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Southern Railway Steam Locomotives

The classifications given by railroads to their steam locomotive fleets were as varied as the machines themselves with several different designations within a particular class! The Southern Railway steam locomotives were likewise characterized by a wide range of classes ranging from A to Ts. In any event, the information here is most certainly not a complete, all-time listing of Southern's steam fleet and also is merely meant to list the general types of steam locomotives operated by the railroad.

The Southern Railway, forever remembered by its famous slogan, “The Southern Serves the South – Look Ahead, Look South,” was created from a number of smaller railroads, which merged over the years to form the Southern Railway. Perhaps the railroad’s famous green paint scheme was fitting for the railroad as it became the most respected and arguably the best managed railroad of its day before it disappeared into a merger with the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) in 1982 to form today’s Norfolk Southern.

Being that the Southern operated throughout much of the Southeast it rostered a wide range of steam types from small switchers to its Ls class of articulateds (2-8-8-2s and the unique 2-6-8-0). Today, numerous Southern steamers around the country (all east of Illinois). For more information about these preserved locomotives please click here.

Class A

The Southern's Class A included its fleet of 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 switchers.

Class B

The Southern's Class B included its fleet of 4-4-0 Americans.

Class C

The Southern's Class C included its small roster of 4-4-2 Atlantics.

Class E

The Southern's Class E included its fleet of 4-6-0 Ten-Wheelers.

Class F

The Southern's Class F included more of its fleet of 4-6-0 Ten-Wheelers.

Class H

The Southern's Class H included its fleet of 2-8-0 Consolidations.

Class I

The Southern's Class I included more of its fleet of 2-8-0 Consolidations.

Class J

The Southern's Class J included more of its fleet of 2-8-0 Consolidations.

Class K

The Southern's Class K included more of its fleet of 2-8-0 Consolidations.

Class Ls

The Southern's Class Ls was its fleet of articulated steam, most of which were 2-8-8-2s and the original Class Ls, the rare 2-6-8-0.

Class Ms

The Southern's Class Ms included its fleet of 2-8-2 Mikados.

Class P

The Southern's Class P included its fleet of 4-6-2 Pacifics.

Class Ss

The Southern's Class Ss included its fleet of 2-10-2 Santa Fes.

Class Ts

The Southern's Class Ts included its fleet of 4-8-2 Mountains.

For complete roster information regarding Southern Railway steam locomotives please click here.

If you're interested in learning more about Southern's steam locomotives you might want to consider purchasing one or both of these books by author Curt Tillotson. Southern Railway Steam Trains V1 - Passenger focuses on the railroad's passenger fleet while Southern Railway Steam Trains Volume 2 - Freight covers main line freight locomotives.

One other book to consider is Perfecting the American Steam Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the name implies the book details the earliest history of steam engine technology, even before it was used in railroad applications. His book later explores the development of steam locomotive technology in the United States from the 19th through the 20th centuries, covering not only the most popular steam locomotive designs but also the most successful manufactures to build them. The book has received excellent reviews and is a great resource on steam locomotives and a fine reference tool; you should find it very useful. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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