Mississippi Railway & Transportation Museum

Her stay down on the Coast would turn out to be a short one, but it was a long enough season to afford a ride or two by my dad and me. #203 always struck me as a classy little performer, her bygone looks in contrast to the modern, clean ballast and track work of the industrial spur that played host to her for such a short spell. The trip out and back was never a long one, but I can remember planting myself for what seemed like hours in the doorway of the adjacent car, in order to get the best glance at her running gear in action. She ran well, with ease, especially with such fine right of way for putting on a small show. After the operation at Ansley folded, a few years later we found #203 and some assorted equipment in spur storage on a dreary day in Meridian. Other attempts were made to keep her in running in the Magnolia State, but eventually she moved on to bigger and better appointments. Still, she was a classy performer, even if but for a summer or so.