1925 Baldwin and 1935 Heisler in Hattiesburg, MS

 

1925 Baldwin 2-8-2 (#58241)

1935 Heisler 0-4-0F (#35)

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, AL

 After visiting this museum during our 2018 vacation (on a Sunday when it was closed), we took a day trip to see everything again and do the train excursion.

 Here's the video:

The Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, VA

We didn't have a lot of time to spend at this museum. We just had to hit it quick and had to get back on the road for West Virginia.

Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC

One of our biggest stops of this trip was to the Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. We took the train ride and saw so many trains.

The Museum of Transportation in Saint Louis, MO (Part 2)

 

This next set of trains from Saint Louis is from 1905-1940:

1953 Davenport 0-4-0F the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

The last train we found at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum was a fireless(!) 1953 Davenport 0-4-0F. It was obviously freshly painted and it was a beauty! 

1941 Porter 0-4-0F (#7312) in Tarrant, AL

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After stopping at Alabama Mining Museum in Dora, AL to see a 1923 ALCO 2-8-0, we moved on southward to our next stop in Tarrant, AL. As you entered the city limits there was a 1941 Porter 0-4-0F on display.

1948 Porter 0-4-0F (#8172) in Gadsden, AL

We finally left the state of Georgia and crossed the border into Alabama. When I plan these road trips I want it to be a quick stop and then move on so I try to get all the details I can on a train location, especially if it is in a generic area instead of a local park, chamber of commerce, etc. Well for this train, Google maps gave me this:

I circled what I assumed was the train. Then I went to street view...

1938 Heisler 0-4-0F at the B&O Railroad Museum

As I made my way to the back of the workshop, I noticed a little switcher stuck almost hidden in the corner. As I approached it, I saw the name on it and was like "YES! It's a Heisler!" The only other time I had seen one of these was last year on my trek through Mississippi.

1935 Heisler 0-4-0F and 1925 Baldwin 2-8-2 in Hattiesburg, MS (2017)

One of my coolest finds on this particular trip was this 1935 Heisler 0-4-0F (#34). The "F" stands for fireless. This is the first "fireless" steam train I have come across before.