Texas was built in 1856 by Danforth, Cooke & Co. for the Western & Atlantic Railroad.
Like General, it was a 4-4-0 “American” type locomotive used in ordinary service on the Atlanta–Chattanooga corridor.
During the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862, Confederate pursuers commandeered Texas after earlier stages of the chase had used foot travel, handcars, and other locomotives.
Because there was no time to turn the engine, Texas pursued the stolen General while running in reverse and pushing its tender ahead.
The pursuit reduced the raiders’ opportunity to stop and destroy track or telegraph because the chasers were closing rapidly.
Texas continued in service long after the Civil War and underwent extensive rebuilding as boilers, wheels, cab components, and other parts wore out or technology changed.
Atlanta History Center emphasizes that the preserved locomotive is not materially identical to its 1856 condition; only a limited number of components remain from the original build.
Its modern restoration represents approximately the 1886 configuration rather than attempting to construct a speculative new 1856 appearance.
That preservation choice is historically important. Restoring an artifact to a poorly documented original state can destroy authentic later material in the process.
For TransitSatellite, Texas should be shown in dated configurations and the 1862 chase should not use the current restored appearance without a label explaining the difference.