Mary and Elizabeth Too

WBT&S engine #1 (ex-Southland Paper Co. #1, exx-Angelina Hartwood #1, exxx-H. G. Bohlssen #1) was built in June 1920 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (builder's # 53413). She is an example of a Prairie class steam engine, a 2-6-2, meaning there are 2 pilot wheels, 6 driving wheels, and 2 trailing wheels. She weighs 89,000 pounds and is an oil burner. The engine is mounted on a simulated turntable just outside the Museum offices.

On top of the engine, from front to back, note the headlight, the electrical dynamo, the smoke stack, a sand dome, the bell, the steam dome, a second sand dome, and then the cab. The whistle and safety valves are located on the steam dome. The injectors are mounted in the cab on the side of the firebox, and the water supply pipe runs from the injectors along the boiler to the red-painted check valves. The reversing reach rod is on the right side just above the runningboard. The single compressor is on the left side. If you follow the pipe coming out of the compressor you will see it run backwards under the cab, then up the front end of the tender to the top. WBTS #1 is unusual in that the twin air tanks are on the back tender deck, rather than mounted on the engine.

WBT&S #1 is an oil fired engine. The square tank atop the tender carried oil, while water was carried in the lower, larger compartment. Oil from the tender was fed to an atomizer in the firebox which immediately ignited the oil.

Engine #1 was acquired by the WBT&S in 1949, which needed a light engine to run on its deteriorated road. When the WBT&S ceased operations (about 1960) #1 was abandoned in the yard in Trinity, Texas. Donated by the Trinity Memorial Hospital of Trinity, she was rescued in a deplorable state of deterioration (no windows, massive amounts of rust, a tree growing between the engine and tender) in 1981 when the Museum was being formed. She was restored by Joe Bailey and his crew and mounted on a simulated turntable made of concrete.

WBT&S #1 is also known as the Mary and Elizabeth Too, in honor of Mrs. Mary Moody Northen who was instrumental in getting the Museum started, and was honorary board chair until her death. Mary and Elizabeth Too was what she called herself as a child.

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