The Texas (locomotive)
The Texas, restored at the North Carolina Transportation Museum to its 1870's appearance, April 2017.
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder |
Danforth, Cooke and Company (engine and original tender) Mason Machine Works (extant tender) |
| Build date | October 1856 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration: |
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| • Whyte | 4-4-0 |
| • UIC | 2′B n |
| Gauge |
Originally: 5 ft (1,524 mm), Since 1886: 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver dia. | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| Adhesive weight | 32,000 lb (14.5 tonnes) |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 15 in × 22 in (381 mm × 559 mm) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | Western and Atlantic Railroad, Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway |
| Numbers | Numbered 49 in 1866, renumbered 12 in 1870, became NC&STL no. 212 in 1890 |
| Official name | Texas, renamed "Cincinnati" in 1870 |
| Retired | 1907 |
| Current owner | Donated to the City of Atlanta, Georgia on February 17, 1908 |
| Disposition | Static display |
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The Texas
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| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Coordinates | 33°44′1.78″N 84°22′15.42″W / 33.7338278°N 84.3709500°WCoordinates: 33°44′1.78″N 84°22′15.42″W / 33.7338278°N 84.3709500°W |
| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | Danforth, Cooke & Co. |
| NRHP Reference # | 73002234 |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1973 |
Western & Atlantic Railroad #49 "Texas" is a 4-4-0 "American" type steam locomotive built in 1856 for the Western & Atlantic Railroad by Danforth, Cooke & Co., best known as the principal pursuit engine in the Great Locomotive Chase, chasing the General after the latter was stolen by Union saboteurs in an attempt to ruin the Confederate rail system during the American Civil War. The locomotive had been preserved at the Atlanta Cyclorama building within Grant Park in Atlanta, Georgia, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Texas was built in October 1856 for the Western & Atlantic Railroad by locomotive manufacturer Danforth, Cooke and Company in Paterson, New Jersey, and subsequently shipped from Paterson to the Port of Savannah, thence delivered via the Georgia Rail Road & Banking Company and Macon & Western Railroad to the W&A headquarters in Atlanta.
The Texas provided freight and passenger service on the W&A's main line between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
At the onset of the Civil War, the locomotive primarily hauled local freight and cargo without any major incident. However, on April 12, 1862, the Texas, while pulling a load of 21 cars from Dalton southbound towards Atlanta, was commandeered by William Allen Fuller to chase down spies, led by James J. Andrews, during the "Great Locomotive Chase." Steaming in reverse after jettisoning the railcars, the Texas pursued the fleeing General over 50 miles before the raiders abandoned their stolen engine two miles north of Ringgold, Georgia. The Texas's engineer, Peter Bracken, towed the abandoned General back to Adairsville, Georgia, and then picked up his 21 cars and steamed into Atlanta, well behind schedule, but with good reason.
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Wikipedia