Motive Power

ooke received a large order for locomotives from a Cuban source, but that the whole deal fell through after only 3 were completed. This trio languished in the yard until Alco could sell them, one by one, to stateside operators. There were slight differences among the three and each, of course, had a different history.

This engine was delivered as an oil-burner. Bret Summersill's November 2011 email to Locobase helped us see that the 50's OCLC history covered almost 2 decades and had a possibly unique feature. When Bret's great grandfather reported to Palatka, Fla in 1922 to pick the Cooke-built engine, he found that the Paterson, NJ builder had lettered E T Summersill in gold under the cab windows and fastened a plaque in the cab as well.

Summersill operated the engine throughout the 20s and probably until the end of operations. The line closed once the yellow-pine woods near Lake Geneva were harvested and the OCLC moved its operations to Port Everglades in 1942. Having no further need for the 50, the OCLC presented the factory-installed plaque with his name to Summersill; it is believed to have been the only such plaque fitted by a locomotive builder to its engine at the factory

The OCLC sold the 50 to the Virginia-Carolina Railway's Florida operation in Nichols, where they put a slope-back tender on it to improve visibility during switching turns. Retired in 1958, the #50 was donated to the City of Bradenton, Fla in 1961 and was placed in Adair Park.

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