Temple Lumber Co. No. 20 moves to a new home

By Bob Lettenberger
Trains
October 23, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: US East

Temple Lumber Co. No. 20 was moved along Texas Route 224, 95 miles from Pineland to Rusk, Texas and its new home in the former Cotton Belt yard. The locomotive was acquired by the non-profit Southern Pine Locomotive Co. It will be restored and placed in a fresh exhibit venue. The Southern Pine Locomotive Co. is a new organization seeking to tell the story of logging railroads in East Texas through No. 20. The group gained title to the locomotive, a former Santa Fe depot located in Pineland… The SPLCo. directors all have steam locomotive experience, and have extensive time with the Texas State Railroad… Why did the SPLCo. focus on No. 20? It is an unusual locomotive for a Texas logging railroad, says Bass. “Most logging Mikes [Mikados] are in the 70-ton range, sitting on 44-inch drivers,” he stated. “No. 20 weighs in at 96 tons and sits on 56-inch drivers. It’s more of a mainline logging locomotive.”

Read More