AIRS group has big plans for a little steam engine

Operational restoration of 1913 Baldwin underway

WHILE BIG OPERATING STEAM LOCOMOTIVES ARE EXCITING

and grab considerable attention, there is room for small steam locomotives in today’s restoration world. What these diminutive steamers lack in girth, they more than make up for with the roll they played in American railroading.

The American Industrial Railroad Society is working to shed light on the small locomotive story. The group, based in Davenport, Iowa, has acquired Indiana Northern Railroad No. 4, an 0-4-0, tendertype locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in January 1913. The locomotive was purchased by AIRS in 2020 and relocated to a restoration site in Davenport, where volunteers are working to return the dismantled engine to operational status in its as-built appearance.

AIRS was established in 2020 with a mission to preserve, restore, and interpret equipment, artifacts, and documents related to U.S. industrial railroading. Partnered with the Davenport Industrial Railroad and the Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation, the group plans to travel to various museums and railroads across the country with No. 4 once it’s operational.

The locomotive operated for the Indiana Northern in South Bend, Ind., until 1948, and served numerous customers on the 2-mile-long railroad, including the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, and the Studebaker Automobile Co. The engine was then purchased by a gravel pit outside St. Louis, Mo., where it switched carloads of gravel until the late 1950s or early 1960s. The disused engine languished in the abandoned pit for years until it was recovered and later dismantled in an unsuccessful restoration attempt. AIRS purchased the locomotive from the estate of the previous owner.

“No. 4 is representative of the thousands of switching locomotives that helped turn the gears of industry in the U.S. for decades.” says Sam Aufmuth, AIRS president. “It’s a perfect fit within the mission of AIRS, and by restoring the engine to operation, we aim to bring to light the vital and often overlooked role that the industrial railroads and railroaders played as the last-mile connections to the country’s economy.”

One of the most daunting tasks thus far has been cataloging parts and determining what is missing. The previous restoration attempt left the locomotive in pieces with parts from other railroad equipment mixed in. When the locomotive arrived in Davenport, the team realized a complete inventory was needed. Time has been devoted to sorting, organizing, and cataloging No. 4’s parts. It’s estimated that about 80% to 85% of the locomotive has been recovered. Most of what is missing are the engine’s appliances, such as headlights, dynamo, air compressor, and brake stand. Additionally, the wooden tender frame rotted away before AIRS acquired No. 4. Most of these items are replaceable, so their absence has not disqualified the engine from operational restoration.

At present, work is focused on inspecting the boiler and reconstructing the cab.

If you would like to help with No. 4’s restoration, please visit the AIRS website: www.industrialrails.org.

IN NOVEMBER, TRAINS PHOTO EXCURSIONS

visited the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad for a trip with 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, and the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad to see Soo Line No. 1003. On the WMSR, No. 1309 ran for both daylight and night photo sessions, as seen at left emerging at Brush Tunnel west of Cumberland, Md. The excursion with No. 1003 featured nearly a dozen photo locations through south-central Wisconsin. One site, above, saw No. 1003 and its period freight train passing under the former Chicago & North Western Railway bridge west of Randolph, Wis. The bridge now carries the Union Pacific. Want to join the fun? Watch the pages of Trains for future photo excursions.

Bob Barcus collection Into the early 1960s, No. 4 was the switch engine for a gravel pit outside St. Louis. The locomotive is seen at work in 1955 shoving a string of hopper cars.

The AIRS crew with No. 4’s boiler. Work has begun to assess the vessel. The AIRS group is comprised of volunteers younger than you might expect for steam-engine work. AIRS

AIRS collection Named Oliver by the Indiana Northern Railroad, No. 4 is seen in virtually as-built condition in this colorized photograph. AIRS plans to return the locomotive to this state.