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No.
2 Baldwin Engine
 ++September 2011 UPDATE++
The 2 has been scattered around various places in and around the MCRR homstead -- and out of state -- since the mid '80s. For example, the boiler is in southern Minnesota awaiting "duplication"; the tender is on a flatcar south of the shop building; the frame is in the shop east of the office; the drivers are near the fuel tank north east of the shop; various connecting rods and pieces are in the shop west of the office. A few pieces are stacked in South Station. Well! That is all changing! A big step in the completion of the 2 has occurred this fine September day: the 2's tender was removed from the flatcar, placed on a flatbed trailer, moved to Fab-Con Services of Fairfield, IA, and placed into their vast fabrication shop. Fab-Con and the MCRR have entered into an agreement to refurbish the tender to current railroad standards. The tender has been outside for almost 25 years so it is expected that it will need more than just paint. Here are some pictures of the tender as it was moved from Mt. Pleasant to Fairfield, IA. Each thumbnail links to a larger version.
 Locomotive #2 was built new for the New Berlin & Winfield in 1906 by Baldwin. It is a 20 ton 2-6-0, Mogul. This coal burner produces 6,289-lbs. tractive effort. The NB&W operated an 8-mile line in Pennsylvania, for an agricultural community. The #2 spot hauled freight and passengers on this small operation until the mid teens. In 1917 the locomotive was sold to the Argent Lumber Co. in South Carolina. The Number 2 worked the swamp trackage, hauling logs back to the mill in Hardeeville. After the railroad shut down the locomotive was purchased by the MCRR and shipped to Iowa. It was rebuilt by the early 70's and operated as an out main road engine for nearly 20 years until 1987 when it was taken out of service for a complete rebuild. This rebuild will include a complete frame up restoration comprising of a new boiler.  .The 2 being
refueled in August 1974
 The trim Mogul became the "main line" engine during the late 1950s at Argent Lumber Company making two trips per day from the mill to the woods interchange point where she exchanged empty cars for loaded ones. The #2 can claim to have burned three types of fuel: coal, wood, and oil. |
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Midwest Central Railroad Mount Pleasant, Iowa 52641 319−385−2912 (updated 13Sep11) |
