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[[File:Baldwin 2-8-2 4501 & GM DE 6914, Tennessee Valley Railroad, April 2013 CNV00057 (10319199186).jpg|thumb|left|4501 being restored in April 13, 2013.]]
[[File:Baldwin 2-8-2 4501 & GM DE 6914, Tennessee Valley Railroad, April 2013 CNV00057 (10319199186).jpg|thumb|left|4501 being restored in April 13, 2013.]]


In 1994, Norfolk Southern announced that they will end their steam program in December 7 of that year due to freight traffic that made no room on the main line to some run special steam excursions.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1994/10/29/norfolk-southern-plans-to-end-nostalgic-steam-locomotive-program/18caf343-d584-4a5c-bde7-ed3e68cd4da1/?utm_term=.f7d39d4057ef Retrieved October 29, 1994</ref> 4501's last NS steam excursion was on April 30, 1994 from Birmingham to [[Columbus, Georgia]].<ref>http://www.steamcentral.com/archive/dates1994.html</ref> After that, it was sent back home to the TVRM to run the some light passenger train excursions. In 1996, the locomotive was repainted back to its original black livery to match its historical accuracy during TVRM's 35th anniversary until being retired for its boiler flue ticket expire on September 20, 1998.
In 1994, Norfolk Southern announced that they will end their steam program in December 7 of that year due to freight traffic that made no room on the main line to some run special steam excursions.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1994/10/29/norfolk-southern-plans-to-end-nostalgic-steam-locomotive-program/18caf343-d584-4a5c-bde7-ed3e68cd4da1/?utm_term=.f7d39d4057ef| Norfolk Southern Plans to End Nostalgic Steam Locomotive Program]</ref> 4501's last NS steam excursion was on April 30, 1994 from Birmingham to [[Columbus, Georgia]].<ref>http://www.steamcentral.com/archive/dates1994.html</ref> After that, it was sent back home to the TVRM to run the some light passenger train excursions. In 1996, the locomotive was repainted back to its original black livery to match its historical accuracy during TVRM's 35th anniversary until being retired for its boiler flue ticket expire on September 20, 1998.


In 2008, the locomotive was stripped down for a complete boiler inspection. In June 2010, Norfolk Southern announced they would run excursions with 4501, [[Southern Railway 630]], and [[Tennessee Valley Railroad 610|U.S. Army 610]], with their new [[21st Century Steam]] program. In 2011, Southern 630 returned to service pulling tourist trains for TVRM and some of the first mainline excursion trips for the 21st Century Steam program. With 630 in operating condition, the restoration of 4501 began in 2012.
In 2008, the locomotive was stripped down for a complete boiler inspection. In June 2010, Norfolk Southern announced they would run excursions with 4501, [[Southern Railway 630]], and [[Tennessee Valley Railroad 610|U.S. Army 610]], with their new [[21st Century Steam]] program. In 2011, Southern 630 returned to service pulling tourist trains for TVRM and some of the first mainline excursion trips for the 21st Century Steam program. With 630 in operating condition, the restoration of 4501 began in 2012.

Revision as of 16:01, 21 January 2017

Southern Railway 4501
Southern Railway #4501 in October 4, 2014
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number37085
Build dateOctober 1911
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-8-2
 • UIC1'D1'h
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.63 in (1.600 m)
Adhesive weight215,700 lb (97,800 kg)
Loco weight272,900 lb (123,800 kg)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler pressure205 psi (1.41 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size27 in × 30 in (686 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort53,900 lbf (239.8 kN)
Factor of adh.4.00
Career
OperatorsSouthern Railway
ClassMs
Number in class1st of 182
NumbersSOU 4501, K&T 12
Retired1963 (revenue)
1998 (excursion)
Restored1966 (1st restoration)
2014 (2nd restoration)
Current ownerTennessee Valley Railroad Museum
DispositionOperational

Southern Railway 4501 is a 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in October 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Southern Railway. As the very first of that wheel arrangement the railroad owned, 4501 served the Southern Railway hauling freight until being retired in 1966. Today the locomotive operates in tourist and mainline excursion service for its owner the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

History

4501 worked on many different divisions of the Southern Railway system from 1911 to 1948; first in Tennessee, then Virginia, Kentucky, and finally Indiana.[1] In 1948 the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway purchased the locomotive and renumbered it as their #12.[1] When #12 was retired by the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway in 1963, a railfan, Paul H. Merriman, bought the locomotive for The 4501 Corporation with $5,000 of his own money, and restored it for excursion use on the Southern Railway System. In 1964, after running to Chattanooga from the K&T in Stearns, Kentucky, an initial restoration was done by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) (which Merriman founded with Bob Soule) volunteers at the facilities of the Lucey Boiler Company in Chattanooga, just blocks away from TVRM's storage facilities, which were at the time located on the former Western Union Company tracks.[2]

