I have two accounts for the same "Pole Railroad" locomotive. Can anybody resolve this dilemma?

The locomotive was built in 1885 by the Adams and Price Locomotive and Machine Works in Nashville, Tenn. It was named Perdido. Each wheel revolved independently on a fixed axel. Power was transmitted from a central transverse drive shaft by chain to each wheel of the little 0-4-0T-type engine.

Version one says: "The Perdido went to Alabama to work for the Wallace, Sanford & Company pole road. It pulled trains of seven cars, each with five logs. The little trains twisted and squirmed through the forest to a big mill at WilsonÂ’s Station."

The second version says: "This particular engine is believed by some to have been built between 1884 - 87 for a 6 mile, 5 foot gauge 'pole' road located in Wilson, (Escambia County) Alabama. The railroad was known locally as the "Perdido Pole Road" and thought to be owned and operated by the McCoy & Brooks Lumber Company. This engine is not believed to have belonged to the Perdido Lumber Company of Baldwin County, Alabama, as they were not known to have operated a 'pole' railroad."
The second version was Per http://www.trainweb.org/gearedsteam/oth ... er_abc.htm


hankmorris@earthlink.net

> I have two accounts for the same "Pole
> Railroad" locomotive. Can anybody
> resolve this dilemma?

> The locomotive was built in 1885 by the
> Adams and Price Locomotive and Machine Works
> in Nashville, Tenn. It was named Perdido.
> Each wheel revolved independently on a fixed
> axel. Power was transmitted from a central
> transverse drive shaft by chain to each
> wheel of the little 0-4-0T-type engine.

> Version one says: "The Perdido went to
> Alabama to work for the Wallace, Sanford
> & Company pole road. It pulled trains of
> seven cars, each with five logs. The little
> trains twisted and squirmed through the
> forest to a big mill at WilsonÂ’s
> Station."

> The second version says: "This
> particular engine is believed by some to
> have been built between 1884 - 87 for a 6
> mile, 5 foot gauge 'pole' road located in
> Wilson, (Escambia County) Alabama. The
> railroad was known locally as the
> "Perdido Pole Road" and thought to
> be owned and operated by the McCoy &
> Brooks Lumber Company. This engine is not
> believed to have belonged to the Perdido
> Lumber Company of Baldwin County, Alabama,
> as they were not known to have operated a
> 'pole' railroad."
> The second version was Per
> http://www.trainweb.org/gearedsteam/oth ... er_abc.htm

My suggestion would be to contact Thomas Lawson, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama. If anyone should know about Alabama railroads (especially logging railroads) it would be Tom.

midlandblb@cs.com

Tom Lawson was contacted by me.
His response is that the answer lies in his book.
The NRHS National Library in Philadelphia doesn't have a copy and I don't want to spend $60 for Tom's book.
So, the question remains unanswered and I won't publish the article until it is.
The beat goes on....
Hank

hankmorris@earthlink.net