Recently in the news. I think this is the only remaining KCS steam locomotive. She lives in a park in Pittsburg, KS. The story presents a good view of the challenges facing owners of park engines. At least the parks department is not wanting to dig a hole and dump her in. I am thinking they messed up the wheel arrangement; I'm assuming she was built as a 2-8-0 and converted into an 0-8-0. It's also interesting to note that the story mentions the KCS has some matching money available.

http://www.morningsun.net/news/x2135349 ... locomotive

Interesting article.

Wasn't that FEC 0-8-0 that is undergoing restoration in Florida a KCS locomotive later in its service life? For a rr that had some pretty neat steam power, it is a shame only 2 0-8-0s survived. However, given the frugal nature of the Deramus family, it's understandable.

Tom -

You are correct sir! Built by the Pittsburgh Works of the American Locomotive Company in 1906 as a Consolidation and converted to an 0-8-0 by the KCS Shops in 1925.

BTW, anybody else see the irony of a Pittsburgh engine ending up in Pittsburg?

Les

I know of three other KCS steam locomotives that survive.

KCS 503- ex-L&A Port Arthur, Texas (1920 Baldwin) I was born and raised in the Port Arthur area and always got a kick out of seeing it as my Father would take me to work with him in the Port Arthur KCS yard.

KCS 360- ex-KCP&G Queen Wilhemina State Park, Mena, AR (ten wheeler)

KCS 253- ex-FEC, ex-L&A Was originally displayed at Four States Park, Texarkana, AR (1924 Alco, 0-8-0) Now located in Ft. Pierce, FL and being restored to operation.

I welcome correction if I am wrong; but I was under the impression that the KCS bought the two L&A engines when the two cities requested park engines, and none of theirs remained, and gave them to the cities; they never actually ran or were owned by the KCS.

I thought Heart of the Heartlands group in Carona, KS had done some cosmetic work(painting) on KCS 1023 in Pittsburg a few years ago???

L&A 503 had been sold to Louisiana Midland in late 40's, transferred to South Shore Ry(Jackson, LA) in 1950(they were jointly owned sister companies) and then when Port Arthur really wanted a steam engine, KCS had none left, so they had to buy 503 back from the South Shore, spend some money fixing it up for display, I think they sold it Port Arthur for $1(about 1957), but it was lettered KCS 503, even though technically never a KCS engine.

FEC 253 was sold to L&A in 1936, sold to Four States Fair Assn in Texarkana for $1 about 1956, displayed in what became Spring Lake Park(old fairgrounds). Fairgrounds built a new site out on the Arkansas side, they didn't want to move the engine and Spring Lake Park didn't want the engine anymore, they had other plans for the area. This engine was displayed as KCS 253 but it was never technically a KCS engine either.

Dierks Forests 360 at Queen Wilhelmina State Park was never a KCS engine. ALCO built it in 1920 for the Texas Okla & Eastern(Dierks Forests later Weyerhauser). The engine was lettered Kansas City Southern at one time, but that was just wishful thinking or poetic license on someone's part. It has been corrected. Probably someone assumed or desired it to be....since everything else in the area is KCS or related to the history of KCS.

How informative! This is why I choose to post a very, very small percentage of the photos and stories that come through on the rss feed here for conversation.

Wasn't there another low-slung L&A 4-6-0 kicking around, #509? I seem to recall that engine as being part of the John Thompson collection; as one of his bigger engines, 509 was stored at the ATSF coach yard in Chicago (21st St yard?) about 1972 when I saw it.

Howard P.

I believe the 509 is on static display at TVRM, near their Grand Junction station. I think it's been at TVRM since the early 1980s.

L&A 509 is on display at the depot in Cookeville, TN as Tennessee Central 509.

http://www.cookevilledepot.com/

They acquired it from TVRM maybe 8 years ago for display. It looks pretty good cosmetically speaking.

Thanks for clearing that up! I do remember that my grandfather (a 34 year KCS man who started with steam) never acknowledged 503 as a KCS engine, come to think about it. He fondly recalls tending the fire on the 766 (G-2 2-8-8-0 Mallet) for a fireman while he ate his supper at the Port Arthur Yard. This would have been within his first couple of years on the job.