Reading T1 no. 2100 was outshopped by the Reading Railroad on September 11^th of 1945 from firebox, steam dome boiler course, and some appliances used from 2-8-0 no. 2045 due to wartime restrictions regarding new locomotive purchases, and operated in revenue freight service through the mid-1950’s.

     In 1960, the 2100 was placed back in service by the Reading to head the passenger excursion trips, known as the Reading Rambles, through 1964. In 1967, 2100 was sold for scrap to the Striegel Supply & Equipment Corporation of Baltimore, Maryland, where it spent almost a decade.

     When Ross Rowland needed steam power for the eastern operation of the American Freedom Train, the 2100 was purchased, along with sister 2101, and used as a source for spare parts to keep the 2101 running for the American Freedom Train during 1975 and 1976, and the Chessie Steam Special in 1977 and 1978.

     After 2101 was damaged in 1979 by a fire at the roundhouse it was stored in, the tender was swapped for the 2100’s as it was in better shape for the 2101’s cosmetic restoration, as the 2101’s tender coal bunker sides had buckled from the intense heat of the remaining coal that began burning in the tender.

     The 2100 remained stored, along with the 2101’s burned tender, at the former Western Maryland roundhouse in Hagerstown, Maryland until 1987, when it was purchased by the owner of Lionel Trains, Richard Kughn, and restored back to operation with Ross Rowland and Bill Benson under the “2100 Corporation”. When operation plans with a host railroad fell through, the 2100 was donated to the Portage Ohio Regional Transportation Authority (PORTA) which planned to operate it on its lines. When these plans did not work out, PORTA moved the 2100 to the Ohio Central Railroad and placed it up for sale.

     The 2100 was sold at auction in 1998 to Tom Payne, and relocated to the former New York Central Railroad shops in St. Thomas, ON, Canada, where it was converted to burn oil. The plan was to use the locomotive to pull excursions in the Rocky Mountains, which did not materialize. In 2007, Tom Payne moved the 2100 was to Tacoma, Washington where it operated pulling excursion trains on the Golden Pacific Railroad until 2008.

     In 2014, the 2100 was leased to the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association, and in 2015 moved to the former B&O roundhouse in Cleveland, Ohio where it is presently being restored to operating condition, and has been converted back to burn coal.