#9

#9. "Charles H." - Lake Street Elevated. The Rhode Island Locomotive Works built this 0-4-4T Forney-type locomotive (named for its designer, Matthias N. Forney) for use on a Chicago elevated line. The "T" indicates it is a tank locomotive, without a separate tender. Hundreds of Forney locomotives powered elevated trains in New York, Brooklyn, and Chicago from 1878-1903. It could run equally well forward or backward, which was important as there was no way to turn it around, hauling trains up to four cars long. It is 24' long, has 44" driving wheels, 180 pounds boiler pressure, and weighed 60,000 pounds in working order. Its tank held 700 gallons of water and it carried one ton of hard (anthracite) coal, which was used because it made less smoke. It is named for Charles H. Deere, son of John Deere, second president of Deere and Company, and a director of the lake street line. Replaced by electric power in 1896, it went to upper Michigan lumber and chemical companies. On the Sucker River Ry, a lumber line near Newberry, Mi, it was named "Big Alice." in 1944, it went to a Texas iron and chemical firm, and in 1955 to Mexico. Donated in 1957 by the Mexican firm La Condolidada, S.A., it was cosmetically restored as close to possible to its original appearance in 1995-1996.