Steam & Excursion > The last Southern steam of the year..SR 630-4501 Doubleheader

This past Sunday (1115/15) Thomas, Gage and myself departed the great state of Kentucky at 0300 and headed South for Chattanooga.  Our goal was to shoot the Southern 630 - 4501 Doubleheader operated by TVRM between Chattanooga and Summerville, Ga over the old CofG mainline (Now operated by the C&C Shortline)   This would be the last steam trip of the year for us, and has become almost a tradition to make the trip. 

I had watched the forecast all week, and it was supposed to be Mostly Sunny, but as we heard the crack of dawn somewhere around Sweetwater, TN on Interstate 75, it became all to clear that the sun would NOT be seen that day..  Ah well,  it was still in the low 30's and that meant the engines would be mighty cloud-like.....OK by me!  After the Saturday trip had been delayed by a huge mill fire at Lafayette, Ga we felt lucky that the train was running at all,  so a few clouds would not stop us.   

Our First shot of the day was at the Missionary Ridge Tunnel on the TVRM mainline at Chattanooga, and we spent the rest of the day following the train South to Ga and then back to Chattanooga.  It turned into another 20 hour trip (and on NO sleep for me, I was awake almost 40 hours total over the weekend!)   but well worth it as usual. 

Here are a few teasers, and you can find the entire set at this link >>>  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/2015steam  

#1 The train approaches Missionary Ridge Tunnel, framed through the 986 foot bore.

#2 Its a chilly morning in Chattanooga as Southern 630 erupts out of the Missionary Ridge Tunnel on the TVRM mainline, leading a double header South to Georgia. The 4501 is back there in the smoke and cinders somewhere.

#3 "The Struggle" A sight I will never grow tired of......Engineer Foster had the Southern 630 talking loud as she walked the train up steep grade through Downtown Rock Springs yesterday morning. The 630 seemed to be doing the lions share of the work most of the time, with 4501 there for moral support if needed...oh, and that ugly Orange thing behind 01's tank was just along for the ride, and would be set off later in the day

E.M. Bell , KD4JSL
Salvisa, KY
Jreb.org NS group

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#4 The train crawls across the former CofG bridge over the Chattooga River at Trion, Ga

#5  630 leads the train into the house track at Summerville, Ga

#6 Northbound crossing the bridge at Trion, Ga

E.M. Bell , KD4JSL
Salvisa, KY
Jreb.org NS group

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WOW!!!!!!   Now THOSE are great photos.  Just curious, why is the bell always ringing?

I dont shoot much video, but I did dig it out for the First time in about 2 years and shot a few clips.  Here is the train climbing the grade at Rock Spring, Ga 

E.M. Bell , KD4JSL
Salvisa, KY
Jreb.org NS group

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just bad timing on my part I gues Jack...I hadnt really noticed that red inside sticking out like a sore tumb until now! 

E.M. Bell , KD4JSL
Salvisa, KY
Jreb.org NS group

EMBell Wrote:
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> just bad timing on my part I gues Jack...I hadnt
> really noticed that red inside sticking out like a
> sore tumb until now! 

Don't get me wrong, on still photos the inside of the bell showing, red or otherwise, looks pretty cool. However, on most of the videos, the constant bell ringing tends to overpower the music of the exhaust, which gets a bit annoying sometimes.

Nice video

Anyone know what whistle that is on the 630? Sounds a lot like a Southern Pacific 6 chime.

MarkMeoff Wrote:
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> Nice video
>
> Anyone know what whistle that is on the 630?
> Sounds a lot like a Southern Pacific 6 chime.

It's a subject of great debate.  Some say Central of Georgia, although the Central never actually had any 6 chimes cast.  Others say it's the Boston & Maine replica that Doug Karhan had cast by Crown Metals, which was worn by 4501 in 1984 and 85 (Doug likes the 6 chimes, so the '01 got one while he was in charge at Irondale).  IMHO it needs to be thrown in the trash and replaced with a 3-chime, whether it be Hancock, IC, Crosby, or otherwise.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/15 07:34 by Worthington_S_A.

HotWater Wrote:
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> WOW!!!!!!   Now THOSE are great photos.  Just
> curious, why is the bell always ringing?

They ring the bell going through the tunnel, and the rest of the shots with the bell ringing he is approaching a grade crossing.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

I clicked on the link, and you got some great stuff.  The shot at the National Cemetery sure looks familiar!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Worthington_S_A Wrote:
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> MarkMeoff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nice video
> >
> > Anyone know what whistle that is on the 630?
> > Sounds a lot like a Southern Pacific 6 chime.
>
> It's a subject of great debate.  Some say Central
> of Georgia, although the Central never actually
> had any 6 chimes cast.  Others say it's the
> Boston & Maine replica that Doug Karhan had cast
> by Crown Metals, which was worn by 4501 in 1984
> and 85 (Doug likes the 6 chimes, so the '01 got
> one while he was in charge at Irondale).  IMHO it
> needs to be thrown in the trash and replaced with
> a 3-chime, whether it be Hancock, IC, Crosby, or
> otherwise.
Don't throw it away. Box it up and send it to me;)

Posted from iPhone

Terrific bunch of photos, but that first one made my morning. Also, please do more videos. With my tin ear I don't know three chime from 50. All I know is it sounded great. Thanks for giving us this. Definitely renewing my membership. d

Thanks so much for the terrific photos and video! Enjoyed them with my morning coffee. 

Nice video man!

Is the trackage a museum line??

CP8888 Wrote:
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> Is the trackage a museum line??


The tunnel shots are on the TVRM line, where the 3-mile local trains run, and where these excursions originate.  The rest are on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway, operated by Genessee & Wyoming on ex-Central of Georgia trackage now owned by the State of Georgia.  These longer excursions operate on weekends in October and early November.  The traverse the TVRM line and East Chattanooga Belt Railway (also owned by TVRM), briefly switch over to Norfolk Southern's "East Industrial Lead" (ex-C of G) at 23rd Street before running down the C&C to Summerville, GA.  The excursions are 90-mile round trips.  

The video is shot at Rock Springs, GA, arguably the most popular photo and video location on the C&C.