106 was built in 1920 by the American Locomotive Company at their Cooke Locomotive Works facility in Paterson, New Jersey. It was purchased in 1928 by the Sturm & Dillard Company in Circleville, Ohio where it worked at their quarry switching cars.
After the Sturm & Dillard Company closed, it was donated to the local historical society who displayed it at the Circleville Fairgrounds for nearly half a century. In 2018, the fairgrounds were looking to remodel and 106 wasn’t part of the plan.
An ad was put on the internet and the viral post read “Free tank engine to a good home.” Several organizations put in bids for the engine and the Allentown & Auburn Railroad was selected.
In spring 2018, Sturm & Dillard 106 was loaded onto a truck and was delivered in Kutztown. Over the course of the next year and a half, it was disassembled to assess how much work it really needed.
Today, it sits disassembled as we work to restore the locomotive to operable condition. It’s a slow process as time and funding allow.
ALLN 106 and the group that helped save it (Brandon Bartolotta, 2018)