It won't be long before a railroad park is opened in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. The 2 acre facility will cost a total of $21 million. It includes a restored diner that will serve up salads and cold sandwiches for lunch. As of September 1, crews are finishing landscaping. When I visited the park to check on progress, there were lots of bushes that had already been planted as well as several pallets of grass waiting to be laid. I look forward to spending many hours watching trains here.
Interesting.
A couple of things possibly related,maybe not?
Is this part any farther along since your posting in September?
Is the park area anywhere near the preserved SLoss Furnace area?
Some years back out on US 78 (old US78 roadside somewhere East of Jasper, there was a collection of older Pulman Cars and an E-8 Diesel painted for Pennsylvania RR. I think is was to be a motel and wedding chapel(?) Is this still in existance and if not, do you know what became of the equipment?
Yes. I have been there several times since its opening. It is very nice. The only problem is that there is a siding in between the park and the mainline and it usually has a buch of boxcars on it, so you have to watch on the far end to see stuff.
To simply answer your second question, no. You could stand on the grounds. They have a Frisco 2-8-0 (originally in Fairfield Park, now undergoing esthetic restoration) that you could stand by. Also, there is a crossing right next to some diamonds that you could stand by.
Wasn't it a Frisco 2-8-2? I believe was transported to Sloss Furnace to be displayed there. They key thing about the new Railroad park is to not be caught out there after dark, so I wouldnt encourage a night photo session out there.
The park is open until 11 PM.
samfp1943 Interesting. A couple of things possibly related,maybe not? Is this part any farther along since your posting in September? Is the park area anywhere near the preserved Sloss Furnace area? Planning a trip thru this are around the end of January. was wanting to point this out to the Wife, and was wondering if this place was still along the area of Old 78? Just curious, and Thanks! Some years back out on US 78 (old US78) roadside somewhere East of Jasper, there was a collection of older Pullman Cars, and an E-8 Diesel painted for Pennsylvania RR. I think it was to be a motel, and wedding chapel (?) Is this still in existence, and if not, do you know what became of the equipment?
Is the park area anywhere near the preserved Sloss Furnace area?
Planning a trip thru this are around the end of January. was wanting to point this out to the Wife, and was wondering if this place was still along the area of Old 78? Just curious, and Thanks!
samfp1943 samfp1943: Interesting. A couple of things possibly related,maybe not? Is this part any farther along since your posting in September? Is the park area anywhere near the preserved Sloss Furnace area? Planning a trip thru this are around the end of January. was wanting to point this out to the Wife, and was wondering if this place was still along the area of Old 78? Just curious, and Thanks! Some years back out on US 78 (old US78) roadside somewhere East of Jasper, there was a collection of older Pullman Cars, and an E-8 Diesel painted for Pennsylvania RR. I think it was to be a motel, and wedding chapel (?) Is this still in existence, and if not, do you know what became of the equipment?
samfp1943: Interesting. A couple of things possibly related,maybe not? Is this part any farther along since your posting in September? Is the park area anywhere near the preserved Sloss Furnace area? Planning a trip thru this are around the end of January. was wanting to point this out to the Wife, and was wondering if this place was still along the area of Old 78? Just curious, and Thanks! Some years back out on US 78 (old US78) roadside somewhere East of Jasper, there was a collection of older Pullman Cars, and an E-8 Diesel painted for Pennsylvania RR. I think it was to be a motel, and wedding chapel (?) Is this still in existence, and if not, do you know what became of the equipment?
To answer your questions, yes the park has came further along, and it is open. Hours are daylight, and I would NOT find myself there after dark though.
The park Is close to Sloss Furnace, I dont believe it should be more than a few miles away.
Now as for that collection of Pullman's, and the E8, I do not have a clue. I would love to find out more about it though, as to where it is now.
The park has progressed nicely. It has security while it's open and there are 24 hour cameras stationed every 25 feeet or so.
The park is right down the track from the Amtrak Station. I believe you can see Sloss from it, but it's a good 1 air mile away.
To answer your next to questions, I know practically nothing about raods in downtown Birmingham. I am usually just going down I-65 when I see it.
I didn't even know there was such a place. Sounds really neat though!
-Will
It seems that we have made the trip, 3 wk in March.
The exhibit is still there on US 78 approx 2 miles East of Sumiton,Al. on the North side of the Hwy. The location was well fenced. Apparently, the Wedding Chapel ( Church Bldg.) is functional, there is a Fire House and engine to the side of the chapel. Since we were unable to access the property, we were reduced to viewing though the fence. There is a old 'Heavyweight Car to the rear of the train exhibit. There is a caboose painted for the Frisco RR. It looksto be a welded style, but did not seem to be one of the later, wide-vision coupola models ( by Intl Car Co.). The Pennsy E-8 is in Tuscan with 5 gold pinstripes)Unit #5706 A. The car in front is a stainless steel Southern Rwy (poss 60 footer(?).
There were Railroad Logo signs on the fence and a banner for a North Alabama Religious Network ( Not sure what that was all about
Was not able to get to area of Railroad Park by Sloss Furnace in B'Ham. Time constrains and evening time in area (?)
Anyway. I was able to answer my own question. Wish I could have gone in and looked around.
Found some more info on a Thread on Trainorders.com, Some Posts which pretty much seconded what I had found and traced the lineage of the E-8 in Ala ( guts removed at a dealer in Iowa, and the Shell parked in N. Ala. engine was nee: Reading &Northern RR in Penna.).
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,271103
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