The Southern Railway B class 4-4-0s were a fleet of 200 4-4-0 American type locomotives that worked on the Southern Railway.

History[]
Although the Southern Railway had purchased new American type locomotives straight from the builder, the new company also inherited 200 American type steam locomotives from the various other companies that were incorporated to create the Southern. All 4-4-0s owned by the Southern Railway were numbered in the 800, 900, 1000, and 1400 series. In 1903, the locomotives were renumbered in the 1700 and 1800 series, later in 1907, to the 3700 and 3800 series.
The 4-4-0s on the Southern Railway worked in branch line passenger and freight services. In later years, these engines would later be seen on the Southern Railway's Mobile Division out of Selma, Alabama, until they were replaced by the 900 series 4-6-0 Ten-Wheelers prior to World War 2. The St. Louis division had a group of 4-4-0s under their employ, which were numbered in the 200 series, but all were retired by 1910.
The Southern wasn't the only employer of 4-4-0s on the system, the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific, New Orleans & Northeastern, and the Georgia Southern & Florida subsidiaries had their engines numbered in the 6400, 6950, and 8200 series respectively. The Northern Alabama Railway also had a pair of 4-4-0s numbered 7000 and 7001. All of the AGS' 4-4-0s were all retired by 1917 before the Southern could take the AGS under its control.
Each locomotive had 58 - 72-inch driving wheels, a cylinder size between 17" x 24" inches and 19" x 26" inches and weighed in at 42.475 - 67 tons without tender. Tractive Effort was rated between 13,791 lbs. - 23,100 lbs.
In 1926, engine #3850 was sold to the Carolina & North Western Railroad where it served the C&NW until it was retired in 1941. When engine 1838 was destroyed in the New Market Train Wreck of 1904, it was damaged beyond repair and it was sold for scrap. The railroad then purchased a 4-4-0 from the Tennessee Central Railroad to become its 2nd #1838. This engine was later renumbered to 3838 until it was sold back to the Tennessee Central in 1909. The 1st #1749 was already scrapped in 1903 and another 4-4-0 from the Tennessee Central Railroad was purchased to replace it. Another engine was also replaced, the 1st #1707 was scrapped in 1902 and another 4-4-0 from the Nashville & Knoxville Railroad was purchased to replace it.
Retirement of the class began in 1902 with the most of the class going to the scrappers in 1922. In 1942, the last engines, #3783 and #3841, were sold for scrap for the war drives in 1942.
List of Locomotives[]
- #2300 - 2309, built by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1886.
- the rest coming soon...
List of Retirements[]
1902: 1st 1707, 1780,
1903: 1704, 1705, 1709, 1712, 1715, 1717, 1723, 1st 1749, 1786, 1894, 1899,
1904: 1701, 1708, 1716, 1718, 1st #1838 (destroyed in the New Market, TN wreck), 1872, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1886,
1905: 1719, 1724, 1731, 1732, 1742, 1787, 1788, 1789, 1881, 1888, 1890,
1906: 1703, 1790, 1887, 1893, 2308, 2312, 2314,
1907: 1702,
1908: 3781,
1909: 3706, 3707, 3720, 3725, 3726, 3728, 3739, 3741, 3742, 3749, 3761, 3770, 3777, 3838, 3872, 3874, 3880, 3884, 3891, 3896, 3897, 2305, 2306, 2309, 2310, 2311,
1910: 3771, 3898, 2313,
1911: 3711, 3714, 3729, 3730, 3736, 3746, 3747, 3764, 3765, 3769, 3776, 3873, 3876, 3899, 2303,
1912: 3737, 3743, 3753, 3754, 3790, 3798, 3885, 2300, 2301, 2304,
1913: 3752, 3755, 3882,
1914: 3713, 3721, 3767, 3768, 3773, 3806, 3825, 3892, 2307,
1915: 3710, 3750, 3756, 3766, 3775, 3799,
1916: 3744, 3745, 3759, 3772, 3779, 3782, 3801,
1917: 3805, 3889, 3894, 3895,
1922: 3722, 3733, 3734, 3735, 3740, 3748, 3757, 3760, 3762, 3763, 3784, 3791, 3792, 3794, 3796, 3802, 3803, 3807, 3809, 3810, 3812, 3813, 3814, 3817, 3818, 3820, 3821, 3822, 3823, 3824, 3844, 3861, 3866, 3871, 3883, 3893, 7000, 7001,
1923: 3785, 3797, 3808, 3826, 3827, 3833, 3835, 3837, 3863,
1924: 3738, 3774, 3793, 3795, 3804, 3840, 3864, 3865,
1925: 3811, 3815, 3847, 3868,
1926: 3832, 3834, 3848, 3849, 3850, 3853,
1927: 3751, 3829, 3839, 3843, 3846, 3857,
1928: 3828, 3854,
1929: 3800, 3830, 3855, 3860,
1932: 3836, 3851,
1933: 3816, 3819,
1934: 3842, 3862, 3867,
1935: 3831, 3869, 3870,
1937: 3856, 3858,
1938: 3845, 3852,
1939: 3859,
1942: 3783, 3841,