The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-11
WHEN ENGINE III MADE 12O MILES AN HOUR DURING TEST
Was a "Ten-W Wheeler" Now Twenty Years Old and Stiff, But Is Still h
 the Running
By Associated Press

Jacksonville, Fla, Sept. 10.-Pul- Georgia is the wheeler" which one day 20 years ago travelled at a speed greater than that of any steam locomotive ever built-120 miles an hour.
 This engine, now Atlantic Coast Line No. 21o, was Plant System No. III when it set the worlds record for sprinting. At the same time it won a United States mail contract between Washington and Jackson vile.
 The Seaboard Air Line and tho Att lantic Coast Line-Plant System in March, 1901. were conducting tests under observation of postal authori- ties. Each road. 1t was agreed, which could handle the Florida and Cuban mail the quicker. It was while pulling the third test train be- tween Savannah and Jacksonville that No. III of the Savannah, Florida and Western, just delivered to the railroad by her builders still stiff from lack of use, unexpectedly set it's record that still stands.
 Shortly after leaving Savannah No. 1o7, 8 new locomotive, assigned to the test, developed hot driving box ha 1t at Burroughs, Il miles out, the two railroads paralleling to that point.
 Stfl1 in Trouble
 At Fleming, 23 miles from Savan- nah, No. 107 was still experiencing trouble and when passengers train No. 23, southbound, with Engine Ill in charge of Engineer Lodge, over took the test train, officials substi- tuted the Ill for the 107, ordered dis patchers to clear the road between Fleming and Jacksonville and in- structed Lodge to push his engine to the limit.
 A fire some years ago destroyed the records on the run between Flem- ing Snd Waycross, but reports show that No. Ill made the 76 miles be- IEcccH WdyCfOeS anu JdChoOHNIiic III 59 minutes, an average speed of 7S miles an hour.
 The worlds record was set near Screven, Ga, 12 miles south of Jesup. where No. Ill and her train covered five miles in 2 minutes and 30 sec- onds.
 No. Ill arrived at the Union sta- ton in Jacksonville ahead of the Seaboard test train and the Allan tic Coast Line and Plant System was awarded the mail contract.
 Roads Consolidate
 Some time later the Atlantic Coast Line absorbed the Plant System and No. III became A. c. l.. No. 210. There is nothing out of the ordinary in the design of the engine, which IS or the typical ten wheeler" type. three pairs of drivers and four pony truck wheels. She has 1s-inch cylinders with stroke of 2S inches, 72-inch driving wheels and carries boiler pressure of 1S0 pounds. The engine weighs 150,500 pounds. Her rated tractive power Is 21,4S0 pounds.
 The old Plant System track be- tween Savannah and Jacksonville Is known among railroad men in the southeast as "The Speedway" be- cause of the fast time that has been made on it. No. Ill made her not able run in 1901, and after the At lantic Coast Line took over the Plant System a special train was handled at rate of 1o5.6 miles an hour. This instance was on March g, 1903. when A train chartered by the family or George Gould was run the 172 miles from Jacksonville to Savannah in l5z minutes, or at the rate of 70.7 miles an hour. Engine 271, with Engineer Thomas Leake in charge, which pulled the train, ran the seven miles between walthourville and Mcintosh Ga, in four minutes. exceeding lo01s miles an hour. a