Steam & Excursion > 4501 Boiler Survey?

I read today at http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=100532 that Southern 4501 was to have a two month boiler inspection this summer to help determine the feasibility of restoring the engine in the future. Did anyone hear the results? I understand the engine is a bit on the large size for TVRM, but she has a rich history and she is a very special engine to many. Is she likely to run again?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=249542&nseq=0

There is the link to a photo posted on Railpictures. The tubes are cut out of the boiler. I don't know if the UT has been done. The engine is a bit large for the everyday runs, but it is a great size for the GA trips. I imagine that 4501 would be a welcome addition should it be overhauled. 4501 can be used to back up 610, and 630 once that overhaul is complete.

There are a number of Southern engines that are on their way to operational status. 154, 401 and 630...all 2-8-0's. Pretty exciting stuff. You know the more engines TVRM restores...the more opportunity for special events and unique operations there will be.

We need a Southern 4-6-2 and a 4-8-2. Green of course.

Yeah, let's break into the Smithsonian in the middle of the night and steal that big Southern 4-6-2! <G>

Otherwise, it'll never leave. Maybe we'll get our lucky break when Doyle gets done with the other PA slated for display there in Santa Fe garb? They leave the door open with the temp track and we go for it!

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> We need a Southern 4-6-2 and a 4-8-2. Green of
> course.

The Claytor boys were trying to borrow it back for a few years.

Southern #401 out of service at Alabama Asphaltic Limestone in the early 60s

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Speaking of Southern steam, has anyone heard anything recently about 722. I understand it is now owned by the Great Smoky Mountains Railway in NC.

722 is taken apart and the Great Smokey boys have temporarily abandoned plans to restore her. Her boiler is in one place, cab in another, chassis still on the track. the rest of the smaller parts are stored. The plan was to rebuild her and run her with 1702 which is currently in not much better shape, (the boiler is still on the chassis). Lack of funds has caused them to ditch both engines for now. It may be quite a long time before we see either of these engines run again. I had been holding by breath for 10 year, but I've stopped now, after a visit to their shop last summer confirmed my worse fears. 722 will be sitting in 1,000,000 pieces for quite some time.

What a sad state of affairs.

Yes, we do need a pacific and a mountain in southern green to go with all these 2-8-0s

What about A&WP 290? Basically, a Southern design.

What about the 2-8-2 (ex-K&T #10), #6910. I thought she was going to be rebuilt to resemble a NC&StL locomotive? I hope I live long enough to see her run. Where does she stand in the rebuilding pecking order?

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> What about the 2-8-2 (ex-K&T #10), #6910. I
> thought she was going to be rebuilt to resemble a
> NC&StL locomotive? I hope I live long enough to
> see her run. Where does she stand in the
> rebuilding pecking order?

Here's what she looked like running back in 1965

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Here's what she looked like running back in 1965


Thanks for sharing those. Never have seen many of her in action. Good looking engine.

I have a few shots of her in Sterns, Ky. in the shops of the K&T being worked on. Nothing under steam. (They were running #12 , aka Southern #4501)... oh damn. So, how far off and how much work has to be done on the #10 (alias Southern #6910, shown in the above photos), to be operable again. She is a big/little engine. and for 43 years has been out of circulation from the railfan community. I personally would like to see her fixed and running, over the others in their stable, that have had years of exposure. Any thoughts from others? What kind of shape is she really in?

rebel Wrote:
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> What about A&WP 290? Basically, a Southern design.


290 is in excellent shape comparatively to other restorable steamers. The price of getting her running again is fairly low.
She is, however, quite a queen in her own right; the genuine article, having pulled the Crescent from Atlanta to Montgomery, in exactly the paint scheme she appears in today. 290 and W of A 190 were the only two locomotives exactly like this. Although she would make an excellent Ps4 indeed, I would hate to see her permanently transformed. As far as preserving history goes, she's actually more valuable the way she is. Also, I was once told that under her original donation guild lines to to Atlanta Chapter, that it was stipulated that she would always remain in her original paint scheme. This is actually why Southern didn't turn her into a Ps4 back in the '60s when they were looking for one. All this being said, it would be nice to see her temporarily painted as a Ps4, even if only to be returned to A&WP livery.

