Mississippi Railway
& Transportation Museum
The Mississippi Railway & Transportation Museum, Inc. got into the steam excursion business on June 16, 1984, with the dedication at Port Bienville, Miss., of a ex-Rockton & Rion 2-8-0 No. 203 (Baldwin, 1925). They plan weekend operations between Port Bienville Industrial Park and the Seaboard (L&N) connection at Port Bienville, just west of Bay St. Louis on the Gulf Coast. The locomotive was christened with a bottle of water by Hancock County Port & Harbor Director Jimmy DeBlanc. The 2-8-0 proved to be an excellent performer, and the cars are authentically painted.
Railnews / Louis Saillard / Nov 1984
he Mississippi Railway & Transportation Museum was a short-lived museum based on the operation of Baldwin 2-8-0 #203, a steamer with a long southeastern pedigree but, due to extended storage during certain periods, had not seen many miles relative to her age. The MRTM operated for a short period in the mid 1980s in the Hancock County industrial park in southern Mississippi, utilizing a connection to the Seaboard System mainline to move equipment. The operation there proved unsuccessful, and the museum briefly relocated to Columbia, Mississippi, to operate excursions on the Columbia & Silver Creek shortline. When that operation ended, #203 was stored in Meridian for a time and then sold to another tourist operation. It currently survives in service at the Three Rivers Rambler operation in Knoxville, Tennessee.
from Jackson Clarion-Ledger newspaper / collection
from Jackson Clarion-Ledger newspaper / collection
from Rerail newsletter / Jan 1984 / collection
Baldwin #203
UNCOMMON or UNUSUAL locomotive
Mississippi Railway #203
Meridian, Ms / Mar 1988 / collection
Mississippi Railway #203
to Rockton & Rion quarry, 1932
to Winsboro Granite Corporation, 1966
to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive, 1977
to Mississippi Rwy & Trans Museum, 1983
to Waccamaw Coast Line, 1990
to Gulf & Ohio Railways, 1995
to Three Rivers Rambler #203 "Lindy"
Port Bienville, Ms / Sep 1985 / JCH
Port Bienville, Ms / Sep 1985 / JCH
Port Bienville, Ms / Sep 1985 / JCH
Port Bienville, Ms / Sep 1985 / JCH
Port Bienville, Ms / Sep 1985 / JCH
Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / JCH
Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / JCH
Lindy, also known as number 203, is a 2-8-0 consolidation type locomotive, built in 1925 by Baldwin Locomotive Co. of Philadelphia. The locomotive was purchased by a Georgia shortline, the Washington & Lincolnton Railroad, which went out of business in 1933. 203 was then sold to another shortline, the Rockton & Rion, which served a quarry operation in South Carolina. The little engine proved not to be powerful enough for the strenuous labor and she was placed in storage at Rockton -- for the next 44 years.
In 1977, 203 was taken out of storage and put to work in the tour trade in Florida and Mississippi; during these years 203 saw limited duty and it wasn't long before she was returned again to storage.Due to her years of idleness, 203 has probably traveled fewer miles than any operating steam engine in America.
In 1995, 203 again became a shortline railroad engine when Gulf & Ohio Railways purchased the locomotive and began the task of rebuilding her for the Three Rivers Rambler. The restoration of this locomotive (including the conversion from coal to oil) is due to the valiant efforts of employees and thousands of volunteer work hours.
Port Bienville, Ms / 1984 / Louis Saillard
from Railroading magazine #52 - Jan 1975 / collection
Columbia, Ms / Louis Saillard
Her stay down on the Gulf 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 Port Bienville 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.
Washington & Lincolnton #203
Marbledale, Tn / Dec 2009 / John Higginson 
Alco #7
Mississippi Railway #7
Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / JCH
Mississippi Railway #7
to U. S. Steel - Fairfield Works # 7
to Mobile River Terminal #7
to Mississippi Trans Museum #7
to Southeastern Railway Services
Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / JCH
Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / JCH
Columbia, Ms / 1989 / Louis Saillard
Columbia, Ms / Oct 1989 / Michael Palmieri
Rolling Stock
Port Bienville, Ms / Sep 1985 / JCH
Mississippi Rwy & Trans Museum #100 & 101
crane and tender / Meridian, Ms / Jan 1989 / JCH
Links / Sources
- Three Rivers Rambler — current owner of Baldwin #203