Built by Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Construction #40862, November 1913, Baldwin Class 8-26-D #183, Type 2-6-0.
Delivered at Long Leaf, Louisiana, November 1913and placed in service at Meridian, Louisiana, December 1913.
Locomotive #202 was the first of a series of twelve new locomotives of four different types ordered by the Crowell Interests from 1913 to 1923. It was placed into service to serve as a woods engine for the new Meridian Lumber Company mill located in Meridian, Louisiana. In 1919, Meridian purchased a nearly duplicate engine, #204 for use on the Meridian timber properties out of the new logging camp in Sieper, Louisiana and in 1923 Meridian went back to Baldwin for the largest engine ever to serve the Crowell lumber companies, a 2-8-0 #206. #206 served as the main line log train engine from Sieper to Meridian for five years until the Meridian mill burned in 1928. During the 1920s #202 may have stayed in Meridian to work what was left of the operations there, or to switch the mill. After the mill burned in 1928, the Meridian operation moved to Alco and #202 went along. During the 1930s #202 operated as a woods engine probably both out of Sieper and Alco, Louisiana. When the Sieper Camp shut down just before World War 2, the #202 was moved back to Longleaf to operate over the eastern extension of the Meridian tram line. Sister locomotive #204 was the favorite locomotive in this service, however, being converted to oil. When #204 overturned in the woods in December,1952 the 202 went back into fulltime service. As such, #202 was the last steam locomotive in service in the Crowell log tram when the entire railroad operation was shut down in the fall of 1954. Upon its return to Longleaf, the 202 was stored at the crossing of the Meridian tram line and LA 497 until some time around 1980, when it was moved and stored next to the roundhouse. By 1993, the engine was so overgrown to be almost invisible. Rescued from the weeds, and placed inside the machine shop, #202 is the last example of a cabbage stacked, wood burning steam locomotive in Louisiana. - From Southern Forrest Heritage Museum records.
Timeline (From Everett Lueck)
Built 1913 for Meridian Lumber
1913 -1922 Used as a woods engine out of Meridian, Louisiana, feeding Meridian Lumber Co. mill at Meridian
1923-1928 Used as a woods engine out of Sieper, Louisiana, feeding Meridian Lumber co. mill at Meridian
1928-1935 Used as a woods engine out of Sieper, Louisiana feeding Meridian Lumber Co. mill at Alco, LA
1935-1941 Probably used as a woods engine out of Alco, LA or stored at Alco
1941 Became property of Crowell Long Leaf Lumber Co, with merger of Meridian and Crowell & Spencer
1941-1943 Stored at either Alco or Long Leaf
1944-1954 Used as a woods engine out of Long Leaf, LA, working Meridian woods east of Meridian LA
September, 1954, retired and stored at Long Leaf, LA
1913 -1922 Used as a woods engine out of Meridian, Louisiana, feeding Meridian Lumber Co. mill at Meridian
1923-1928 Used as a woods engine out of Sieper, Louisiana, feeding Meridian Lumber co. mill at Meridian
1928-1935 Used as a woods engine out of Sieper, Louisiana feeding Meridian Lumber Co. mill at Alco, LA
1935-1941 Probably used as a woods engine out of Alco, LA or stored at Alco
1941 Became property of Crowell Long Leaf Lumber Co, with merger of Meridian and Crowell & Spencer
1941-1943 Stored at either Alco or Long Leaf
1944-1954 Used as a woods engine out of Long Leaf, LA, working Meridian woods east of Meridian LA
September, 1954, retired and stored at Long Leaf, LA
In Operation: 1913 - 1954
After the end of World War 2 #202 is now working out of Long Leaf for Crowell Long Leaf Lumber but is still lettered for Meridian Lumber.
Abandonment: 1954 - 1993
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In Storage Awaiting Restoration: 1993 - Present (Photos By Ken Hulsey)
Specifications:
Meridian Lumber Company 2-6-0 Steam Locomotive #202 is presently stored at the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. Here is a map of its location if you would like to check it out:
Check Out:
Great job ! We opened up the woods crossing that isolated the 202's tender and the cars behind it last weekend. We rented a mini-ex and it took me all of an hour to dig that crossing out and slope the sides to allow pickup's to cross over the rails. D.Hearne
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