Most of you know that the real Baldwin builders number is not the number on the builders plate, but its class number, which is a serial number of its construction within a given class of Baldwin locomotive, based on wheel arrangement and cylinder size. When a locomotive was ordered, and the plans and specifications drawn up, the works began assembling parts and stamping them with the class number for the new engine that was going to be built, and then moving them into a storage area, or to the erecting floor as necessary. Usually, those numbers are an almost foolproof identification of which locomotive the parts were used for. In our cosmetic restoration of Engine 106, at Long Leaf, Mike (our CMO) is indeed finding 10-32-D #1303 stamped everywhere, especially on parts which are basically identical to parts used on many different Baldwin locomotives.

Recently, we decided to examine the three bells that were removed from the three locomotives still at Long Leaf. These bells are on display in the museum commissary and we were curious as to which bell came off of which locomotive. Baldwin always stamped the class number on the collar of the bell and screwed the finial or top nut down over this number, preserving it for all time.

So, we removed the top nuts on all of our bells, and not surprisingly, we found that two of them matched the locomotives that we have. One did not.

I am posting a photo of the top of the bell that did not match. Those of you who have the ability to check out the numbers might find it quite surprising and I will let you post what engine that you think that it was made for, and maybe we can agree on how it might have found its way to an entirely different part of the world from where it was originally destined.