The Texas (locomotive)
Encyclopedia
The Texas is a type 4-4-0
steam locomotive
that played an important role in the Great Locomotive Chase
during the American Civil War
. The locomotive is preserved at the Atlanta Cyclorama
building within Grant Park
in Atlanta, Georgia
. The Texas is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
in Paterson
, New Jersey
, the Texas provided freight and passenger service between Atlanta
, and Dalton, Georgia
, before the Civil War
on the Western and Atlantic Railroad
(Antebellum trains were generally known by names, not numbers.)
to chase down spies led by James J. Andrews
during the "Great Locomotive Chase." Steaming in reverse after jettisoning the railcars, the Texas pursued the fleeing General
over 50 miles to Ringgold, Georgia
, where the raiders abandoned their stolen train two miles north of that town and fled. The Texass engineer, Peter Bracken, towed the abandoned General back to Adairsville, Georgia
, and then picked up his 21 cars and steamed into Atlanta, well behind schedule, but with a good reason.
The Texas and nine boxcars were loaned to the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad to haul salt and cargo from the mines at Saltville, Virginia
, from 1863 through the end of the war.
A campaign was successfully mounted to raise funds to preserve the old locomotive, which was deteriorating in a side yard in Atlanta. It was taken to Grant Park in 1911 and saved from the scrap pile, but was not moved indoors until 1927 when the Cyclorama building was erected, where it was stored in the basement. In 1936, Atlanta historian Wilbur G. Kurtz led efforts to restore the Texas to its wartime appearance and numbering. In 1981, it was moved upstairs to a new public viewing platform after the expansion and modernization of the Cyclorama building.
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
that played an important role in the Great Locomotive Chase
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The locomotive is preserved at the Atlanta Cyclorama
Atlanta Cyclorama
The Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum is a civil war museum located in Atlanta, its most noted attraction being the Atlanta Cyclorama, a cylindrical panoramic painting of the American Civil War Battle of Atlanta...
building within Grant Park
Grant Park (Atlanta)
Grant Park refers to the oldest city park in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, as well as the Victorian neighborhood surrounding it.-Park:Grant Park is the fourth-largest in the city, behind Chastain Park, Freedom Park and Piedmont Park...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. The Texas is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Before the Civil War
Built at a cost to its owners of $9,050 in 1856 by Danforth, Cooke and CompanyCooke Locomotive and Machine Works
The Cooke Locomotive and Machine Works, located in Paterson, New Jersey, manufactured steam railroad locomotives from 1852 until it was merged with seven other manufacturers to form American Locomotive Company in 1901...
in Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the Texas provided freight and passenger service between Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, and Dalton, Georgia
Dalton, Georgia
Dalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
, before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
on the Western and Atlantic Railroad
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia' is a historic railroad that operated in the southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee....
(Antebellum trains were generally known by names, not numbers.)
Civil War
During early part of the Civil War, the locomotive was used primarily to haul local freight and cargo without any major incident. However, on April 12, 1862, the Texas, pulling a load of 21 cars from Dalton southbound towards Atlanta, was commandeered by William Allen FullerWilliam Allen Fuller
William Allen Fuller was a conductor on the Western & Atlantic Railroad during the American Civil War era. He was most noted for his role in the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase, a daring espionage mission and raid conducted by non-uniformed personnel of the Union Army in northern Georgia...
to chase down spies led by James J. Andrews
James J. Andrews
James J. Andrews was a Kentucky civilian who worked for the Union Army during the early years of the American Civil War. He led a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase...
during the "Great Locomotive Chase." Steaming in reverse after jettisoning the railcars, the Texas pursued the fleeing General
The General (locomotive)
The General is a type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the subject of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War. The locomotive is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-...
over 50 miles to Ringgold, Georgia
Ringgold, Georgia
Ringgold is a city in Catoosa County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Catoosa County...
, where the raiders abandoned their stolen train two miles north of that town and fled. The Texass engineer, Peter Bracken, towed the abandoned General back to Adairsville, Georgia
Adairsville, Georgia
Adairsville is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,542 at the 2000 census. As of 2007 data Adairsville's population was 3,076: 1,414 males and 1,662 females. Adairsville is south of Calhoun, northeast of Rome and north of Atlanta.-Geography:Adairsville is an...
, and then picked up his 21 cars and steamed into Atlanta, well behind schedule, but with a good reason.
The Texas and nine boxcars were loaned to the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad to haul salt and cargo from the mines at Saltville, Virginia
Saltville, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,204 people, 909 households, and 660 families residing in the town. The population density was 273.7 people per square mile . There were 1,003 housing units at an average density of 124.5 per square mile...
, from 1863 through the end of the war.
Postbellum
Moved back to Georgia following the war, the Texas again served the W&ARR during the postbellum Reconstruction era. The locomotive was renumbered and renamed as the Cincinnati in 1880. It remained in service until 1903.A campaign was successfully mounted to raise funds to preserve the old locomotive, which was deteriorating in a side yard in Atlanta. It was taken to Grant Park in 1911 and saved from the scrap pile, but was not moved indoors until 1927 when the Cyclorama building was erected, where it was stored in the basement. In 1936, Atlanta historian Wilbur G. Kurtz led efforts to restore the Texas to its wartime appearance and numbering. In 1981, it was moved upstairs to a new public viewing platform after the expansion and modernization of the Cyclorama building.