complete in most instances beyond the sale from FEC. For instance, FEC 88 is shown simply as being sold to Walter-Wallingford Co. for scrap (9/1930). Apparently the Georgia Northern purchased the 88 from the scrap dealer. The 130, however, is shown as being sold directly to the Georgia Northern (10/1936), while the 69 is documented as having been sold to Walter-Wallingford Co. (8/1930) and delivered to the Georgia Northern.

And by the way, 109 is shown as sold to Louisiana & Arkansas (9/1930) r# 309, scrapped 1/1939. The 147 was sold 6/1952 to Bailes-Sty Construction Co., no location or further disposition information.
Author:  Les Beckman [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
Stephen -

Good info! And the Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast had a bunch of ex-FEC Pacifics, numbers 101, 103, 105, 108, 110, 112 and 118 through 122. I believe that all of these engines eventually worked for the Altantic Coast Line after the ACL acquired the AB&C.

This must easily be the record for a single style of locomotive from one railroad working for the most different operations after being disposed of by the original owner.

Now, if we could only find a photo of one of these Pacifics powering a FEC train over the railroads Key West extension!

Les
Author:  Stephen S. Syfrett [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
According to Bob Hundman's article in the October 1984 Mainline Modeler, the FEC Pacifics were sold to at least 9 railroads plus 4 units to U.S. Sugar (from which came 113 and 153 at Gold Coast Railroad Museum). These were:

Louisisna & Arkansas 1
Atlanta Birmingham & Coast (later ACL) 16
US Sugar 4
Georgia & Florida 14
Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay 6
Savannah & Atlanta 3
Apalachicola Northern 5
Colunbia Newberry & Laurens 3
Kansas City Mexico & Orient 3
Georgia Northern 3

As I noted in my prior posting, these locos were also sold to individual companies, presumably companies that had construction railroads or industrial railroad operations, like US Sugar. I have not compared Hundman's numbers against the information in Seth Bramson's book, but these engines really made it around the southeast and southwest.

In answer to the question about the doghouse shown on 147's tender, I know of none of the 5 extant examples that retained a doghouse. I'm surprised there was enough room for one on the back deck behind the oil bunker. I wonder if it was offset to one side of the water hatch?

And, yes, Les, isn't it odd that as many of these locomotives as the FEC had (89) that there does not seem to be a photo of one pulling a train across one of the viaducts/bridges of the Key West Extension? Maybe some day!
Author:  johnacraft [ Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: FEC Pacifics
Stephen S. Syfrett wrote:
I know of none of the 5 extant examples that retained a doghouse. I'm surprised there was enough room for one on the back deck behind the oil bunker. I wonder if it was offset to one side of the water hatch?


While it may not be a bona fide FEC doghouse, 750 did have one when it arrived in Atlanta in 1962:

Image

(December, 1962, on the SAL between Atlanta and Athens, by Victor Hand.)

Of course, this tender started behind an NYO&W 4-8-2, and with those rounded rubber-sealed windows, it's almost certainly not turn-of-the-century FEC.

And I do believe it was offset because of the water hatch.

JAC
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