1966-1994 Excursion career

4501 was stripped down for an extensive overhaul to work on the worn out pilot deck and the tender's leaky tank with the thin cab floor, the rotted ash pan, and the rusty smoke box front replaced. Its dented cab roof was straightened and got a radio antenna installed.[3] In addition, the cylinder cocks were reworked and the throttle lapped with a new airline run to the repacked reverse gear.[3] After that it was time to paint, the 4501 groups have the locomotive painted into the fictitious Southern Crescent green with gold linings rather than the plain black freight livery.[3]

After the restoration was completed in August 1966, the 4501 launched its first public run between Chattanooga, TN and Richmond, VA.[4] In 1969, 4501's 12 tons and 8,000 gallons tender was replaced for a larger ex-Central of Georgia tender that came from a train wreck in Georgia. It carries 18 tons of coal and 15,000 gallons of water.[5]

In the 1970s, 4501 found her way off the Southern Railway property for a series of excursion trips on the Illinois Central (IC),[6] the Chicago and North Western (CNW),[7] the Milwaukee Road (MILW),[7] the Rock Island Line (RI),[7] the Nickel Plate Road (NKP),[8] and of course the Norfolk & Western (NW).[9]

However, in April 23, 1976, 4501 had a perforated dry pipe at Attalla, Alabama but got it quickly repaired to continue her excursion career on April 29 that year.[10] Then another failure occurred in April 11, 1981, the locomotive's front flue sheet cracked at Dalton, Georgia and was unable to continue running. So 4501 was towed back to the Irondale Workshop in Birmingham, Alabama for a long term rebuild and continued to run on November 1984.[11]

In Nov 3, 1991, during Southern's successor Norfolk Southern's 25th Anniversary of their Steam Program, 4501 teamed up with the two Norfolk & Western superpower steam locomotives J Class #611 and A Class #1218 to triple head a 30-car passenger train excursion from Chattanooga, TN to Atlanta, GA. But at Ooltewah, TN, 4501 took a handful of coaches for a complete round trip, turning around at Cleveland, TN. After that 611 and 1218 would complete the rest of the trip to Atlanta.[12]

21st century operations

4501 on display at TVRM's Soule Shops in March 2006 before being restored eight years later to operating condition once again in September 2014.
4501 being restored in April 13, 2013.

In 1994, Norfolk Southern announced that they will end their steam program in December 7 of that year due to freight traffic that made no room on the main line to some run special steam excursions.[13] 4501's last NS steam excursion was on April 30, 1994 from Birmingham to Columbus, Georgia.[14] After that, it was sent back home to the TVRM to run the some light passenger train excursions. In 1996, the locomotive was repainted back to its original black livery to match its historical accuracy during TVRM's 35th anniversary until being retired for its boiler flue ticket expire on September 20, 1998.

In 2008, the locomotive was stripped down for a complete boiler inspection. In June 2010, Norfolk Southern announced they would run excursions with 4501, Southern Railway 630, and U.S. Army 610, with their new 21st Century Steam program. In 2011, Southern 630 returned to service pulling tourist trains for TVRM and some of the first mainline excursion trips for the 21st Century Steam program. With 630 in operating condition, the restoration of 4501 began in 2012.

On January 8, 2014, TVRM announced on their Facebook page (by sharing a picture) that 4501 passed its FRA hydro test, and that all of its wheels were placed back underneath it. As well as the grates and ash pan have also been replaced.[15]

In March 6, 2014, a static steam test was performed and the 4501 passed all FRA certification.[16]

In September 6, 2014, 4501 was steamed up for the first time since 1998.[17]

In May 1, 2015, 4501 became the first steam locomotive to operate in the 21st Century Steam program in 2015 when the locomotive returned to the mainline network for the first time in 21 years for a test run from Chattanooga to Cleveland, Tennessee and return on the Norfolk Southern trackage. Afterwards it was confirmed the locomotive was in top mechanical condition for mainline service.[18]

In June 26, 2015, 4501 ran the Radford Rambler excursion from Bristol, Virginia to Radford, Virginia. In June 27, the locomotive pulled the Lonesome Pine Special excursion from Bristol, Tennessee to Bulls Gap, Tennessee and ran the Radford Rambler excursion again in June 28.[19]

In September 12 & 13, 2015, 4501 ran an excursion from Chattanooga to Cleveland during TVRM's 2015 "Railfest". In September 26 & 27, 2015, the locomotive pulled the Nancy Hanks Special excursion from Macon, Georgia to Tennille, Georgia.[20]

