Alabama By-Products Corporation
labama By-Products Corporation (also called ABC Coke) in Tarrant City, Alabama, north of downtown Birmingham, is the United States' largest producer of foundry coke. The company was founded in 1920 as the North Birmingham By Products Coke Oven Plant by the Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Company. Since 1985, it has been a division of the Drummond Company. Until 1956, the operation was served by a pair of Word War II-era six-coupled switchers, one of which survives today at the Heart of Dixie Museum in Alabama. Foundry operations have always been supported by rail service.
Alabama By-Products #4046
Birmingham, Al / Aug 1970 / JCH
Alabama By-Products #4046
(1 of 37 built for Transportation Corps)
to Mississippi Valley Equipment Co.
to Alabama By-Products #4046, 1947
leased to Alabama Power Co.
to Heart of Dixie Rwy Museum, 1969
stored out of service
this locomotive also posted in Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum Steam
Birmingham, Al / Aug 1970 / JCH
Birmingham, Al / Aug 1970 / JCH
from Classic Trains magazine - Thomas Lawson Jr. - spring 2006 / collection
I was pleased to receive some correspondance from a Mr. Ralph Gibson, who found our Alabama By-Products page and wrote to share some more information about their sole surviving steamer, and more:
The picture seems to be the same locomotive. We know it as 4046, an 80 ton engine, fourth of 37 identical locomotives built for the US Army. It was purchased by Alabama By-Products and Coke Company of Tarrant, Alabama and was donated to the museum on 8-18-69. I have tried to attach a file of a picture of a sign giving info on the engine. A couple of other notes related to other pictures on your site, #97 is in French Lick, Indiana at the museum there. Alger-Sullivan #100 is still in Century, Florida and has been disassembled to be cosmetically restored. The person doing the restoration is slow about completing projects so I don't know a timeline to complete the work.
An odd un-railroad-related note is that my doctor from birth until he retired was Dr. William Hawkins.
Calera, Al / Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
Calera, Al / Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
Built by Lima Locomotive Works, construction number 8380, in 1944 for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps. It was the fourth of thirty-seven identical locomotives using road numbers 4043-4071 built between January and February. This engine was assigned the road number #4046. The lot of thirty-seven were assigned to Army depots all over the U.S.
As built #4046 came 50” drive wheels arranged in a 0-6-0 configuration. The locomotive’s 190-psi boiler and empty weight of 152,000lbs, helped provide a tractive effort of 40,000 lbs.
The Mississippi Valley Equipment Company (MVE) in St. Louis Missouri acquired #4046. In May 1947, MVE then sold #4046 to the Alabama By-Products and Coke Company in Tarrant, Alabama. It was used in regular service until August of 1956. In 1956 #4046 was assigned to backup the company’s new SW900 diesel switcher. It continued in this role until 1962.
Alabama Power Company leased #4046 from January to June 1965 during the construction of the Greene County Electric Generating Plant. The locomotive supplied steam during the initial start up. Eventually the plant became capable of generating their own steam via their newly constructed, coal fired, boilers. At the end of the lease, #4046 was returned to Alabama By-Products and Coke Company.
Alabama By-Products elected, in September of 1969 to donate #4046 to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Club (forerunner of today’s Museum). The locomotive is now on static display in the Clark Yard.
Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
Nov 2019 / RWH
See also our complete Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum scrapbook in Preservation
Links / Sources
- Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum website
- Birmingham Wiki entry for Alabama By-Products