Savannah and Atlanta 500 Class

The Savannah and Atlanta 500 Class was a class of five 2-8-2 Mikado-type steam locomotives that were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the Savannah and Atlanta Railway (S&A).

In 1919, the Savannah and Atlanta Railway (S&A) ordered five 2-8-2 "Mikado" locomotives from the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) and numbered them 500-504. Nos. 500-503 were constructed in September 1919, no. 503 in October 1923, and no. 504 being constructed in September 1925. No. 504 was delivered as a coal burner and a tender holding the same amount of water but 16 t (16,000,000 g; 16,000 kg; 35,000 lb) of coal.^[1][2]

The Savannah and Atlanta Railway continued to be independently owned until 1951, when it was bought by the Central of Georgia Railway (CofG).

After the S&A retired all five locomotives in the 1950s,^[3] Nos. 502, 503 and 504 were sold to the Elk River Coal and Lumber Railroad (ERC&L) being renumbered 15, 16 and 17. In 1963, All three locomotives were passed onto the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad (BC&G) pulling occasional coal and lumber throughout the year.^[4] After seven years of service, No. 15 was scrapped in June 1962,^[5] No. 16 was scrapped in 1974, meanwhile No. 17 continued through its revenue service.

In May 1965, No. 17 was sold to the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad (LAL) in New York where it served on excursion trains on the railroad.^[6][7] until No. 17 started developing mechanical issues, mainly problems with its firebox. After No. 17 was taken out of excursion service, the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad had purchased another locomotive, former Huntington and Broad Top Mountain 38, which had a former PRR class E7 tender. When Huntington and Broad Top Mountain 38 arrived on the LA&L, No. 17 was sold to a Rochester businessman who sold the locomotive for scrap on March 23, 1970.^[4][8]