Steam Locomotive
#108 

Rannoch recently bought steam locomotive #108 from Conway Scenic Railroad. #108 is a
2-6-2 "Prairie" built by Baldwin in 1920.  In the photo above, taken in 1972 on the Reader Railroad, #108 is the locomotive in front.  It was a typical branch-line locomotive of its time, weighing in at 125,000 lbs for the engine and about 100,000 lbs on the tender with fuel and water.  It was rated by Baldwin at 25,300 lbs. of tractive effort.  It is superheated, burns oil and has air-operated valve gear, a later addition.

The locomotive and tender are now in Sulphur Springs, TX, where they are on a siding of The Blacklands Railroad. Rannoch has set up a restoration shop in an adjacent building.  The locomotive is across from the old depot between Church Street and N. Davis Street.  For a map to the new home of #108, Click Here.

#108 is returning "home" to Texas after many years out of state.  Built for the San Augustine County Lumber Company and operated by the Angelina and Neches River RR, it wound up in freight service on the Reader RR in Arkansas in 1956.

In 1976, #108 was bought by the Conway Scenic Railroad, where it was in tourist operation from 1977 until 1988, when it was replaced by a larger locomotive.  It was on display at the CSRR until November 1999, when it was purchased and brought back to Texas by Rannoch.  

Fortunately, the former owners of #108 have been good record-keepers, and so we have all of the original purchase papers, the builders specs, Form 4 and many of the maintenance records.  We also have a much better than average pictorial history of the locomotive at its various venues.

David Lathrop, former chief mechanical officer of Georgetown Loop RR and a former member of Bernie Watts' staff at Backshop Services, worked with Rannoch to evaluate the locomotive and plan the restoration project.  Dave also under took rehabilitation of several of the major appliances.

Since #108's return to Texas, Ron Larson of Southwest Steam Locomotive, and formerly chief mechanical officer of the Tarantula Train, has been under contract to undertake disassembly and make a thorough assessment of the restoration work required.

For photos of the move from Conway Scenic to Blacklands, Click Here.

Volunteers Needed:  If you have an interest in helping us restore #108, and especially if you live near #108's new home in Sulphur Springs (on I30 in NE Texas) let us hear from you by email at info@steam-training.com.