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A Chinese QJ in Kentucky: What is up with RJ Cormans Old Smoky

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  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
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A Chinese QJ in Kentucky: What is up with RJ Cormans Old Smoky
Posted by samfp1943 on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 12:00 AM

R.J. Corman's   A Chinese QJ type[#6988], a 2-10-2, "Old Smoky', and power of the Lexington (Ky) Dinner Train... 'til was terminated about 2008(?).

A recent TRAINS Newswire article headlined the story that R.J Corman {Corp.} had bought into the Nashville & Eastern RR; The home of the Nashville Commuter Service [Music City Star], on the former Tennessee Central RR.

 I had read {in TRAINS(?)} that the NC&StL #576 that has been housed at Nashville's Centennial park for some years; was to be moved to a location on the N&E in preperation for it's return to steam, and operations.

 Sounded like a real opportunity, to me. After all, R.J.Corman did own one  of the three  QJ's that reside in this country.

Did some research, and found that Old Smoky, had been parked in 2014 in Lexington,Ky. WHY

[Article linked below]   "...The Lexington Dinner Train stopped running at the end of December.  In 2014, as part of a court settlement, Corman agreed to disassemble the glass-walled structure with red Churchill Downs-like spires that houses its locomotive near Lexington Center..."

The above linked paragraph was found within the following linked story from the Lexington Herald-Leader @ https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/counties/woodford-county/article58871353.html

Does anyone here know what this was all about...It seems to indicate the engine was on display at a secure structure and Corman was 'forced' to move the engine, and take down the structure; and the Dinner Train was stopped from operating? Sigh

Furthers, there is this information: [Found this linked] site The Railway Preservation News of the < rypn news  > : Has some further information, and pretty good photos of the Corman QJ.

Linked here:@ http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41279&start=15

And then there is this site [O-gauge Railroading On-Line Forum] that seems to have an enlarged story on what happened, and why R.J.Corman's 'Old Smoky'  was stored:

Linked{ @ https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/what-s-the-status-and-location-of-r-j-corman-s-chinese-locomotive

To quote Paul Harvey :"...The rest of the story(?).."  Sigh  Whistling

 

 


 

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