diff --git a/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h b/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h
index 74210cfe2..a52b73b47 100644
--- a/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h
+++ b/include/cantera/transport/TransportData.h
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 #define CT_TRANSPORTDATA_H
 
 #include "cantera/base/ct_defs.h"
+#include "cantera/base/smart_ptr.h"
 
 namespace Cantera
 {
 
 class Species;
+class XML_Node;
 
 //! Base class for transport data for a single species
 class TransportData
@@ -67,6 +69,9 @@ public:
     double acentric_factor;
 };
 
+//! Create a new TransportData object from a 'transport' XML_Node.
+shared_ptr<TransportData> newTransportData(const XML_Node& transport_node);
+
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
index 6cb7c3953..237c60ff3 100644
--- a/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/ThermoFactory.cpp
@@ -624,32 +624,9 @@ bool installSpecies(size_t k, const XML_Node& s, thermo_t& th,
         sp->thermo.reset(newSpeciesThermoInterpType(s.child("thermo")));
 
         // Read gas-phase transport data, if provided
-        if (s.hasChild("transport") &&
-                s.child("transport")["model"] == "gas_transport") {
-            XML_Node& tr = s.child("transport");
-
-            string geometry, dummy;
-            getString(tr, "geometry", geometry, dummy);
-
-            double diam = getFloat(tr, "LJ_diameter");
-            double welldepth = getFloat(tr, "LJ_welldepth");
-
-            double dipole = 0.0;
-            getOptionalFloat(tr, "dipoleMoment", dipole);
-
-            double polar = 0.0;
-            getOptionalFloat(tr, "polarizability", polar);
-
-            double rot = 0.0;
-            getOptionalFloat(tr, "rotRelax", rot);
-            double acentric = 0.0;
-            getOptionalFloat(tr, "acentric_factor", acentric);
-
-            GasTransportData* gastran = new GasTransportData;
-            gastran->setCustomaryUnits(geometry, diam, welldepth,
-                                       dipole, polar, rot, acentric);
-            sp->transport.reset(gastran);
-            gastran->validate(*sp);
+        if (s.hasChild("transport")) {
+            sp->transport = newTransportData(s.child("transport"));
+            sp->transport->validate(*sp);
         }
         th.addSpecies(sp);
     }
diff --git a/src/transport/TransportData.cpp b/src/transport/TransportData.cpp
index 3d8bf4d30..7fb6a6bb5 100644
--- a/src/transport/TransportData.cpp
+++ b/src/transport/TransportData.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 #include "cantera/thermo/Species.h"
 #include "cantera/base/ctexceptions.h"
 #include "cantera/base/stringUtils.h"
+#include "cantera/base/ctml.h"
+
+using namespace ctml;
 
 namespace Cantera
 {
@@ -106,4 +109,40 @@ void GasTransportData::validate(const Species& sp)
     }
 }
 
+void setupGasTransportData(GasTransportData& tr, const XML_Node& tr_node)
+{
+    std::string geometry, dummy;
+    getString(tr_node, "geometry", geometry, dummy);
+
+    double diam = getFloat(tr_node, "LJ_diameter");
+    double welldepth = getFloat(tr_node, "LJ_welldepth");
+
+    double dipole = 0.0;
+    getOptionalFloat(tr_node, "dipoleMoment", dipole);
+
+    double polar = 0.0;
+    getOptionalFloat(tr_node, "polarizability", polar);
+
+    double rot = 0.0;
+    getOptionalFloat(tr_node, "rotRelax", rot);
+    double acentric = 0.0;
+    getOptionalFloat(tr_node, "acentric_factor", acentric);
+
+    tr.setCustomaryUnits(geometry, diam, welldepth, dipole, polar,
+                         rot, acentric);
+}
+
+shared_ptr<TransportData> newTransportData(const XML_Node& transport_node)
+{
+    std::string model = transport_node["model"];
+    if (model == "gas_transport") {
+        shared_ptr<GasTransportData> tr(new GasTransportData());
+        setupGasTransportData(*tr, transport_node);
+        return tr;
+    } else {
+        // Transport model not handled here
+        return shared_ptr<TransportData>(new TransportData());
+    }
+}
+
 }