Cotton Belt Class L-1

The Cotton Belt Class L-1 was a class of 20 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotives that were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (a.k.a. "Cotton Belt Route") at their own Pine Bluff Shops.

History
In all, a total of 20 locomotives were ever built with the first 10 locomotives being built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930 and being delivered to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (a.k.a. "Cotton Belt Route") that same year in 1930, and the other 10 locomotives being built by the Cotton Belt themselves at their own Pine Bluff Shops in 1937, 1942 and 1943.

Then, in 1953, the Cotton Belt Route began to retire each of their L-1 locomotives when they began to dieselize their lines that they had owned. All, but one locomotive were scrapped between 1955 and 1957.

Leasing with the Southern Pacific
During the Second World War, the Cotton Belt Route had made an agreement with Southern Pacific Transportation Company to lease eleven of their L-1 locomotives to operate on the lines by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company as they needed more motive power to tackle the issues throughout the Second World War.

The leased L-1 locomotives were divided into two classes of locomotives on the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, those being the Southern Pacific Class GS-7 and Southern Pacific Class GS-8.

However, neither one of the two classes of leased L-1 locomotives were preserved, and they were all sold for scrap in 1957.

Preservation
Only one locomotive of the class L-1 has survived into preservation, which was No. 819. The locomotive was retired from revenue service in 1953 and was presented to the City of Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1955 as a token of gratitude for the city’s support of the Cotton Belt’s steam locomotive operations. The ownership of the locomotive was retained by the city, and the restoration of the 819 was the responsibility of “Project 819”, an all-volunteer effort by two rail historical preservation groups: the Arkansas Railroad Club and the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. The locomotive was restored to operating condition in 1986 and operated in excursion service until October 1993. As of 2022, the locomotive is being restored again at the Arkansas Railway Museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society.