Little River Railroad 110

Little River Railroad 110
No. 110 operating at the Little River Railroad, October 2008
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerJoseph Murphy Sr.
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number37303
Build dateNovember 1911
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.47 in (1.194 m)
Wheelbase8.33 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.75 m)
Adhesive weight72,000 lb (32.7 t)
Loco weight109,000 lb (49.4 t)
Total weight199,000 lb (90.3 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity6 t (5.9 long tons; 6.6 short tons)
Water cap.3,500 US gal (13,000 L; 2,900 imp gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area100 sq ft (9.3 m2)
Boiler47 in (1.19 m) diameter
Boiler pressure180 psi (1.24 MPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox100 sq ft (9.3 m2)
 • Tubes1,662 sq ft (154.4 m2)
 • Flues1,562 sq ft (145.1 m2)
 • Total surface1,662 sq ft (154.4 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size16 in × 22 in (406 mm × 559 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston valves
Loco brakeAir
Train brakesAir
CouplersKnuckle
Performance figures
Tractive effort18,334 lbf (81.6 kN)
Factor of adh.3.93
Career
Operators
Number in class1st of 1
Numbers
  • LRLC 110
  • SMRR 110
  • LRR 110
RetiredDecember 9, 1954
Restored1976
Current ownerTerry Bloom
DispositionOperational
References:[1]

Little River Railroad 110 is a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive, built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW). It is preserved and operated by the Little River Railroad (LRR) in Coldwater, Michigan.

History

No. 110 was designed by Joseph Murphy Sr. and was constructed in November 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Little River Lumber Company (LRLC) in Townsend, Tennessee.[1][2] The locomotive would spend twenty-eight years hauling both logging and passenger trains on the line until 1939, when the company ceased operations.[1][2][3]

In 1940, the engine was sold to the Smoky Mountain Railroad (SMR) in Knoxville, Tennessee, where it would service hauling freight trains on the line for fourteen years until it was retired from revenue service on December 9, 1954.[1][2][4][5] The railroad line ceased operations in January 1961 and the locomotive was sold to a tourist line in Massachusetts.[5]

The locomotive would be moved to its new location by 44-tonner No. 440, however during the move, the locomotive kept causing so many problems for the railroad crew and it was decided to move the locomotive back to Knoxville.[5] While the engine was being pushed back up the mountains, the engine derailed, about 10 miles away from Knoxville.[5] This would eventually became too much work for the crews and the locomotive was pushed onto a siding underneath a highway and was left abandoned for several years untouched.[2][5] In 1966, the tracks of the former SMR would eventually be pulled up and scrapped, while No. 110 would remain on the abandoned side track for six more years.[2][5]

In 1968, Terry Bloom spotted the abandoned locomotive while traveling on a vacation with his family. He later contacted the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce and made an offer to purchase the engine for $3,100, which they accepted.[2][5]

In May 1972, the engine was loaded onto a truck and moved to Southern's Jacksboro Team Track in Brookville, Michigan.[2][6] The engine was placed on a side track for the next three years.[6] In March 1975, No. 110 was eventually towed from the side track were restoration work officially began.[6][5] It returned to service in 1976 and since then, it has hauled excursion trains at the Little River Railroad (LRR) in Coldwater, Michigan.[2][5]

In July 2009, No. 110 traveled to Owosso, Michigan to participate in Train Festival 2009, along with seven other steam locomotives including Pere Marquette 1225, Nickel Plate Road 765, Southern Pacific 4449, Flagg Coal Company 75, Leviathan 63, Little River Railroad 1 and Viscose Company 6.[7]

In 2018, No.110 was taken out of service to undergo its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul; it returned to service in late 2020.[8][9]

In September and October 2021, No. 110 would celebrate its 110th birthday where it operated a special, rare 45-mile excursion trip from Coldwater to Hillsdale, Michigan and return.[8][10]

In July 2023, Nos. 110 and 1 ran a special 1.5-hour doubleheader excursion to Hamilton, Indiana and a 30-minute excursion to Steubenville, Indiana for the Indiana Railroad Open House event, along with Nickel Plate Road 765.[11][12]

On April 24, 2024, the railroad celebrated its 50th anniversary and ran Nos. 110 and 1 on a special doubleheader excursion with a consist of all the railroad's passenger cars.[13][14]

In July 2025, No. 110 celebrated the railroad's 20th anniversary of operations in Coldwater and ran a 11-mile round-trip between Coldwater and Quincy, Michigan.[15][16][17] On November 22, No. 110 hauled the Cameron Christmas Train to Quincy, Michigan and return.[18][19]

Appearances in media

In 2018, No. 110 was featured in the western drama film Wild Faith, were the locomotive is seen pulling a circus train through scenes filmed at the Little River Railroad.[20][21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Little River Railroad No. 110". loco-info.comm. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Little River Railroad 4-6-2 No. 110 in steam". Trains.com. November 11, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  3. ↑ Angela Cotey (March 20, 2019). "Timeworn combine, tiny Pacific". Trains.com. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  4. ↑ "A part of history". The Daily Reporter. January 1, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Knoxville, Slow & Easy | Locomotives". Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Jim Measel (March 1, 2024). "A LOOK AT BROOKVILLELittle River Railroad No. 110". The Register-Herald. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Trains Presents: Train Festival 2009". Trains.com. June 28, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Jim Wrinn (October 13, 2021). "World's smallest pacific locomotive celebrates 110 years". Trains.com. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  9. ↑ Lucas Iverson (June 23, 2023). "Little River Railroad profile". Trains.com. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  10. ↑ Jim Measel (July 28, 2025). "Railroad's 20 years in Coldwater". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  11. ↑ Lucas Iverson (July 31, 2023). "Indiana's Railroad Open House welcomes over 2,500 visitors". Trains.com. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  12. ↑ Lucas Iverson (July 26, 2023). "Four operating steam locomotives to headline Indiana's Railroad Open House". Trains.com. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  13. ↑ Elyse Apel (March 26, 2024). "Little River Railroad to celebrate 50th anniversary". Hillside Daily News. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  14. ↑ Don Reid (April 16, 2024). "Little River Railroad celebrates 50 years of steam engine train rides Sunday". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ Don Reid (July 24, 2025). "Little River Railroad celebrates 20 years in Coldwater". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  16. ↑ Trains Staff (July 10, 2025). "Little River Railroad to commemorate 20th year in Coldwater". Trains.com. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  17. ↑ Jim Measel (June 23, 2025). "Little River Railroad plans celebration for 20 years in Coldwater". WTVB.com. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  18. ↑ Trains Staff (November 5, 2025). "'Cameron Christmas Train' returns to Ohio, Indiana, Michigan". Trains.com. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  19. ↑ Don Reid (November 26, 2025). "Little River Railroad Christmas Express runs the next three weekends". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  20. ↑ Christy Hart-Harris (March 16, 2018). "Little River Railroad to commemorate 20th year in Coldwater". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  21. ↑ Rosalie Currier (July 31, 2019). "'Wild Faith' featuring Little River Railroad available for purchase". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2026.

Further reading

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