Louisiana & Arkansas No. 509

Louisiana & Arkansas Railway No. 509 is a 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type steam locomotive built in 1913 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as No. 403, for the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway.
In 1945, No. 509 was sold to the Louisiana Midland Railway in Jena, LA, set up to take over the branch line from Packton to Vidalia, LA, that the L&A planned to close.
It was retired in 1950, when it was sold to the Louisiana Midland RR, which used it until a head on collision with their own "Mikado," Engine No. 551, took it out of service. The locomotive was then sold to the Rapides Gravel Company and hauled gravel there until retirement in 1966. Sold to a railfan named John Thompson in 1968 who later sold it to the Whitewater Valley Railroad in 1974. It was repaired by a private citizen and sold to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in 1982, where the tender was re-lettered with the Louisiana & Arkansas designation.
In 2002, it was refurbished to match the fleet of 4-6-0s operated by the Tennessee Central Railway Company and is now on display as Tennessee Central No. 509 at the Cookeville Depot.
==Trivia==
*This was one of six Ten Wheeler type locomotives delivered that year (Nos. 400-405).
*At some point, No 509 was sold to the South Shore Railway Co., in Jackson, LA, and then went through nine different owners before being bought by the Friends of the Cookeville Depot Museum in 2002.
*It used to burn coal but later on No. 509 was converted to an oil burner at Minden, LA, in 1928.
== Gallery ==
File:La 509 05.jpg
File:313414693 835050194582388 5056365530956481230 n.jpg
File:313406304 835050257915715 8118620348810548335 n.jpg
Category:Louisiana & Arkansas Locomotives
Category:Baldwin locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:4-6-0 locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:4-6-0 steam locomotives
Category:Built in 1913
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Rebuilds
Category:Restored locomotives