Hello, Could anyone please tell me how many new 2-8-2s the ACL actually purchased?

There is some confusion about this figure. In the main text of Prince’s ACL book, he twice quotes an all-time total of forty - # 800-839. However, looking at the detailed listing together with construction numbers in the back of the same book he lists only thirty-seven locomotives - # 800-836.

Again, in Drury’s “Guide to North American Steam Locomotives”, thirty-seven are listed, while Griffin, in his latest book, quotes forty. The confusion is over a final batch delivered by Baldwin in 1923.

Just how many new 2-8-2s did the ACL have – thirty-seven or forty?

Thank you.

-- Stephen Dale (dale_stephen@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002

Answers

According to ACL rosters and diagram books, there were 37. Baldwin delivered 20 in 1911 (800-819), 10 in 1918-19 (820-29), and 7 in 1923 (830-836). ACL also got 17 2-8-2s in the AB&C merger of 1946.

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@worldnet.att.net), April 21, 2002.