View source for Atlanta and West Point 290

{{short description|Preserved American 4-6-2 locomotive}}
{{Infobox locomotive
| name = Atlanta and West Point 290
| bgcolor = 000000
| color = FFFFFF
| image = A&wp290-serm-front.jpg
| caption = A&WP No. 290 at the [[Southeastern Railway Museum]] shops, awaiting for a cosmetic restoration in December 2009
| powertype = Steam
| builder = [[Lima Locomotive Works]]
| serialnumber = 7008
| builddate = March 1926
| rebuilddate = 1986–1989
| totalproduction = 
| whytetype = [[4-6-2]]
| uicclass = 2′C1′ h2
| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| leadingdiameter = {{convert|33|in|m|3|abbr=on}}
| driverdiameter = {{convert|73|in|m|3|abbr=on}}
| trailingdiameter = {{convert|43|in|m|3|abbr=on}}
| length = {{convert|72|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| weightondrivers = {{convert|192500|lb|t|1|abbr=on}}
| locoweight = {{convert|303500|lb|t|1|abbr=on}}
| locotenderweight = {{convert|504000|lb|t|1|abbr=on}}
| fueltype = [[Coal]]
| firearea = 
| boilerpressure = {{convert|200|psi|MPa|2|abbr=on|lk=on}}
| cylindercount = Two, outside
| cylindersize = {{convert|27|x|28|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| fuelcap = Old tender: {{convert|15|t|abbr=on}}<br />New tender: {{convert|20|t|abbr=on}}
| watercap = Old tender: {{convert|11000|usgal|abbr=on}}<br />New tender: {{convert|9500|usgal|abbr=on}}
| valvegear = [[Baker valve gear|Baker]]
| maxspeed = {{convert|90|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}
| tractiveeffort = {{convert|47500|lb|t|1|abbr=in}}
| factorofadhesion = 4.11
| operator = [[Atlanta and West Point Railroad]]<br>(1926-1954)<br>New Georgia Railroad<br>(1989-1992)
| operatorclass = P-74
| numinclass = 1st of 2
| fleetnumbers = 290
| retiredate = 1954 {{small|(revenue service)}}<br>1992 {{small|(excursion service)}}
| preservedunits = 1958
| restoredate = 1989
| currentowner = Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society
| disposition = In storage, awaiting cosmetic restoration
}}
'''Atlanta and West Point 290''' is a P-74 [[steam locomotive]] built in March 1926 by the Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in [[Lima, Ohio]] for the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. It is a [[4-6-2]] heavy "[[4-6-2|Pacific]]" type steam locomotive, which was remarkably similar to the [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]]'s [[Southern Railway Ps-4 class|Ps-4 class]]. With sister locomotive No. 190 built for the [[Western Railway of Alabama]] (WRA), No. 290 ferried the Southern Railway's ''[[Crescent (train)|Crescent]]'' passenger train on the [[West Point Route]] between [[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]] to [[Montgomery, Alabama]] until its retirement from revenue service in 1954. 

In 1958, the No. 290 locomotive was preserved and put on static display at the city of Atlanta's Lakewood Park until 1961 when it was donated to the Atlanta Chapter of the [[National Railway Historical Society]] (NRHS). In 1989, the locomotive was restored to operating condition for the New Georgia Railroad (NGRX) program, running [[excursion train]]s around the [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] state from Atlanta to [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]], [[Augusta, Georgia|Augusta]], [[Brunswick, Georgia|Brunswick]], [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]], and [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]] on [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] (NS) and [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] rails.

At the end of 1992, No. 290 was retired due to [[running gear (rail transport)|running gear]] issues and was currently dissembled at the Southeastern Railway Museum (SRM) in [[Duluth, Georgia]]. With no plans to be restored back to operating condition, the locomotive is stored inside the SRM's [[backshop]], waiting for a full cosmetic restoration.

