Steam & Excursion > Southern 4501 - Return to the Mainline

While overshadowed by the return of N&W 611, last month Southern Railway 2-8-2 #4501 also pulled her first mainline trips in over 2 decades.  At the end of June, 4501 traveled north from the Tennessee Valley RR Museum for 3 days of excursions out of Bristol, VA.  Assisted by the 1st Southern SD-40 (recently returned to her original paint), 4501 pulled 2 trips north to Radford, VA on the N&W (June 26th & 28th) and 1 trip south to Bulls Gap, TN on the Southern (June 27th).  Thanks to a newly added stoker, feedwater heater, and roller bearings on the trailing truck/tender, 4501 is much more suited to the mainline than during her days as part of the original Southern/NS Steam Program.  The first 2 clips are from the Bristol-Radford trip on the Friday the 26th, while the last 2 are from the Bristol-Bulls Gap trip on the 27th.  The 28th was sunny all day, but it didn't have the same atmosphere as the 2 cloudy/rainy days.  Thanks to TVRM and NS for one more great weekend of steam.

-James
http://www.steamtrainvideos.com

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Thanks for sharing...love the audio....what a great whistle!

Always did like her whistle.  Exhaust sounds different.  Wonder if that's because of the FWH on her now?  I take it they have the MU box on her now?

The diesel was making almost as much smoke at the 4501.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Always did like her whistle.  Exhaust sounds
> different.  Wonder if that's because of the FWH
> on her now?  I take it they have the MU box on
> her now?

Don, I saw a picture somewhere of the M.U. box mounted in place, so yes.

Posted from iPhone

Excellent locations and I like the way you captured the entire train as it approached, passed by and then headed away into
the distance.  Thanks for sharing.

Awesome video my man!

That was a great video! If I could find a job there in Chattanooga, I'd move there in a heart beat! It seems like a wonderful city and in my off time I'd become a volunteer at the TVRRM helping out in the shop on any of the cars and locomotives that needed work. 

Very Nice. Thanks for sharing. Very professional too, no wind sounds and great, smooth audio.

Oh, you are a professional!--<G>



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/15 07:19 by wabash2800.

Very nice!

Steve Mitchell
[b]http://www.yardgoatimages.com[/b]

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Exhaust sounds different.  Wonder if that's because
> of the FWH on her now?

I was thinking the same thing.  Stands to reason that it would change the exhaust sound a little.  You can definitely hear the FWH exhaust most of the time, which also changes the overall sound the locomotive.

-James

I don't know if its just coinsidence, or not, but so far all three of the eastern steam locomotives running so far this season seem to have there right side cylinder drain cocks stuck in the open posisition??
Pete

That's the feedwater pump exhaust you see, not a leaking cylinder cock.  4501's is located on the engineer's side, while 611 has it on the fireman's side.  Not sure which side it's on for 765.

-James

Beautiful.  She looks and sounds great.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Always did like her whistle.  Exhaust sounds
> different.  Wonder if that's because of the FWH
> on her now?  I take it they have the MU box on
> her now?

I believe there was a certain eccentricity (see what I did there) in one of her expansion links in the past, which was corrected, so that may account for some of the difference in sound as well, due to more precise timing.  And yes, the MU box was utilized.  She's also carrying 5 more pounds of boiler pressure than she did in the past.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/15 21:53 by Worthington_S_A.