Steam & Excursion > NRHS 1990 - Cotton Belt 819

Picking up the day after Norfolk & Western #1218 reached St. Louis, Cotton Belt 4-8-4 #819 is seen running up Union Pacific's former MoPac Chester Subdivision from Scott City, Missouri, through southern Illinois and on to East St. Louis.

1.  Having bagged my first Articulated in action, it was time for my first 4-8-4.  Here is #819 crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois on the Thebes Bridge.

2.  Racing up the Chester Subdivision, #819 smokes it up through Gorham, Illinois.  Myron Dudenbostle photo

3.  Further up the line, #819 passes near Cora, Illinois.  This view is no longer the gem seen here, as trees and brush have taken hold along the right of way in the last quarter-century.  I'm not sure how Myron got this shot, because #819 kicked our collective butts from Gorham to its first stop of the day at Chester.  Myron Dudenbostle photo

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

---

---

---

Nice!

I really had to laugh at all their excuses for the clouds and clouds of thick black smoke, especially the "bad oil". Every time she passed us during our chase northward to St Louis, you could hardly hear any exhaust over the sound of the full blower. The "old head" Engineer had her hooked up WAY TOO far for such a light train, which gave the Fireman no draft to work with, thus the full blower, heavy atomizer, and massive volumes of thick oil smoke.  Too bad, as she is such a fine looking 4-8-4.

I salivate at the thought of sitting down and running that engine.
Some "old heads" have perfect recollection of stuff that never was................