Earliest know photo of the Iron Railroad showing the "Essex" a 4-2-0 built in 1837 and was purchased second hand from the Morris & Essex Railroad and delivered to Ironton by Ohio River barge.

D T & I engine # 87 a 4-6-0 built by Baldwin January 1904. Crew posing at Summit station from left to right: Rube Miller, John Irwin, Leck Foster, Orville Tope, R. Martin and John Finley.

D T & I Engine # 94 a class 2-8-0 at Leipsic Depot. Showing the train crew, agent and telegraphy operator. 2nd from right is Erv Addy and 4th from right is a Murphy. This engine was later in the Henry Ford Museum.

This 107 was built by Brooks August 1905.

D T & I engine # 301

The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad bought six "Berkshire" type locomotives from the Lima Locomotive Works in two orders; four ordered on September 12, 1935 (road numbers 700 through 703)   and two ordered in 1939 (road numbers 704 and 705). The first four weighed 411,500 pounds each and the later pair weighed 416,000 pounds each. All six  had 63" diameter drivers, 25" x 30" cylinders, a 260 psi boiler pressure which resulted in a tractive effort of 65,780 pounds. Included in the specifications were super heaters, and all weather cabs. This order was a blessing for  the Lima Locomotive Works since it was almost shut down by the depression. The locomotives were constructed in about 90 days. Included in the order was twelve wheel tenders with a capacity of 22 tons of coal and 22,000 gallons of water. These were the first new locomotives in over ten years. The vast majority of mainline motive power on there roster in 135 were hand fired 2-8-0 ranging in age from 20 to 30 years.

The development of the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement for steam locomotives was a result of an effort by the Lima Locomotive Works to improve on the speed and horse power of the USRA Mikado (2-8-2) locomotive, which was designed by the United States Railroad Administration during World War I. The USRA design had difficulty keeping up steam over long periods and often experienced wheel slippage.

Lima Locomotive Works' engineer William E. Woodward started with a New York Central Class H-7 "Mikado" type locomotive and added a larger firebox, creating an experimental Class H-10 "Mikado". He then went one step further and designed a locomotive with a 100 square foot firebox. This larger firebox required a four-wheel trailing truck to support it. The resulting locomotive was designated Class A-1, and it was the first 2-8-4.

The 700's became preferred locomotives on the south end of the line over Summit to Glen Jean, Greggs, and Jackson. because of their superior performance in handling coal and ore drags but could not be used south of Jackson because of the tunnel clearances at Royersville.

The #704 & 705 ordered September 21, 1939 differed in that they operated at 260 pounds per square inch of steam and delivered 65,800 pounds of tractive effort.  The combustion chambers differed slightly because the railroad replaced the arch tubes with firebox circulators on this order.

Engines numbern700-705 were scrapped between 1953-1956

The 700's were too much for the needs and conditions of the railroad.  The four-wheel Commonwealth trailer truck proved troublesome in yard switching duty with its high axle loadings, and the large twelve wheel tender was a problem on light rails of passing sidings and yard trackage.  Compounding the problem was poor tie conditions along the railroad.  

The railroad reverted to a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement with the 800's but retained many of the higher efficiency of the 700's. The 800's were the largest 2-8-2 ever set on American rails. The first order was placed June 7, 1940 for four locomaotives numbered 800-804.and delivered November and December 1940.  The tenders held 14 tons of coal and 18,000 gallons of water.

A second order was placed in January 1941 for engines # 404-807 with 8 wheel tenders and delivered in July 1941.  A final order for engines # 808-811 was placed in during April 1942 but war time production allocations held up construction so were not delivered until May and June of 1943 with larger 22 ton,22,000 gallon tenders.  These were the last steam locomotives as there were already two diesel-electric locomotives on the roster prior to this final order with Lima.

The all weather cabs were a joy to work in during the winter but summer was dreaded.  Crewmen would open all the doors and windows and even wore an extra coveralls to protect the from the intense heat in the cabs.

 D T & I # 804 built at the Lima Locomotive Works, Inc. at Lima, OH and shown in an ad in the 1940s.  The engine is a class 2-8-2-S-370.  The tender type is 8 wheels and hold 18 tons of fuel.

Locations and information about some of the old D T & I steam engines

1902 Michigan Central Atlantic 4-4-2 No. 45 – The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) built this steam locomotive as a steamer for fast passenger steamer between Detroit and Chicago. Henry Ford bought this Atlantic type form the Michigan Central for $50,000. Later it was refitted with gold brass and wood trim at the Ford Motor Company’s Rouge Locomotive Shop in Dearborn, Michigan. This locomotive has been relocated from the Henry Ford Museum to the DT&M Roundhouse as part of the guided tour, so that visitors could look go into the work pit to see underside of an locomotive.

1897 Detroit & Lima Northern Baldwin 4-4-0 No. 7 - This Baldwin locomotive was originally operated in passenger service by the Detroit & Lima Northern Railway that was bought later by the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad. This was also Henry Ford’s favorite locomotive and was used when he needed to go someplace by rail. .

Engine #16 a 4-4-0 was built Dec. 1915 by Baldwin Locomotive Works. Once the engine was sent to the Ford Museum in 1928 it was used as Henry Fords personal engine where Walt Disney would drive it with him. It had an empty weight of 128,000 lb.  Currently it is located at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Here is a link to information about the 4-4-0 design: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mPw1oxx0nswJ:ctr.trains.com/Railroad%2520Reference/Steam%2520Locomotives/2006/06/Steam%2520locomotive%2520profile%25204-4-0%2520American.aspx+Steam+engine+4-4-0&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us