290 would have a very good chance of running again if there was anyplace to run her in and around Atlanta. She's one of the most restorable engines in the south. She's also among the most graceful, but it would be nice to see a longer tender behind her. The Atlanta Chapter has a couple of those that could be used.

Aside from 611 and 1218, this would be my first locomotive choice of locomotives to see return to steam.

Where is the 290 loctated today?

Southeastern Railway Museum; Duluth, GA

290 is a beautiful engine. Two things about 290...first the engine rarely, if ever, pulled trips without utilizing diesel assistance...which seems to be the rule of thumb most of the time anyway these days...second the engine suffered from being out of tram the entire time she was operated by the NGRR. She ran cockeyed down the track and was wearing on her flanges/tires the entire time.

I miss seeing her..and 750..at Stone Mountain. Oh well...watch it while it happens.

WChiBurbs Wrote:
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> 290 is a beautiful engine. Two things about
> 290...first the engine rarely, if ever, pulled
> trips without utilizing diesel assistance...which
> seems to be the rule of thumb most of the time
> anyway these days...second the engine suffered
> from being out of tram the entire time she was
> operated by the NGRR. She ran cockeyed down the
> track and was wearing on her flanges/tires the
> entire time.
>
> I miss seeing her..and 750..at Stone Mountain. Oh
> well...watch it while it happens.


290's wheels have been turned after her runs on the New Georgia, so the flange problem has been solved. Her reason for using Diesel assistance was: Extremely long trains over varying territory, she was usually pulling trains as long as those pulled by N&W 611 which was a much more powerful engine. 290 is a high drivered locomotive, so her starting power was low, even if her overall power was high. The Diesel was often used to help start the train, but rarely used after 290 got up to speed. The other reason was various railroad's other than Southern being paranoid about steam locomotive breakdowns.

-Yes, 290 is in Deluth GA, near Atlanta. She is taken apart but is very restorable for someone with a good place to run her. 750 is a different story. With out a new boiler and other work, 750 will never run again.

So...what about the 2-8-2 #6910?

steam290 Wrote:
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> WChiBurbs Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 290 is a beautiful engine. Two things about
> > 290...first the engine rarely, if ever, pulled
> > trips without utilizing diesel
> assistance...which
> > seems to be the rule of thumb most of the time
> > anyway these days...second the engine suffered
> > from being out of tram the entire time she was
> > operated by the NGRR. She ran cockeyed down the
> > track and was wearing on her flanges/tires the
> > entire time.
> >
> > I miss seeing her..and 750..at Stone Mountain.
> Oh
> > well...watch it while it happens.
>
>
> 290's wheels have been turned after her runs on
> the New Georgia, so the flange problem has been
> solved. Her reason for using Diesel assistance
> was: Extremely long trains over varying territory,
> she was usually pulling trains as long as those
> pulled by N&W 611 which was a much more powerful
> engine. 290 is a high drivered locomotive, so her
> starting power was low, even if her overall power
> was high. The Diesel was often used to help start
> the train, but rarely used after 290 got up to
> speed. The other reason was various railroad's
> other than Southern being paranoid about steam
> locomotive breakdowns.
>
> -Yes, 290 is in Deluth GA, near Atlanta. She is
> taken apart but is very restorable for someone
> with a good place to run her. 750 is a different
> story. With out a new boiler and other work, 750
> will never run again.


The tram problem was actually corrected as well in the later days, after some more experienced shop help was brought on board at New Georgia. The engine reportedly ran quite well in her excursion to Montgomery in 1992, easily reaching speeds of 65-70 mph. Unfortunately she was "retired" in December of that year. As Nat mentioned, the wheels were turned in the late 90's so the flanges are fresh, the locomotive has never turned a wheel under her own power since then. We will be getting back to work on 290 soon, with some evaluation work planned in addition to getting her into displayable condition. Unfortunately these things take time and money.

Andrew Durden
SRM