==History==
===Revenue service===
No. 290 along with sister locomotive No. 190, are both heavy P-74 Pacific steam locomotives built in March 1926 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio.<ref name="Steamlocomotive.com">{{cite web| url=http://www.steamlocomotive.com/pacific/?page=wpr| title=Western Railway of Alabama / Georgia Railroad / Atlanta & West Point / West Point Route 4-6-2 "Pacific" Type Locomotives| website=SteamLocomotive.com| first1=Steve| last1=Llanso| first2=Richard| last2=Duley| access-date=December 23, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202123151/http://steamlocomotive.com/pacific/?page=wpr| archive-date=December 2, 2010| url-status=dead}}</ref> They were based on the [[USRA Heavy Pacific]] design and have a very similar appearance to the Southern Railway Ps-4 class.<ref name="Boyd2000pp66-67">{{Harvp|Boyd|2000|pp=66-67}}.</ref><ref name="Hanson2007p82">{{Harvp|Hanson|2007|p=82}}.</ref> No. 290 was assigned to the Atlanta and West Point Railway (A&WP), while No. 190 served the Western Railway of Alabama (WRA).<ref name="BryantJr.1962pp58-59">{{Harvp|Bryant Jr.|1962|pp=58-59}}.</ref> Both roads were under the common control of the [[Georgia Railroad and Banking Company|Georgia Railroad]] and all operated as essentially one railroad, although being legally separate.<ref name="BryantJr.1962pp58-59"/>

Nos. 290 and 190 were both assigned to ferry the Southern Railway's ''Crescent'' passenger train on the West Point Route between Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama. While one locomotive was traveling southbound with the ''Crescent'', the other would take the northbound counterpart. The locomotives would then be turned around at their terminal point for the reverse run. As a result, it was common to see both locomotives in both Atlanta and Montgomery. However, WRA and A&WP crews would swap in [[West Point, Georgia]] where the two lines met. When the train arrived in Montgomery, the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]] (L&N) would complete the final leg of the ''Crescent'' train's journey to [[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]].<ref name="Hanson2007p82"/><ref name="BryantJr.1962pp58-59"/> 

During the 1940s, Nos. 290 and 190 were given upgrades such as multiple-bearing crossheads replacing their original alligator crossheads and a Standard HT [[mechanical stoker]] was added inside the tender to deliver the coal from the bunker into the firebox.<ref name="Keefe1989p33">{{Harvp|Keefe|1989|p=33}}.</ref>

===First retirement and attempted lease===
In 1954, No. 190 was retired and scrapped, and No. 290 was scheduled to follow suit, but former SR employee Emory Ivie became aware of the locomotive's disposition, so he contacted [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] columnist Leo Aikman and suggested that the locomotive should be preserved.<ref name="Keefe1989p33" /><ref name="ClassicTrains">{{Cite web |last=Keefe |first=Kevin |date=April 10, 2017 |title=Getting wistful about Atlanta & West Point 290 |url=https://cs.trains.com/ctr/b/mileposts/archive/2017/04/10/getting-wistful-about-atlanta-amp-west-point-290.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507203138/https://cs.trains.com/ctr/b/mileposts/archive/2017/04/10/getting-wistful-about-atlanta-amp-west-point-290.aspx |archive-date=May 7, 2017 |access-date=November 27, 2021 |work=Classic Trains |publisher=[[Kalmbach Media]]}}</ref><ref name=":Tugofwar">{{Cite magazine |last=Phillips |first=Don |date=January 1966 |title=Tug of war over a great lady |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/magazine/archive-access/trains-january-1966/ |url-access=limited |access-date=April 11, 2024 |magazine=Trains |publisher=Kalmbach Publishing |page=15 |volume=26 |issue=3}}</ref> Other columnists and railfans quickly petitioned the A&WP into preserving No. 290, and in May 1958, the railroad’s then-president Clyde Mixon agreed to have the locomotive donated to the city of Atlanta.<ref name="Keefe1989p33"/><ref name=":Tugofwar" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wells |first=Frank |date=May 5, 1958 |title=City Given Old 290, Proud Steam Engine |work=The Atlanta Constitution |pages=1; 6 |via=Newspapers.com |volume=90 |issue=272}}</ref> In July that same year, No. 290 was put on display at the Southeastern Fairgrounds in Atlanta's Lakewood Park, and the ''290 Club'' was formed to oversee the locomotive's display.<ref name="Keefe1989p33"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cremin |first=Dorothy |date=July 13, 1958 |title=Old 290 Heads for Place Of Honor at Lakewood Park |work=The Atlanta Journal |page=47 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Within ensuing years, some additional rolling stock was put on display alongside No. 290, but the expansion was hoarding up space, agitating officials from the Southeastern Fairgrounds.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Aikman |first=Leo |date=October 4, 1965 |title=Public Involved In '290' Issue |work=The Atlanta Constitution |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |volume=98 |issue=94}}</ref>

