An economic downturn and a 1935 hurricane that destroyed the Florida East Coast's "Flagler Extension" over the Florida Keys caused the railroad's traffic to drop to such an extent that many of the line's locomotives became redundant and were sold to other railroads, including half its fleet of 4-8-2s. One of the buyers was the Cotton Belt, which acquired four engines and assigned them to class L-0. 1924 products of the American Locomotive Company, these FEC Mountains of the 401 class had 73-inch drivers, 26x28-inch cylinders, and 200 p.s.i. of boiler pressure. They exerted 44,079 pounds of tractive force and weighed 327,000 pounds. For other dimensions consult the commentary for Western Pacific 4-8-2 No. 172, another member of the FEC's 401 class that was sold to other roads. The Cotton Belt's No. 677, the former FEC 411, appears here at East St. Louis, Illinois in a March 5, 1937 photo by William S. Kuba. The Cotton Belt's ex-FEC engines were retired in 1953.