Gainesville Midland No. 209 is a Baldwin Class 12-42-F 2-10-0 "Decapod" type steam locomotive that was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in March 1930. It was originally owned by the Seaboard Air Line, but was transferred to the Gainesville Midland where it worked until withdrawal in 1959.
History[]
No. 209 was built by Baldwin for the Seaboard Air Line in 1930 in the D-3 series of classes and numbered by the Seaboard as 533. It served the railroad until it was eventually transferred to the Gainesville Midland Railroad in the late 40's. 209 would run the final steam powered freight train over the GM in July 1959. It was originally planned to be used on the final steam powered train on the line, but it was found to be in poor condition.
The engine was placed on the end of the railroads wye in Gainesville and donated. It would eventually be joined by a Seaboard Airline caboose and a Southern Railway baggage car.
In 1991 the train was moved from its original display to several different locations before landing a new display area on West Academy street. Before another move the engine had been several vandalized and neglected but was lovingly restored by the city. In 2021, it was then moved another time to a new work-in-progress location on Davis Street in Gainesville.
Trivia[]
- Some people believe this engine to be one of the last engines ordered by the Russian Czar, however 209 was built after as a D-3 class, these were based off a Russian Decapod, but modified to be larger.