In the early 60's I saw what appeared to be a streamlined steam engine at the north pulpmill in Fernandina FL from the intercoastal waterway. I asked the local train crew what it was used for and was told it was used for its boiler on Sundays so the main plant could close. It was gone by the late 60's and I never fould out what the engine was. Could it have been a Seaboard or AB&C Pacific from the ACL? Thank you, Rodney

-- Rodney Butcher (EMD Budd @aol.com), February 02, 2003

Answers

Yeah, you MEAN EX-Louisiana & Arkansas , EX-FEC don'cha Bill? I saw this engine switch the Texarkana yards when I was a weee tike.

-- Buck Dean (bdean@auchter.com), February 11, 2003.

FEC 253, an 0-8-0, is currently undergoing restoration in the Miami area, if this is of interest...Bill

-- Bill Donahue (BillyDee53@aol.com), February 10, 2003.

In the 1950's the Maxwell House Coffee plant in Jacksonville used a 0-8-0 FEC switcher for a stationary boiler. I do not know what became of it, but there may be a slight chance it could have found its' way to the Fernandina paper mill. Of course it had no streamlined appearence as it was a switcher. The FEC used these up to the end of their steam years; I well remember them on interchange duty from Bowden Yard to Honeymoon Yard and other yards i

-- Frank Brubaker (fnbrubaker@aol.com), February 09, 2003.

The AB&C's streamlined Pacific was wrecked in July 1945 and cut up soon after. To my knowledge the streamlined SAL Pacifics were all scrapped in the early 1950s. So I would say this engine, or whatever it was, must have come from somewhere else, but inquiring minds would sure like to know more about it. You didn't say you took a photo so I guess that's too much to hope for - ??? Do you remember any other details including wheel arrangement?

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@worldnet.att.net), February 02, 2003.