More On Battle Mtn & Lewis Loco

Thanks to my friend Garrie Tufford's indepth reading of old 1881 newspapers, it can be stated that the Battle Mountain & Lewis Railway's "John D. Hall" (Prescott, Scott & Co. c/n 23-1881) was an 0-6-0T. The Lander Free Press (July 8, 1881) states: The new six-wheel engine for the B.M.& L.R'y., will arrive here in about ten days, in the mean time good work is being done by engine No. 4, Webster engineer." Engine 4 was the Nevada Central's Baldwin (c/n 3682-1875) 4-4-0, ex-Monterey & Salinas Valley #2.

The July 29, 1881 Lander paper confirms this by stating: "The new locomotive for the Battle Mountain & Lewis Railway arrived from San Francisco Monday morning... It has six drivers and is very compact and substantually built. ...The water tank is built over and partially around the boiler, giving weight to the engine.

It might be added that the 0-6-0T proved unable to haul itself, much less a loaded car, up the grades above Lewis and was returned to the builder. While another PS&C locomotive was ordered, it was not delivered and was sold to a Guatemala road. Those of you with a copy of NEVADA CENTRAL, please correct the wheel arrangement for the John D. Hall (pgs.64 and 197).