B-4-B Locomotives

[Fred H.]

I am confused about something and if this question has been addressed in other threads, please accept my apologies...

In his book Narrow Gauge Pictorial Volume VI Motive Power of the Colorado and Southern Coleman lists the C&S narrow gauge locomotive roster at the back of the book (pages 222-223). The roster classifies C&S engines 30 to 39 as B-4-As, stating that they were built by Baldwin and had 53,750 weight on the drivers.

In reviewing other threads here as well as the B-4-B folio drawing in the blog's file section, I'm lead to believe that in fact the only light 2-8-0 Baldwin engine was No. 30 and that engines 31 to 56 were all identical Cooke engines. So, here's the question: Is Coleman's Roster of Equipment list wrong?

I ask this question because I'm planning to modify several 1:24 Aristocraft C-16 engines (from the last run produced with the belt drive) to represent C&S class B-4-B locomotives. My plan at the moment is to do two or three of  B-4-B engines, most likely 39, 43, 47, or 51. I have enough old Delton tenders (Aristocraft bought the molds from Delton) to do both the pre-1906 and post-1906 styles. As I hone in on my time frame, I'm thinking 1906-1912, and I really like both lettering styles.

As for the remainder of my roster, I have a VERY sweet Aster No. 22 brass mogul that is in the slightly larger 1:22.5 (LGB) scale. I will add some photos to this thread when I get the time.

[Robert McFarland]

B-4-A engines  31 through 36 were all sold before 1902

[Robert McFarland]

They were Baldwin.

[Jim Courtney]

Robert is correct.

There were 8 Baldwin 2-8-0's purchased by the DSP&P in 1882, original numbers 50-57. Under UP ownership they were renumbered DL&G 190-197.

Number 193 was sold to an Alabama lumber company prior to 1898. Only seven of the original eight survived to the new C&S reorganization, renumbered to C&S 30-36. Most were never used by the C&S, many may not have been physically renumbered.

Numbers 31-36 were sold to a variety of lumber companies prior to 1902.

As the B-4-A class was not established until about 1907, C&S number 30 was the only locomotive so designated. It probably wasn't used after about 1911, stored with other locomotives in the Como roundhouse for future needs that never materialized. Number 30 was scrapped in 1921.

The only surviving South Park Baldwin 2-8-0 is the DL&G 191 (former C&S 31) at the Colorado Railroad Museum. The locomotive was retrieved from the Rhinelander Logging Museum in 1973 for restoration.




Class B-4-B were the Cooke 2-8-0's of 1884, later C&S numbers 37-56. All 20 were renumbered into the new C&S roster and all were used on the C&S in the first decade. Most saw little use after 1911, all were scrapped or sold by 1921.

[Robert McFarland]

Baldwins in 1880,Cooke Consolidations in 1883