In 1965, fairground officials asked for No. 290 and the rolling stock to be removed and displayed elsewhere, and the locomotive was donated to the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) with SR president [[W. Graham Claytor Jr.]] helping move the locomotive into storage at the Inman Yard in Atlanta.<ref name="Boyd2000pp66-67" /><ref name=":Tugofwar" /> At that time, Claytor made an attempt to lease the No. 290 locomotive by significantly altering its appearance with SR passenger Virginian green and gold paint scheme to resemble a SR Ps-4 locomotive for use on their steam excursion program.<ref name="Boyd2000pp66-67" /><ref name=":Tugofwar" /><ref name="Wrinn2000p11">{{Harvp|Wrinn|2000|p=11}}.</ref> However, the A&WP was not keen on one of their former locomotives being repainted into the livery of one of their rivals, and they threatened to sue the SR for $50,000 if their lease on No. 290 came to fruition.<ref name="Boyd2000pp66-67" /><ref name=":Tugofwar" /><ref name="Wrinn2000p11" /> Subsequently, No. 290 was instead moved to Duluth, Georgia for display at the Atlanta Chapter's Southeastern Railway Museum.<ref name="Keefe1989p33" />

===Excursion service===
In 1986, the New Georgia Railroad (NGRX), a sponsored tourist excursion railroad operated by the Georgia Building Authority in Atlanta, leased the No. 290 locomotive for use in running excursions around the Georgia state.<ref name="Keefe1989p33"/><ref>{{Cite book|last=Drury|first=George H.|year=1990|title=Guide to Tourist Railroads and Railroad Museums|edition=3rd|publisher=Kalmbach Books|isbn=0-89024-103-1|page=69|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/guidetotouristra0000drur}}</ref> No. 290 was towed to the Southeastern Railcar company in Duluth, Georgia for some patch-up work performed by Finnegan Boiler Works and then moved to the former Pullman Yard in Atlanta, where the full restoration work began with supervision of former [[Seaboard Coast Line Railroad|Seaboard Coast Line]] (SCL) [[road foreman of engines|road foreman]] Wallace Haywood.<ref name="Keefe1989p33"/> During the restoration work, No. 290's original tender body was discovered to be very poor condition and it was replaced with a newly welded one which had the coal capacity increased from {{convert|15|ST|lb}} to {{convert|20|ST|lb}} while the water capacity was decreased from {{convert|11000|usgal|L}} to {{convert|9500|usgal|L}}.

In 1989, No. 290 was restored to operating condition and moved under its own power for the first time in 35 years.<ref name="Keefe1989p32">{{Harvp|Keefe|1989|p=32}}.</ref> It pulled its inaugural excursion train on September 10, running from Atlanta to Macon and back.<ref name="ClassicTrains"/> Afterwards, it continued to run more excursion to Athens, Augusta, Brunswick, and Savannah on Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX rails.<ref name="Wrinn2000p89">{{Harvp|Wrinn|2000|p=89}}.</ref> Additionally, it replaced [[Savannah and Atlanta 750]], which was retired due to repairs in its firebox being too expensive.<ref name="Keefe1989p33"/>

In early 1991, No. 290 was sent to Norfolk Southern's Norris Yard Steam Shop in [[Irondale, Alabama]] to have its [[Glossary of boiler terms#Crown sheet|crown sheet]] inspected.<ref name="Wrinn2000p89"/> Shortly thereafter, the NGRX made an agreement with NS to borrow No. 290 as a substitute to [[Norfolk and Western 611]] and [[Norfolk and Western 1218|1218]], which were both under maintenance at that time.<ref name="Wrinn2000p89"/> On April 6 and 7, No. 290 hauled two round trip excursions from [[Birmingham, Alabama]] to [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]] for the [[Alabama|Heart of Dixie]] Chapter NRHS and the following weekend round trips out of [[Jacksonville, Florida]] to [[Valdosta, Georgia]] for the [[North Florida]] Chapter NRHS.<ref name="Wrinn2000p89"/><ref name="Wrinn2000p118">{{Harvp|Wrinn|2000|p=118}}.</ref> Afterwards, the locomotive returned to the NGRX to continue haul more excursion trips in Georgia.<ref name="Wrinn2000p89"/>

