Last KCS Steamer to Move to New Home

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:26 am

Once again, because it's from the subscriber-only part of Trains.com, I'm reposting only the barest of information from their "Newswire":

Quote:

The only surviving Kansas City Southern steam locomotive will soon be moving to a new home. The Pittsburg City Commission unanimously voted today to donate KCS K-1 class 0-8-0 No. 1023 to the Heart of the Heartlands Railroad Museum in Carona, Kansas.

The engine is currently displayed at Schlanger Park in Pittsburg, where it has been since KCS donated it to the city in 1955.

Mgoldman · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:24 am

Here's a photo of the engine by Andrew Blaszczyk via Railpictures.net from June 2005.

/Mitch

Mount Royal · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 5:41 pm

I hope to see this engine taken care of. She surely is a rare piece.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:13 pm

Anyone comment on the link/pin drawbar shown?

David Notarius · **Posted:** Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:13 pm

I may be wrong, but isn't there a KCS 4-6-0 in Port Arthur, Texas? Last time I had seen the locomotive, it was in need of some serious work, sitting in a park, looking sorry for it self in Port Arthur, about 1990. I was working on an ocean going tugboat at the time that was docked in Port Arthur and accidentally found the 4-6-0 while trying to find a place for lunch. The local police politely asked me to " move-on " when they found me "spending too much time" looking over the engine. Is this a KCS locomotive, is she still there, and if so, is anyone taking care of her?
Have fun and happy holidays – David Notarius, London UK, ex New Hope PA

Steve B · **Posted:** Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:42 pm

It is not really a KCS engine. It is a Louisiana & Arkansas engine and KCS donated it to Port Arthur.

Hope that helps.

Steve

Pat Fahey · **Posted:** Thu Dec 22, 2011 9:27 pm

HI all

According to J.Dave Conrad book , Steam Locomotive Directory of North America vol # 2 the engine was build by Alco in 1906 as a 2-8-0 with engine # 488 for the KCS and was classified as a K-1 . The engine was converted to and 0-8-0 in 1925 ,and was renumbered to # 1023 , and she is the only KCS left according to what information I have . Pat

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:26 pm

David Notarius wrote:

I may be wrong, but isn't there a KCS 4-6-0 in Port Arthur, Texas? Last time I had seen the locomotive, it was in need of some serious work, sitting in a park, looking sorry for it self in Port Arthur, about 1990. I was working on an ocean going tugboat at the time that was docked in Port Arthur and accidentally found the 4-6-0 while trying to find a place for lunch. The local police politely asked me to " move-on " when they found me "spending too much time" looking over the engine. Is this a KCS locomotive, is she still there, and if so, is anyone taking care of her?
Have fun and happy holidays – David Notarius, London UK, ex New Hope PA

Hi Dave;

As Steve B said, it is a Louisiana & Arkansas engine. The story is that by the time the city of Port Arthur asked the KCS for a display engine; all of the KCS steam engines were already scrapped. So, they bought this engine from the L & A, and donated it to the city.

It was cosmetically restored (mostly just a paint job) in 2004 or 2005. Hurricane Rita hit the area a short time later; the composite photo below shows it in the lower right hand corner along with before and after photos of the home we lived in at the time, and my steam pump sitting among all the shingles from the roof. (The winds were strong enough to move that 250 lb pound pump back an inch or two on it's plinthe.)