Southern Railway 2-8-8-2s

[Anonymous]

Can anybody produce a picture of a 2-8-8-2 locomotive in the Crescent Limited colours? I have a Rivarossi N Scale model and want to find an illustration of the real thing, preferably on the front end of a train.

[Anonymous]

Uh...just guessing, but I doubt you'll find such a photo. Southern RR not my line, but their 2-8-8-2's were hardly passenger engines (I don't believe any road's 2-8-8-2's were). If anytime one did pinch hit for the real thing (4-8-2/4-6-2) over rough terrain, they probably weren't in SRR passenger livery of green and gold, but I could certainly be wrong. I don't know, perhaps you're new to modeling, or to rr history; but one thing I can tell you coming from an all history and no modeling standpoint is never believe that anything you've seen in a scale-model box actually existed, until you've seen it in a book. Loads of unauthentic stuff for sale out there, especially steam locos and especially in the cheaper price ranges.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that - I do appreciate that you can't always believe what you see (even in print - I am a historian in another field and a publisher). But the model I am referring to is a Rivarossi, so it isn't cheap - and it is in Crescent Limited colours, which is why I asked the question. I am new to railroad history and this is also why I asked the question. My past, but limited, understanding of the Crescent Limited linked it to 4-6-2 then later 4-8-4 power - but is that correct?
Thankyou again for your contribution to my very limited knowledge.
David.

[daveklepper]

The only green, white, and gold Southern Railway locomotives were some Pacifics, 4-6-2's. The Southern never owned Northerns, 4-8-4's, although it is likely that Norfolk and Western J's did at one time or another on special moves run over Southern Railway tracks, possibly only to pay back for Southern E-units on N&W tracks.

Can anyone provide information on Southern 2-8-8-2's? I had heard the Southern did at one time own articulated locomotives, but I thought they were an older type, possible 2-8-8-0's or 2-6-6-2's. As far as I remember, most Southern freights ran behind the typical 2-8-2's, and I am quite sure I was told the Southern never owned any locomotive with a four-wheel trailing truck!

[Anonymous]

Hi Dave,

In addition to the Pacifics the Southern had a fleet of green and gold 4-6-0's which they used on secondary line passenger service. I even saw one years ago heading the Valdosta, GA to Palatka, FL mixed train. I'm fairly certain that they also at one time had Atlantics in the green and gold colors.

I know for sure they used the 2-8-8-2's on the coal lines in eastern Tennessee and Virginia. I once saw a pair of them while riding the Southland in a small east TN town where one of their coalfield branches interchanged with the L&N. IIRC this was maybe 50 miles or so north of Knoxville. I am certain none of the 2-8-8-2's were ever painted green and gold and these low drivered brutes were not used in passenger service.

Model makers are know to take liberties sometimes from what the prototypes were actually like. As a kid I had an American Flyer 0-6-0 with a slant back tender which was painted for the Southern in green and gold. In actuality their switchers were never painted in anything but black.

Mark

[Piedsou]

Sorry, but your model is totally fictional.

The Southern never painted any of it's articulated's green nor is your model an actual copy of any of their engines.

The Southern operated articulated's in three classes:

Ls        2-6-8-0 (3)

Ls-1     2-8-8-2 (23)

Ls-2     2-8-8-2 (9)

Three of the Ls-1 class were rebuilt into Ls-2.

The Southern did however, use some of these engines as temporary passenger engines, especially on WWII troop trains.

Almost all of the Southern's passenger engines (4-8-2's, 4-6-2's, 4-6-0's) were eventually painted or delivered in the Virginia Green and Gold scheme.

 

Dale Latham