The Texas (locomotive) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Texas |
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| The Texas, restored at the North Carolina Transportation Museum to its 1870s appearance, April 2017. | |
| Power type | Steam |
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| Builder | Danforth, Cooke and Company (engine and original tender) Mason Machine Works (extant tender) |
| Build date | October 1856 |
| Configuration | 4-4-0 |
| UIC classification | 2′B n |
| Gauge | Originally: 5 ft (1,524 mm), Since 1886: 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver diameter | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| Weight on drivers | 32,000 lb (14.5 tonnes) |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 15 in × 22 in (381 mm × 559 mm) |
| Official name | Texas, renamed "Cincinnati" in 1870 |
| Retired | 1907 |
| Current owner | Donated to the City of Atlanta, Georgia on February 17, 1908 |
| Disposition | Static display |
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The Texas
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 Location in Atlanta
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | Danforth, Cooke & Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002234 |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1973 |
The Western & Atlantic Railroad #49 "Texas" is a famous 4-4-0 "American" type steam locomotive. It was built in 1856 for the Western and Atlantic Railroad. The Texas is best known for its role in the Great Locomotive Chase. During this event, it chased another stolen train, the General. This chase happened when Union spies tried to damage the Confederate railway system during the American Civil War. Today, the Texas locomotive is kept safe at the Atlanta History Center.
Contents
The Texas Locomotive: Early Years
The Texas was built in October 1856. It was made by a company called Danforth, Cooke and Company in Paterson, New Jersey. After being built, it was shipped to the Port of Savannah. From there, it traveled by other railroads to the Western & Atlantic Railroad's main office in Atlanta.
The Texas locomotive was used to carry both goods and people. It traveled on the main railway line between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Civil War and a Famous Chase
When the Civil War began, the Texas mostly carried goods without any problems. But on April 12, 1862, something exciting happened. The Texas was pulling 12 train cars south from Dalton. Suddenly, a man named William Allen Fuller took control of the train. He used the Texas to chase down spies led by James J. Andrews. This event is known as the "Great Locomotive Chase."
The Texas steamed backward after dropping its train cars. It chased the stolen train, the General, for over 50 miles. The spies eventually left the General near Ringgold, Georgia. The Texas's engineer, Peter Bracken, then pulled the abandoned General back to Adairsville, Georgia. After that, he picked up his 12 cars and headed to Atlanta. He was very late, but he had a good reason!
After this chase, the Texas and nine boxcars were lent to another railroad. They helped carry salt and other goods from mines in Saltville, Virginia in 1863. While in Virginia, the engine was captured by the United States Military Railroad. Later, as Union forces moved towards Atlanta, the Western & Atlantic Railroad and its other locomotives were also captured.
After the War: A New Life
The U.S. Military Railroad returned the Texas and other locomotives to the State of Georgia on September 25, 1865. The engine continued to work for the Western & Atlantic Railroad during the Reconstruction period. During this time, the railroad slowly became a private company. In 1866, the State of Georgia gave numbers to all the Western & Atlantic engines. The Texas became number 49.
In 1870, the Western & Atlantic Railroad was leased to a group of investors for twenty years. These investors were led by a former wartime governor, Joseph E. Brown. The Texas was one of 44 locomotives at the time. It was given a new number and a new name. It became the Cincinnati, number 12. During this lease, the engine got a new boiler in 1877. It was also changed to burn coal instead of wood. In 1886, its tracks were changed to the national standard size.
The lease for the Western & Atlantic Railroad was renewed in 1890. A different company, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway, took over. The Texas remained the Cincinnati under this new company and was renumbered 212.
In 1895, the engine was taken out of main service. It was stored on a side track in Vinings, Georgia. By 1903, it briefly returned to work on a smaller track. It served a corn mill in Emerson, Georgia. It worked there until it retired in 1907. Then, it was sent to the Western & Atlantic Railroad's yard in Atlanta.
Saving a Piece of History
In August 1907, a newspaper article talked about how old and worn out the Texas locomotive was. It also mentioned its important history. People started trying to raise money to save it. The president of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway said he would give the engine to Georgia or Atlanta if they wanted it. The Georgia General Assembly agreed that the engine needed to be saved. However, no one took action to move or protect it. The engine stayed on the side track.
A group of people, including a newspaper and several women's clubs, worked hard to get the locomotive for the City of Atlanta. On February 17, 1908, the Texas was officially given to the "Ladies of Atlanta." They then gave the engine to the city.
Even after being donated, the Texas stayed in the yard. In 1910, an artist and historian named Wilbur G. Kurtz wrote articles. He pushed for the Texas to be preserved. The next year, the engine was moved to Grant Park. But it was still outside in the weather, and there wasn't enough money to fix it up.
In 1927, the Texas was placed in the basement of the new Cyclorama building. It was not restored or changed from how it looked when it retired in 1907. Over its working life, the Texas had been rebuilt many times. For example, its smokestack was changed to a diamond shape for burning coal. Its cowcatcher (the front part) was replaced with a wooden step for use in the train yard. The tender (the car that carries fuel and water) it has now came from another locomotive called the Dalton. This tender was given to the Texas when it briefly returned to service in 1900.
In 1936, the locomotive was cosmetically restored. This means it was made to look like it did during the Civil War. Its smokestack was changed back to a balloon shape. Its old cowcatcher was put back, and its nameplates were restored. The basement where it was displayed was small, making it hard to see the engine. People suggested other places to display the Texas, like Atlanta Union Station or Stone Mountain Park, but these plans didn't happen.
By the late 1960s, people worried about the condition of the Battle of Atlanta painting (the Atlanta Cyclorama). In 1972, Atlanta planned to fix the Cyclorama building. This included restoring the painting and making a bigger display area for the Texas. The work started in 1979 and finished in 1982.
The Texas Today
After 2008, people focused on the Atlanta Cyclorama again because it was in bad shape. The City of Atlanta decided to move and restore the painting. This move also included the Texas locomotive and other items from the museum.
Some other cities and a railway museum wanted to get the locomotive. But Atlanta officials decided the engine should stay with the painting.
In July 2014, Atlanta announced that the Cyclorama collection, including the painting and the Texas, would move to the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead. The Texas was moved from the Cyclorama building in December 2015. This was the first time it had been moved since 1981. The engine was then cosmetically restored at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
The engine was restored to look like it did in the 1880s. This is different from its Civil War look. It now has a new diamond smokestack and a new cowcatcher with vertical wooden slats. It is painted black and has its 1870s number, 12. It still keeps the name Texas. The old parts from the 1936 restoration will stay at the history center. Some people were upset about the new look. They felt it erased the engine's Civil War history. But the Atlanta History Center explained that the Texas worked for fifty years, and the Great Locomotive Chase was only a few hours of that time. They said the Texas could tell a different story. The restored Texas was shown to the public on April 28, 2017.
The Texas moved to the Atlanta History Center on May 4, 2017, arriving on May 5. The Atlanta History Center's new exhibit about Atlanta railroads, featuring the locomotive, opened on November 17, 2018. The Cyclorama painting opened to the public in spring 2019.
Images for kids
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The Texas displayed in the Cyclorama building before its move.
