It was a cold December day when the rusty little steam engine Maud L., was unloaded from the lowboy trailer that had brought her to Cedar Point from Louisiana. Only two people besides the unloading crew were there to greet her: Mr. and Mrs. Roose. Few people still loved this 60-year-old symbol of a wealthy plantation owner’s love.
On May 13, 1902, the Baldwin Locomotive Works received an order for a class 8-11 1/3 C model from Barker and Lepine’s Laurel Valley Plantation in Thibodaux, LA. The little engine was to have an 0-4-4-wheel arrangement, 30’’ drivers, and 9x14’’ cylinders. She was one, if not the first, oil-burning locomotives built by Baldwin. By September, Maud L. was completed and shipped to Louisiana. Maud’s final build cost was $3,500 plus shipping. Mr. Lepine, owner of the Laurel Valley, must have received the engine with mixed emotions. Certainly, she was beautiful with her 1875 lines, maroon drivers, mahogany cab, and silver leaf trim. The locomotive received the name Maud L., which was named after J. Wilson and Heloise Bernard Lepine's 2-year-old daughter Maud. |
Right after her arrival, Maud L. sits patiently waiting to come back to life.
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Plantations at the turn of the century often utilized private railways to transfer the sugar cane from field to mills. No other means could be found to keep the sugar factories, which were increasing grinding capacity, supplied. Most of the private railways used the most common narrow gauge-three foot. As the work on these private roads was not as hard as on regular narrow-gauge lines, the engines could be built smaller and lighter. The little engines were often very beautiful and attractive. Each seemed to have her own personality. It was only fitting that most of them were given female names.
A drawing of what Maud L. probably looked liked after being completed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Drawing by Preston Nirattisai.
Maud L. was already an old girl when she was built. She had been constructed from 1875 blueprints. There was no need to change the simple design which was very well suited for plantation work.
Immediately upon her arrival, Maud was put to work on the 6,000-acre Laurel Valley Plantation. The plantation had an approximate 15-mile rail line, which extended deep into their sugar cane fields. For 20 years her job was to head up trains pulling their various 250 five-ton cars filled with sugar cane, alongside her 1897 Porter running mate Melodia B.
Then in the early 1920’s, the sugar cane growers were stricken by the cane borer. Coupled with the financial crash, this put many of the plantations in great distress. At the Laurel Valley, the hardship forced the closing of the old small grinding mill. Now the purpose of the railroad was to transport the cane 2 miles from the mill derrick to the main highway on Bayou Lafourche, where it would be picked up by trucks for transport to a larger mill. Only one locomotive (Melodia) was required for this process, and in 1926 Maud L. which was smaller of the two locomotives was retired.
She sat in the Engine House as Melodia B. continued to puff and chug across the vast fields. But Melodia’s days of service were numbered when in 1946, new gravel roads made the continued operation of the little road unfeasible. She joined rusting Maud L. in the old Engine House. In November 1961, Arthur LaSalle sold Maud L. and Melodia to George Roose and his partner Albert Augustus. Melodia however was stored, and later sold passing through many owners. She was restored by Crown Metal Works in 1963-1964 and was used at Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina.
Immediately upon her arrival, Maud was put to work on the 6,000-acre Laurel Valley Plantation. The plantation had an approximate 15-mile rail line, which extended deep into their sugar cane fields. For 20 years her job was to head up trains pulling their various 250 five-ton cars filled with sugar cane, alongside her 1897 Porter running mate Melodia B.
Then in the early 1920’s, the sugar cane growers were stricken by the cane borer. Coupled with the financial crash, this put many of the plantations in great distress. At the Laurel Valley, the hardship forced the closing of the old small grinding mill. Now the purpose of the railroad was to transport the cane 2 miles from the mill derrick to the main highway on Bayou Lafourche, where it would be picked up by trucks for transport to a larger mill. Only one locomotive (Melodia) was required for this process, and in 1926 Maud L. which was smaller of the two locomotives was retired.
She sat in the Engine House as Melodia B. continued to puff and chug across the vast fields. But Melodia’s days of service were numbered when in 1946, new gravel roads made the continued operation of the little road unfeasible. She joined rusting Maud L. in the old Engine House. In November 1961, Arthur LaSalle sold Maud L. and Melodia to George Roose and his partner Albert Augustus. Melodia however was stored, and later sold passing through many owners. She was restored by Crown Metal Works in 1963-1964 and was used at Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina.
Maud L. arrived at Cedar Point in December 1961 with LaSalle and Clyde Barbour, who were to direct the restoration. She was to be dressed up in fine fashion. First, she was completely disassembled. Every nut and bolt came off. Then her boiler was sent to Toledo to be copied. Her wheels were turned down at the B&O Shops in Willard, OH. Gundlach Sheet Metal began working on a copy of Albert’s headlight for her. A wooden cowcatcher was constructed, and Maud’s original wooden cab was slightly re-worked. Nearly $1,000 worth of brass and $400 worth of gold leaf were used to trim the Southern beauty, enhancing her antique lines.
Mr. Barbour, an excellent artist, painted a scene from the Battle of Lake Erie on one side of her sand dome, and a stately riverboat on the other. He also did the original paintings on the headlight. New oil burners were installed to eliminate the possibility of showering passengers with soot. To enable her to handle the curved route of the CP&LE, a pony truck was added making her into a 2-4-4T. Maud L. was fitted with a 3" Buckeye Brass Works three chime whistle. Maud L. getting closer to completion. Bob Lorenz Photo, used with permission.
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Maud L. inside Lakecraft Welding Shops.
By the time the 12-ton engine was again ready to make steam, $35,000 had been invested in her; five times her original cost. In the spring of 1963, Maud L., decked out in green and red paint, brass and gold trim, arrived at Cedar Point to become CP&LE R.R. #1.
After some small problems with her pony truck were overcome, Maud began to regularly head up 2-5 coach trains. She quickly became everyone’s favorite. Her high-pitch melodic whistle could be heard echoing throughout the peninsula, and Sandusky Bay. Getting little Miss Maud to look like a Southern Lady again had been one problem but getting her to pull those long trains had been quite another. Initially the work was begun by Mr. LaSalle in the Cedar Point maintenance shops. When it was seen that Maud required more work than could be done there, she was taken back to Sam Conte’s Lakecraft Welding shops. While Arthur and Mr. Barbour concentrated on artwork and historical accuracy, Sam worked on her mechanical problems. He replaced many unusable parts such as Maud’s rusted water tank. Finally, with everyone’s work completed yet again, Maud L. was trucked back across the bay to Cedar Point. |
Maud L. sitting outside at Lakecraft, No. 22's bare boiler and frame is behind her.
Despite the orneriness she showed on the opening day of the Railroad, little Maud L. was soon chugging along the bay. In August 1963 when No. 22 arrived from Lakecraft, Maud L. was one of the Railroad’s workhorses. Afterwards and for the next five summers she only put in an intermittent appearance.
Difficulties were soon encountered in getting her oil burners to generate enough steam. The fact that she would normally have to be fueled up midway through an operating day, and everyone’s desire to preserve Maud L. as the little line’s showpiece, kept Maud L. inside the Engine House most of the time. During the winter of 1968-1969, Maud’s oil burners were replaced with grates to burn Ohio coal.
Difficulties were soon encountered in getting her oil burners to generate enough steam. The fact that she would normally have to be fueled up midway through an operating day, and everyone’s desire to preserve Maud L. as the little line’s showpiece, kept Maud L. inside the Engine House most of the time. During the winter of 1968-1969, Maud’s oil burners were replaced with grates to burn Ohio coal.