The Ks-1 class locomotives were a fleet of 456 2-8-0 Consolidation-type steam locomotives that worked on the Southern Railway from 1903 until 1954.
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History[]
In 1903, the Southern Railway's department of motive power teamed up with mechanical engineers from Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Richmond Locomotive Company to design a new freight locomotive to replace some of the line's aging motive power. What they came up with was the new standard freight engine of the Southern Railway.
The locomotives were classified as K and could operate anywhere on the Southern Railway system from New Orleans to Pinners Point, Virginia and from Jacksonville, Florida to East St. Louis. The new locomotives stood on driving wheels that had either 56" or 57" inches in height, they had 22" x 30" inch cylinders, a boiler pressure of 200 psi, and a tractive effort of 44,000 lbs. Each locomotive weighed in at around 100 tons each (160 tons with tender). Their tenders could hold up to 12.50 tons of coal and 7,500 gallons of water. The locomotives were equipped with the old Stephenson valve gear, "D" slide valves, and saturated boilers.
471 locomotives were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, ALCo-Richmond, and ALCo-Pittsburgh from 1903 to 1912. As time went on the K class engines would later receive superheated boilers, piston valves, and Walschaerts or Southern Valve Gear, thus reclassifying them Ks. Feedwater heaters, mechanical lubricators, and stokers were also installed on a limited number of these engines in later years.
Several class members were rebuilt with new cylinders and new pistons valve type steam chests. When this was done, the size of the cylinders was increased to 24" x 30" - 25" x 30" inches. The engines with the 24" x 30" inch bores were then classified as the Ks-1 class 2-8-0s. The engines that received a 25" x 30" inch bore were classified as the Ks-2s. The steam pressure on the Ks-1s was decreased to 190 psi, on the Ks-2s, they were decreased to 175 psi. Because of this, both tractive efforts of both classes remained roughly around 46,700 lbs.
In 1923, CNO&TP engines #6181, #6188, #6191, #6193, #6194, #6197, #6203, #6206, #6208, #6209, #6210, #6220, #6221, #6224, and #6225 were numbered to 6900 - 6915 to work on the Southern's New Orleans & Northeastern Subsidiary.
Between 1935 and 1940, 64 locomotives were retired from service as bigger locomotives such as the Ms class 2-8-2s and the Ss class 2-10-2s took their jobs. When the United States of America entered World War 2, retirements of the class were postponed. In 1947, retirements began and these engines were dropping like flies, most of them were sold for scrap while a few managed to seek shelter on shortlines. Engine #576 was sold to the Whare Sores Railway in October 1942. Engines #807 and #594 were sold to the Ligonier Valley Railroad in 1948 and 1950 respectively. But the most notable of shortlines was the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad.
By 1953, only 2 of the Ks, #599 and #820, were left on the Southern's roster. Both engines were scrapped by the Luria Brothers in August 1954.
Batches[]
These were the batches of locomotives that were built.
- #566 - 600 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1906)
- #601 - 604 (built by Baldwin in 1903)
- #605 - 636 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1904)
- #637 - 661 (built by ALCo-Pittsburgh in 1904)
- #662 - 696 (built by Baldwin in 1904)
- #697 - 721 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1904)
- #722 - 728 (built by Baldwin in 1904)
- #729 - 778 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1905)
- #779 - 786 (built by Baldwin in 1906)
- #787 - 819 (built by Baldwin in 1910)
- #820 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1907)
- (there was no #821)
- #822 - 876 (built by Baldwin in 1906)
- #877 - 878 (built by ALCo-Pittsburgh in 1907)
- #879 - 883 (built by Baldwin in 1910)
- #6180 - 6184 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1905) (ex-CNO&TP #700 - 704)
- #6185 - 6189 (built by Baldwin in 1906) (ex-CNO&TP #705 - 709)
- #6190 - 6214 (built by Baldwin in 1907) (ex-CNO&TP #710 - 734)
- #6215 - 6219 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1907) (ex-CNO&TP #735 - 739)
- #6220 - 6229 (built by Baldwin in 1911) (ex-CNO&TP #740 - 749)
- #6565 - 6572 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1905) (ex-AGS #190 - 197)
- #6573 - 6576 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1906) (ex-AGS #198 - 201)
- #6577 - 6582 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1907) (ex-AGS #202 - 207)
- #6583 - 6595 (built by Baldwin in 1909) (ex-AGS #208 - 220)
- #6599 (built by Baldwin in 1909) (ex-AGS #221)
- #6900 (formerly #6224)
- #6901 (formerly #6188)
- #6902 (formerly #6194)
- #6903 (formerly #6203)
- #6904 (formerly #6207)
- #6905 (formerly #6209)
- #6906 (formerly #6210)
- #6907 (formerly #6221)
- #6908 (formerly #6225)
- #6909 (formerly #6191)
- #6910 (formerly #6197)
- #6911 (formerly #6220)
- #6915 (formerly #6193)
- #8330 - 8338 (built by Baldwin in 1910) (ex-Georgia Southern & Florida #400 - 408)
- #8339 - 8344 (built by ALCo-Richmond in 1912) (ex-Georgia Southern & Florida #409 - 414)
Preservation[]
In 1952, engines #630 and #722 were sold to the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad to become their #207 and #208. The line was originally planning to purchase engines #685 and #835, but they decided to go with engines #630 and #722 because they were in better condition. The locomotives worked on the ET&WNC until December 8, 1967 when the Southern traded a pair of RS-3 diesels to the ET&WNC in exchange for the steam engines for the Southern's steam program. The 207 and 208 were renumbered back to 630 and 722. #630 was brought back to service in February 1968, #722 had a cracked firebox and returned to service in 1970.
In 1978, #630 was loaned to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. In May 1979, Southern loaned No. 722 to the Wilmington and Western Railroad (WWRC) to operate on their Wilmington and Northern Branch lines. In September 1980, #722 arrived at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum where she operated until 1985. #630 continued to operate until 1989. In 1992, #722 was moved to Asheville, North Carolina by Steam Operations Manager Carl Jenson of Southern's successor, Norfolk Southern (NS) to be on display at the city's Biltmore section. In late 1999, NS sold the Biltmore property for redevelopment and removed No. 722 from its display site to the Asheville roundhouse for storage. In 2000, #722 was sold to the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad where it's currently awaiting restoration.
#630 was donated to TVRM and was restored to operation in 2011.
Gallery[]
Southern Railway #722 at Macon, Georgia in the mid 1970s.
#630 on it's last day on the Southern in 1952.