Steam & Excursion > Southern #630 @ Alexandria and Charlottesville,VA

1977 excursion, from Johnny Floyd collection

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I'm liking your Southern view.  Number two is the bell ringer for me and all are keepers.

jkh2cpu Wrote:
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> I'm liking your Southern view.  Number two is the
> bell ringer for me and all are keepers.
I found 1 more from that set, this must be what is behind #630 in the 2nd shot.
It must have been a nice day!
Talk about your full crew!
John Floyd photo, 1977 Charlottesville, VA

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Very, very nice! I'll also say that second shot is my favorite.

This would have been either March 27 or April 3, 1977. 630 ran excursions sponsored by the Washington, D.C. and Potomac Chapters NRHS on those dates; plus trips to Front Royal on March 19, 26, and April 2. The engine also ran some sort of private charter to Warrenton in May, then along with a pair of FP7s filled in for T&P 610 on another trip to Charlottesville in August. On the latter trip, 630 developed bearing issues, so it was set out at the wye in Calverton after a photo runby there and ran light back to Alexandria while the Fs finished the trip to Charlottesville. According to records, these were its last trips in the Southern steam program.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/26 13:04 by DRGWMark.

Very nice pics of the 630. It was nice to see the 630 pulling excursions in 1977, before the bearing and valve gear troubles. When I returned to SOU engine service in September 77, my first paid trip was running and firing the 630 at reduced speed south out of Salisbury NC with a short freight. Pics were few, as it developed into a pouring rain and then night. I know of one pic. I'll post it if I permission.

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DRGWMark Wrote:

> According to records, these were its last trips in
> the Southern steam program.

That's likely. It had pedestal/frame issues that weren't corrected until the 2000-2011 rebuild. Southern operated the Steam Program on a relative shoestring compared to the cubic yards of money that was later spent on 611 & 1218, so they just did the best they could babying it over the road. I think it ran from Virginia back to Birmingham at 25mph over the course of several days. It was towed to TVRM in 1978, along with Army 610.

Worthington_S_A Wrote:
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It had pedestal/frame issues that
> weren't corrected until the 2000-2011 rebuild.
> I think it ran from Virginia back to Birmingham at
> 25mph over the course of several days.

Yes, on the North Charlotte District part of the trip, we kept 630 at 20-25 mph to keep it from waddling too bad. We were pulling ten 40 foot boxcars for the Fair Street Team Track in Atlanta, plus the caboose. We stopped in Charlotte NC for water, maintenance, food, and a relief fireman. We stopped again in West Gastonia NC to meet the Belmont unit coal train, checking 630 out, and inspection of main driver grease cellar blocks. Stopped again at Lyman SC swapping train crew out ahead of the Law, and engine inspection.

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