Wilmington and Western No. 98

Wilmington & Western No. 98 is a 4-4-0 "American" type steam locomotive that was built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, N.Y., in January 1909 for the Mississippi Central Railroad. No. 98 served in passenger service over an extensive 35-year period before being retired by the railroad in December 1944.
In 1946, chairman Paulsen Spence of the Louisiana Eastern purchased No. 98 and had it shipped to the Illinois Central shops in McComb, Mississippi for repairs. No. 98 was intention for use on the gravel-hauling Comite Southern, a 1,000-foot industrial spur, in Tangipahoa, Louisiana in 1947, but was unavailable at the time. Eventually, it was moved and put in storage at Comite Southern were it was rebuilt by the Illinois Central shop crews and put into service. In January 1960, it was purchased again by Thomas C. Marshall, Jr., the founder of the Wilmington & Western Railroad and Historic Red Clay Valley, Inc. In 1961, No. 98 was stored at the Strasburg Rail Road. It is rumored that Strasburg crews wanted to operate No. 98, which is how it ended up being painted in a Strasburg scheme.
No. 98 was moved to the Wilmington & Western in 1964. Following an extensive overhaul, she returned to operation in the Fall of 1972, and is now one of only two American-type locomotives in regular service East of the Mississippi. In December 1996, No. 98 briefly operated in its late Mississippi Central Railroad appearance with a centered headlight and relocation of the bell. No. 98 returned to its W&W paint scheme after 1997.
No. 98 has been out of service for her Federally Mandated 1,472-day Inspection since 2017. It is hopeful that it will at least be able to return to steam by 2024 or 2025. 
==See also==
*Gallery
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Passenger locomotives
Category:Four-coupled locomotives
Category:4-4-0 locomotives
Category:4-4-0 steam locomotives
Category:Built in 1909
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Restored locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:Excursion locomotives