the first three words of OUR constitution IS" WE THE PEOPLE". it is up 2 u to do it. it is not done behind a computer screen. join a historical railroad museum. donate time, money or even get ur hands in the mud, and share some hard work. no one will do it if "WE" do not.
no matter who u are even the union pacific steam program which has deep pockets, there is never enough time or money. stop complaining and contribute time or money?
Alan Harper, president of American Heritage Railways, sent a statement out that he is doing his best to protect Steam Locomotives 722 and 1702, if you look on google maps you can see that at this time tarps have been placed over both locomotives for more protection from the elements. Also 1702 has been an oil burner ever since she arrived at GSMR and if 722 were to be restored, I would think she would be oil too.
Friend611, what makes you seem to think that the 722 is at risk? She's safe and is in no danger of being destroyed.
in Knoxville tn the old southern engine that had sat in a park since her retirement was pulled out and brought back 2 life. someone remembered it was fresh out of the southern shops before being mothballed 4 50 years and now lives and breaths fire and smoke on steel wheels and rails. our constitution says "we the people" and the Smithsonian is the peoples house. if we want it never say never!!
I would love to see either of the 2 GSMR locomotives return, it looks that 1702 should be back in a couple of years considering the deal with Swain county, but I would love to see a KS class 2-8-0 return to the Murphy branch, and hope to see something with 722 in the coming years.
630 and 722 were sold by Southern to ET&WNC between '50-'53 I believe. The reason those two were the ones chosen is because they were stored in the Asheville roundhouse and must have been in the best shape. 4501 was put in green paint because Paul Merriman, who bought her from the K&T, liked Southern's ps2 4-6-2s in green and gold and decided to paint her in SRR green and gold. When Southern traded the 2 diesels for 630 and 722 Claytor told Bill Purdie to paint one locomotive in Southerns freight paint (gold and Black) and the other in green and gold like 4501 and the choice of the locomotives was up to him. 630 received minor repairs and was painted black while 722 needed and received heavy repairs and emerged the green engine of the 2. Like mentioned above, I learned most of this from Jim Wrinn's book Steam's Camelot (highly recommend read). There you go!
I stand corrected on the streamlined PS4, but it was replaced by E-units between Montroe and Washington by late 1942 or early 1943, when I saw it regularly at Charlottesville with one A-unit and one B. It was the second Southern Ry train to get diesels out of Washington, even before the Crescent, which did get diesels long before it got lightwieght sleepers. Agai, the initial Tennesean sleepers were heavyweights painted silver.
Dave, the streamlined Ps4 had to run between Washington and Monroe--down in the morning and back in the evening. The Southern passenger timetables issued at the time when the Tennessean was new show an Alco A and B on the point of this train. It took two sets of Alcos to maintain the power on the Bristol-Memphis leg--leave Bristol or Memphis in the evening, and be at the other end the next morning. Indeed, the timetables indicated steam power between Washington and Bristol, and diesel power between Bristol and Memphis. The same timetables also show an E on the point of the Southerner.
Monroe was the engine change point since it was the south end of the Washington Division, and N&W engines took the Southern trains between Monroe and Bristol.
Johnny
The Tennesean was inaugurated with EMD E-units between Washington and Monroe or Lynchberg, N&W J's to Bristol, and the one streamlined PS4 between Bristol and Memphis. The Alcos came some time after the inauguration, how long after I do not know. While the Southerner just had one E, the Tennesean, which initially included silver-painted heavyweight Pullmans, had two, and A and a B. Of course a regular PS4 was used whenever the Khuler-streamlined one was not available.
And Alcos--when the Tennessean was inaugurated, Alcos were the power between Bristol and Memphis--and until diesels began being run through between Washington and Memphis/Birmingham/New Orleans, Alcos remained the power (though changed to PA's) for this train for this end of its run.
The Southerner was always diesel powered south of Washington.
and e-units for passenger before that
Southern wasn't the only road without modern steam power after WW2 although it may have well have been the largest in that situation. It appears that SR was also sold on diesels fairly early, considering that they had FT's in service during WW2.
I've always thought that Southern was in the same general 'boat' as PRR with respect to steam -- they spent what 'new passenger locomotive' money they had on Pacifics and such, just a couple of years before the development of Super-Power, and then had to ride out the Depression with what they had bought and paid for. When 'new motive power' time came 'round for them again, it was diesels all the way instead of Hudsons, 4-8-4s or other approaches..
Yes, the men in the shop in Birmingham, did well in keeping the two running. However, one new brass that was installed on the pony truck did not do well on the first trip afterwards. In May, 1972, the 722 led the 4501 on an excursion to Opelika and back (the 4501 continued on to Columbus, Georgia, with some of the cars and such passengers as Graham Claytor and David P. Morgan).
Before we reached Opelika, the bearing began running hot, so we were late arriving in Opelika and even later returning to Birmingham.
I have a lovely photograph of the engines crossing the Southern just east of Birmingham, on the CG's trestle. The picture is especially important to me because my then fiancée and I were on board.
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