Steam & Excursion > Atlanta 1994 NRHS Convention - SLSF 1522 & N&W 611

Steam'n Thru Georgia was the theme adopted by the Atlanta Chapter, NRHS, and the convention lived up to the billing. Mainline trips ran in all directions to and from Atlanta using Frisco 1522 and N&W 611. This convention was the last to use N&W 611, as the NS Steam Program was discontinued in late 1994.

The Peach Blossom Special, with Frisco 1522 on the point, was taped as it traveled east across Alabama and Georgia to it's destination in Atlanta. In Birmingham, N&W 611 was added to the train for the run to Atlanta over the former Southern Railway. This shot was captured in the morning as the doubleheader arrived in Leeds, Alabama. More shots of this trip will follow as I get the time to post them.

As always, comments, corrections, locations and additional photos are welcome.

Thanks for looking!

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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Those were the days....

I rode the three-day ferry of 1522 from St. Louis to Birmingham, AL prior to the convention (didn't go to the convention itself). The trip ran St. Louis to Springfield, stopped overnight, then headed back east to Teed and down to Memphis. After overnighting at the ex-Frisco Tennessee Yard, it was on to Birmingham, with a lunch stop in hotter-than-H*ll Amory, Mississippi. We rode in Kitchi Gammi Club the second, longest day of the trip.

What I mainly remember is the noisy exhaust of 1522, especially pulling away from a slow order just outside Memphis. Man, could that locomotive talk!

In Birmingham, we ran down some sort of interchange track through back yards to end up at the site of Terminal Station on the former Southern. As I recall, the Birmingham -- Atlanta trip was a couple of days later, so I bailed and flew home. But it was still a great trip.

shoretower Wrote:
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> The trip ran St. Louis to Springfield, stopped overnight, then
> headed back east to Teed and down to Memphis.
> After overnighting at the ex-Frisco Tennessee
> Yard, it was on to Birmingham, with a lunch stop
> in hotter-than-H*ll Amory, Mississippi.


It was, to put it mildly, a very productive and enjoyable chase. All three of these were taken between Springfield and Memphis on June 19, 1994.

1. Just west of Rogersville, AR: http://goo.gl/maps/xu09

2. After leaving Portia, AR, the chase line was passed en masse by both an ambulance and a patrol car. A bit farther up the road, we learned the true urgency of the patrolman's mission.

3. I assume that a certain poster on this thread can be spotted in the cab window.

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shoretower Wrote:
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> In Birmingham, we ran down some sort of
> interchange track through back yards to end up at
> the site of Terminal Station on the former
> Southern.

4. 23rd Avenue, Birmingham, June 21, 1994. http://goo.gl/maps/TLx4 This is the connection between the IC / Frisco East Thomas Yards and Terminal Station, and was used by SLSF and IC passenger trains.

> As I recall, the Birmingham -- Atlanta
> trip was a couple of days later, so I bailed and
> flew home. But it was still a great trip.

The doubleheader to Atlanta that Jack started the thread with was the following day. I didn't shoot this day, but Masterphots can sue me for copyright violation if he wants for posting his excellent shot leaving Terminal Station that morning.

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Nice video Jack! I chased those trains, too. The doubleheaders were great but the 1522 freight ferry move from Chattanooga to Birmingham after the convention was fabulous! Might have to post one of those clips.

-Jim Herron

I flew for $39 on Delta Atlanta to Memphis and then I rode the 1522 trip from Memphis to Birmingham. Loved the loud stack talk of 1522 and 60 mph running. I then rode the Crescent from Birmingham to Atlanta. Was an awesome time.

I always wanted to call it "peaches and steam". Translated for younger folks, peaches and cream.
The 1522 without a doubt had the best stack talk of any steam locomotive!

Uncle Joe-Seffner,Fl.

Bein' in the Navy that year and bein' overseas I missed that, and I was upset I couldn't be based in Cali to see the Challenger! Glad you guys had fun, but it's sad later on that year NS pulled the plug on their Steam Program!