Southern Railway Class G

The G class 2-8-0 Consolidations were a fleet of 173 locomotives that ran on the Southern Railway from 1894 until 1954. Today, 2 of the class survive.
== History ==
Before Financier J.P. Morgan merged the Richmond & Danville Railroad, the Georgia Pacific Railroad, with the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad to create the Southern Railroad in 1894, both roads had similar sized 2-8-0 Consolidations used for heavy freight trains. The Virginia Midland Railway and the Knoxville & Ohio Railway also had similar 2-8-0s which later became part of the Southern's fleet when the latter took over the roads in 1898 and 1903.
The first of the 2-8-0s were ordered by the Richmond & Danville Railroad Company from Baldwin in 1885 and by 1890, 63 were under the R&D's employment. The East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad hired it's first 2-8-0 the same year the R&D hired theirs. 
By 1891, 173 were built (4 by Rogers Locomotive Works, 4 by Rhode Island Locomotive Works, 49 built by Schenectady Locomotive Works, 100 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, 49 by Schenectady Locomotive Works, 15 by Richmond Locomotive Works). Each locomotive had 50-inch driving wheels, 20" x 24" inch cylinders, a boiler pressure ranging from 140 - 160 psi, a tractive effort ranging from 22,848 to 26,112 lbs., and weighed in from 55.45 - 63.75 tons (87.5 - 105.4 tons with tender). Their tenders held up from 3,000 - 3,500 gallons of water and 8 - 10 tons of coal.
One other major advantage was that because of their lightweight, they could go on lines where heavier locomotives such as the Ms class 2-8-2s couldn't due to bridge restrictions, particularly on the Mobile Division.
The first the locomotive to be retired from service was #70, being cut up for scrap in Hayne, South Carolina on January 12, 1910. In October 1916 and February 1917, engines #48 - 49, #120, and #125 were retired and their frames were used for Ms class 2-8-2s #4535, #4537-4538, and #4576 during their Tractor Tender experiments. In the 1920s and 1930s, most of these engines were dropping like flies. By the end of World War 2, 9 locomotives were still on the active roster and by the end of 1953, only engine #29 was the only member of the class left. #29 would later meet the scrappers torch at Asheville, North Carolina in May 1954.
== Sale to other Railroads ==
In 1923, engine #59 was sold to the Columbus & Greenville Railway. Engine #3 was sold to the Emmitsburg Railroad as their #7 on January 7, 1926. Engine #4 was sold to the Mississippi Export Railway as their #34 on August 1, 1930 and on the 9th of August that year, engine #57 was also sold to the Mississippi Export Rwy as their #35. In 1926 #135 was sold to the Virginia Central Railway. #53 was sold to the Franklyn & Pennsylvania Railroad in October that same year. In 1928, #159 was sold to the Augusta Northern Railway, #127 was also sold to the same line in 1933. In 1942, engine #107 was sold to the Smoky Mountain Railroad Company of Knoxville, Tennessee where she worked until December 9, 1954. In 1947, engine #96 was sold to the Mobile & Gulf Railroad.
== Preservation ==
In 1942, engine #107 (built by Baldwin in 1887) was sold to the Smoky Mountain Railroad of Knoxville, Tennessee to help with the construction of the Douglas Dam project. She would continue working on the SMRR until the line dieselized on December 1954, completing a revenue life of 67 years. In 1961 she was placed on display along with fellow SMRR engine #206 to advertise the Rebel Railroad in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. After several name changes, the park became Dollywood and #107 continues to stand proudly on static display today. 
In August 1953, engine #154 (built by Schenectady in 1890) was put on display in Knoxville at Cullowhee Park after her retirement. In 2009, the engine was donated to the Gulf & Ohio Railway who restored her to service in 2010 to run on the Three Rivers Rambler where she continues to run today.
== Batches ==
These were the locomotives that were built:
* #1 - 4 (built by Rogers in 1890) (Originally Richmond & Danville #560 - 563)
* #5 - 8 (built by Rhode Island in 1890) (Originally Richmond & Danville #546 - 549)
* #9 - 13 (built by Schenectady in 1887) (Originally Richmond & Danville #516 - 520)
* #14 - 16 (built by Schenectady in 1888) (Originally Richmond & Danville #533 - 535)
* #17 - 18 (built by Richmond in 1889) (Originally Richmond & Danville Railroad #544 - 545)
* #19 (built by Richmond in 1889) (Originally Richmond & Danville Railroad #564)
* #20 - 24 (built by Richmond in 1890) (Originally Richmond & Danville Railroad #565 - 569)
* #25 (built by Richmond in 1890) (Originally Richmond & Danville Railroad #597)
* #26 - 27 (built by Richmond in 1889) (Originally Georgia Pacific #586 and #587)
* #28 - 31 (built by Richmond in 1891) (Originally Georgia Pacific #588 - 591)
* #32 - 35 (built by Baldwin in 1885) (Originally Richmond & Danville #500 - 503)
* #36 - 49 (built by Baldwin in 1886) (Originally Richmond & Danville #504 - 522)
* #50 - 57 (built by Baldwin in 1887) (Originally Richmond & Danville #523 - 530)
* #58 - 59 (built by Baldwin in 1888) (Originally Richmond & Danville #531 - 532)
* #60 - 67 (built by Baldwin in 1889) (Originally Richmond & Danville #536 - 543)
* #68 - 72 (built by Baldwin in 1890) (Originally Richmond & Danville #555 - 559)
* #73 - 77 (built by Baldwin in 1886) (Originally Virginia Midland #550 - 554, 1st Richmond & Danville #516 - 520)
* #78 - 87 (built by Baldwin in 1890) (Orignally Georgia Pacific #570 - 579)
* #88 - 93 (built by Baldwin in 1889) (Originally Georgia Pacific #580 - 585)
* #94 - 98 (built by Baldwin in 1890) (Originally Georgia Pacific #592 - 596)
* #99 - 112 (built by Baldwin in 1887) (Originally ETV&G #411 - 424)
* #113 - 132 (built by Baldwin in 1888) (Originally ETV&G #425 - 444)
* #133 - 137 (built by Schenectady in 1885) (Originally ETV&G #175 - 179, later renumbered to #401 - 405)
* #138 - 145 (built by Schenectady in 1885) (Originally ETV&G #450 - 457)
* #146 - 163 (built by Schenectady in 1890) (Originally ETV&G #458 - 475)
* #164 - 168 (built by Schenectady in 1886) (Originally Knoxville & Ohio #180 - 184, later renumbered to #406 - 410)
* #169 - 173 (built by Schenectady in 1889) (Originally Knoxville & Ohio #445 - 449)
== Gallery ==
Category:2-8-0 steam locomotives
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Category:American locomotives
Category:Baldwin locomotives
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives