Here is a neat photo of the locomotive:

http://viewat.org/?i=it&id_pn=14508&pag ... &tp_ctr=US

Certainly a better fate than letting all those little snotty nosed, McDonald's eating brats clambor all over a piece of history that they will NEVER appreciate anyway.

It began life as a Consol, but dropped the pony truck in conversion.
Without checking, I think this is the only KCS steam loco in preservation.

You are correct, sir.

She is a K-1 Class 0-8-0. There were twelve locomotives in this class. They were all converted from E-3 class Consolidations between 1924-1928. All were scrapped, with the exception of #1023, as a result of KCS's "Great Eradication of Steam" in 1950-1953 .

Randy -

Not a lot of 0-8-0's were preserved; the ex-GTW group that served Northwestern Steel & Wire being the exceptions. Although quite a few railroads converted their Consolidations into 0-8-0 switcher's, I think this KCS engine is the ONLY surviving 0-8-0 that started out its career as a 2-8-0.

Your note about the KCS's "Great Eradication of Steam" jogged my memory bank. The Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society had a color photo of one of their 4-6-2's (number 412) which was labelled as being taken in front of the Bedford, Indiana depot in March of 1946. Color photos of Monon steam power are extremely rare. But what made this one interesting is that the depot shown in the background WASN'T the Bedford station! I did a lot of checking and it turned out that Monon 412 was sitting in front of the station in Neosho, Missouri, when the little Pacific was leased to the Kansas City Southern! Apparently, from info I received from Lloyd Stagner before he passed away, and a gentleman by the name of Donald Campbell, the KCS was short of power during the later stages of World War 2, and shortly thereafter. The Monon had surplus steam at this time, so a few engines were leased to them, including the 412. It apparently was used out of Neosho to provide extra power for the Southern Belle to get it over some heavy grades out of Neosho. The Belle at that time was running with a single E unit (others couldn't be acquired because of wartime restrictions). As relayed to me, KCS actually uncoupled the E unit from the train after it arrived at Neosho, and the 4-6-2 was cut in at the head end and the E unit then put back on the front end. Not sure why it was done that way, perhaps because of cab signals. Anyway, I have often wondered if the 412 and the other Monon engines were ever returned to the Monon, which shortly embarked on a dieselization program and certainly didn't need, or want, them back. Or if they were left there on the KCS, perhaps to be cut up during the "Great Eradication" program you mentioned.

Les