On Friday, August 21, 1992, No. 290 ran the highly anticipated excursion trip from Atlanta, Georgia to Montgomery, Alabama for the Atlanta Chapter NRHS on both ex-A&WP and WRA rails, via CSX.<ref name="1992Excursions">{{Cite web|last=Craft|first=John|year=1992|title=1992 US Excursion Schedules|url=http://www.steamcentral.com/archive/dates1992.html|work=SteamCentral|access-date=June 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625140933/http://www.steamcentral.com/archive/dates1992.html|archive-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref name="TrainsMagazineNovember1992">{{Cite magazine|last=Ingles|first=J. David|date=November 1992|title=A Happy Homecoming for A&WP 290|magazine=Trains|volume=52|issue=11|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing|pages=30–31}}</ref> On the next day, No. 290 ran five round-trip excursions out of Montgomery to [[Dothan, Alabama]] before returning to Atlanta on August 23.<ref name="1992Excursions"/><ref name="TrainsMagazineNovember1992"/> At the end of 1992, No. 290 was taken out of service for extensive repair work to its running gear.<ref name="ClassicTrains"/>

===Second retirement===
There were originally plans to have the No. 290 locomotive be ready in time for the 1994 Atlanta Chapter NRHS convention, but the NGRX program was shut down due to its sponsorship with the [[Government of Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia state government]] being discontinued.<ref name="ClassicTrains"/> Additionally, both NS and CSX railroads banned main line steam excursion trips on their trackage the following year due to [[liability insurance]].<ref name="ClassicTrains"/><ref>{{Harvp|Wrinn|2000|pp=100-102}}.</ref> The No. 290 locomotive is currently disassembled inside the Southeastern Railway Museum's backshop in Duluth, Georgia, waiting for a full cosmetic restoration.<ref name="ClassicTrains"/> There are currently no plans to restore the locomotive back to operating condition again.<ref name="ClassicTrains"/> Therefore, it will be put back on display once the cosmetic restoration work is finished.<ref name="ClassicTrains"/>

==In popular culture==
In 1991, No. 290 made its first ever film appearance in the [[comedy-drama]] film ''[[Fried Green Tomatoes]]'', starring [[Kathy Bates]] and [[Mary Stuart Masterson]].<ref name="ClassicTrains"/><ref name="Wrinn2000p29">{{Harvp|Wrinn|2000|p=29}}.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Atlantic Coast Line 1504]]
*[[Florida East Coast 153]]
*[[Norfolk and Western 578]]
*[[Southern Pacific 2467]]
*[[Southern Pacific 2472]]
*[[Southern Railway 1401]]
*[[U.S. Sugar 148]]
{{Portal bar|Trains|Georgia (U.S. state)}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{Cite book|last=Boyd|first=Jim|year=2000|title=The Steam Locomotive: A Century of North American Classics|edition=1st|publisher=[[Barnes & Noble|Barnes & Noble Books]]|isbn=0-7607-1627-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/steamlocomotive00jimb}}
*{{Cite book|last=Bryant Jr.|first=H. Stafford|year=1962|title=The Georgian Locomotive|edition=1st|publisher=Weathervane|isbn=0-517-172666|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/georgianlocomoti0000brya}}
*{{Cite book|last=Hanson|first=Robert|year=2007|title=The West Point Route: The Atlanta & West Point Rail Road and The Western Railway of Alabama|publisher=TLC Publishing|isbn=978-0-9766201-4-3}}
*{{Cite magazine|last=Keefe|first=Kevin P.|date=December 1989|title=Big, Bold, Beautiful|magazine=Trains|volume=50|issue=2|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing|pages=31–33}}
*{{Cite book|last=Wrinn|first=Jim|year=2000|title=Steam's Camelot: Southern and Norfolk Southern Excursions in Color|edition=1st|publisher=TLC Publishing|isbn=1-883089-56-5}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{Cite book|last=Prince|first=Richard E.|year=1962|title=Steam Locomotives and History: Georgia Railroad and West Point Route|edition=1st|publisher=Wheelwright Lithographing Company|isbn=0-9600088-6-1}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.train-museum.org/locomotives-rolling-stock/locomotives/ Southeastern Railway Museum Locomotives]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlanta And West Point 290}}
[[Category:Individual locomotives of the United States]]
[[Category:4-6-2 locomotives]]
[[Category:Atlanta and West Point Railroad]]
[[Category:Lima locomotives]]
[[Category:Preserved steam locomotives of Georgia]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1926]]
[[Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States]]