4501 was also planned to pull the Piedmont Limited excursion from Atlanta, Georgia to Toccoa, Georgia in October 3 & 4, 2015. But it was cancelled in October 1 due to the October 2015 North American storm complex hurricane.[21]

Pop culture references

4501 made its first feature film appearance in the 1971 movie Fools' Parade, starring James Stewart and Anne Baxter.[citation needed]

4501 is shown while under steam in the 1974 movie Ridin' the Rails: The Great American Train Story, starring Johnny Cash.[citation needed]

4501 appears several times in the 1978 movie Summer of My German Soldier, set in Georgia during World War II.[citation needed]

4501 was also used as the locomotive in the 1999 movie October Sky. Its role was a coal-hauling locomotive lettered for the more setting appropriate Norfolk and Western Railway and was shown several times in the film. A short clip of famed rail photographer O. Winston Link as the engineer shown in the abandoned spur-line scene. Link was particularly fond of Norfolk and Western locomotives.[22]

The locomotive appeared in Johnny Cash's 2002 music video for the cover song "Hurt". About a minute into the video he is seen at the throttle of the locomotive.[citation needed]

The locomotive also starred in the 1976 television movie Eleanor and Franklin, which chronicles the life of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.[citation needed]

The locomotive was featured in a feature-length documentary called "And Then There Was One" directed by Evan Loftback, a resident of Maryville, Tennessee which represents the history of 4501.[23][24]

Modern upgrades

When the locomotive was restored for the second time in 2014 many upgrades were performed on the locomotive. The most obvious is the addition of reproduction Worthington SA feedwater heater. 4501 was sold before this upgrade could be performed, though her original cylinder castings had been replaced with new ones during her career to accommodate this upgrade. The Ms class Mikados that remained in service with Southern received a Worthington S-3½ feedwater heater and a coal stoker, the stoker addition was to comply with a Interstate Commerce Commission rule. 4501 did not receive a stoker during her time at Southern or the Kentucky & Tennessee due to an exemption clause in the ICC rule governing locomotive stoker requirements. A stoker was also added during this restoration, which was missed during her first career and she was often seen with several firemen riding on her coal pile during her past excursion career. Her boiler also received attention and was re-certified at 205 psi (1.41 MPa) a pressure increase of 5 psi (0.03 MPa) over her original operating pressure, the higher operating pressure also gives a small boost to tractive effort. This, combined with bearing, throttle, tender, and frame work, has brought her into her third career in the best shape of her life.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b Wrinn 2000, p. 4.
  2. ^ Wrinn 2000, p. 6.
  3. ^ a b c Wrinn 2000, p. 13.
  4. ^ Wrinn 2000, p. 14.
  5. ^ Wrinn 2000, p. 26.
  6. ^ SOU 4501 on the Illinois Central
  7. ^ a b c Wrinn 2000, pp. 39–41.
  8. ^ SOU 4501 on the Nickel Plate Road
  9. ^ http://www.railpictures.net/photo/375868/
  10. ^ Wrinn 2000, p. 113.
  11. ^ Wrinn 2000, pp. 115–116.
  12. ^ Wrinn 2000, pp. 90–91.
  13. ^ Norfolk Southern Plans to End Nostalgic Steam Locomotive Program
  14. ^ http://www.steamcentral.com/archive/dates1994.html
  15. ^ Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum photo of 4501 in restoration Retrieved January 8, 2014
  16. ^ http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2014/03/no-4501-completes-fra-test-moves-closer-to-operation Retrieved March 6, 2014
  17. ^ http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/sep/06/a-century-of-steamrare-locomotive-built-in-1911/266461/ Retrieved September 6, 2014
  18. ^ And Then There Was One - Vignette #2: Mainline Return
  19. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20150614035805/http://www.tvrail.com/pages/21st-century-steam/ Retrieved 2015/06/14
  20. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20150905064525/http://www.tvrail.com/events-exhibits/rides/21st-century-steam Retrieved 2015/09/05
  21. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20151003133647/http://www.tvrail.com/ Retrieved 2015/10/03
  22. ^ http://www.linkmuseum.org/
  23. ^ http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2016/09/12-new-southern-4501-documentary-highlights-locomotives-history-caretakers
  24. ^ http://theroundhousepodcast.com/2016/11/27/050-southern-railway-4501-documentary/
  25. ^ Ray, G. Mark (May 2014). "Secrets of a Steam Star". Trains. 74 (5): 18.
  • Wrinn, Jim (2000), Steam's Camelot: Southern and Norfolk Southern Excursions in Color (1st ed.), TLC Publishing, ISBN 1-883089-56-5
  • Drury, George H. (1993). Guide to North American Steam Locomotives. Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-206-2.
  • Morgan, David P. (1968). Locomotive 4501. Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Publishing.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Railway_4501&oldid=761202352"