Eastern Railroad Discussion > Pennsy-scheme E-unit near Sumiton, Ala.

Not long ago, I came across a display of railroad equipment parked on isolated tracks near a small country-church-style building being used as a wedding chapel. It's on U.S. 78 near Sumiton, Alabama, about 20 miles or so northwest of Birmingham. A sign identified it as "The Wedding Chapel at Union Station" — odd, since there's no station building on the property.

Among the rolling stock displayed was an E-unit locomotive painted in a PRR five-stripe maroon scheme; a fluted stainless-steel Southern Ry. coach (it looks like a short 60-footer, and I think I've seen it on display just off I-65 at Clantion, Alabama), and a wide-vision caboose painted in a Frisco (SLSF) scheme.

Does anyone know what the deal is? Is this someone's small private museum? Is the E a real Pennsy unit? (Sorry, I didn't get the number.) How did it end up down here? And why the wedding chapel as part of the display?

Very curious.

Without the engine number I can't be sure but the E8 may be a former Blue Mountain & Reading unit. I recall reading in one of the magazines that one of those PRR E8's was sold to a private owner for display in the South.

You might want to post this to the North Alabama/Middle Tennessee Railfan List:
http://www.egroups.com/group/decaturjunction

That unit is in fact former PRR 5706A which the Reading & Northern sold in early 1999. It first went to a dealer in Iowa where the prime movers and other components were removed. The shell went to Alabama. The other E8 we had, the former PRR 5898A, is now on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern at Delta, MO.

Appreciate the info on the E8. (BTW, Bryan, I was getting ready to post this to the N. Ala. list, but I got the answer here first.)