A brush with history

WINDER – For decades, an aging relic has stood as the icon of this city’s railroad past.

Now, thanks to donations from some area businesses, the 76-year-old Gainesville Midland steam engine No. 208 has a new coat of paint.

“It’s a source of civic pride,” said Alex Hill of Hill’s Ace Hardware & Lumber Center in Winder, which donated the paint for the restoration project. “It’s a part of our past here that ought to be remembered.”

Workers are repainting the steam engine, which now sits on display off Porter Street in downtown Winder.

Gainesville Midland No. 208 was built by Pennsylvania-based Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930. The locomotive – known as a decapod because of its 10 drive wheels – first served on the Seaboard Air Line as engine No. 530.

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About Todd DeFeo 435 Articles
Todd DeFeo loves to travel anywhere, anytime, taking pictures and notes. An award-winning reporter, Todd revels in the experience and the fact that every place has a story to tell. He is owner of The DeFeo Groupe and also edits Express Telegraph and The Travel Trolley.