Our July 26, 2010 program will be by Bill Thomas on “The Little River Railroad at Townsend, Tennessee” and Refreshments will be provided by David Millen
Day: July 20, 2010
Next month, look for information covering shirt orders with the Western Kentucky Chapter NRHS logo. Shirt types range from T-shirts, sweat shirts, and golf or polo style. Colors options and other details will be forthcoming in next month’s issue of “The PennyRail”.
Pictures and/or historical information on the Chattanooga Traction Company, predecessor line of Southern Railway’s Redbank or Signal Mountain branch in north Chattanooga, TN. (have checked web) – Bill Thomas, bill@fbcmadisonville.com
- WKNRHS – July 26, Chapter Meeting in Madisonville, L&N Depot.
- SummeRail at Cincinnati Union Terminal – Click Here for Details
- Chapter Fall Picnic at Crofton – Saturday, October 9, 2010, noon until ?
Joe Thomas takes in the railroad scenery as he and siblings and dad roll into Birmingham, AL, aboard the Amtrak Crescent in June. – Photo by Bill Thomas
CINCINNATI RAILROAD CLUB and MIAMI VALLEY RAILFANS Present SUMMERAIL AT C.U.T.
1:00 PM to 10:00 PM and RAILROAD SHOW AND SALE
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, in the Rotunda on Saturday, August 14, 2010 at Cincinnati Union Terminal, 1301 Western Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio
Join us at this historic art deco railroad terminal to escape the summer heat and enjoy a day of high quality railroad photography. There will be twelve 222 multimedia digital and dual-projector slide presentations, all set to music. The programs will run from 1:00 – 10:00 p.m., with a break for dinner (on your own) from approximately 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. Admission is $15.
A railroad show and sale will be set up in the terminal rotunda from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Friday August 13 in CUT Auditorium will be some traditional “talkie” programs from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Admission is free. Thursday August 12 in Tower A will be the Cincinnati Railroad Club’s monthly business meeting at 8:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Plans call for steam to ride the Norfolk Southern rails again, through display and excursion program with TVRM
NORFOLK, VA., and CHATTANOOGA, TENN. — Norfolk Southern Corporation is in negotiations with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum with regard to the operation of a limited schedule of steam locomotive event appearances and passenger excursions beginning later this year. “21st Century Steam” would highlight milestones in rail history and provide an opportunity for audiences to learn about today’s safe and service-oriented freight railroads.
The program would feature three venerable coal-powered steam locomotives: Southern Railway 4501: Built in 1911 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, 4501 served Southern Railway in freight service in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana, before being sold to a short line railroad. No. 4501 was retired from revenue service in 1963 and enjoyed a second career in the excursion program operated by Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern from 1966 until 1994. This Ms (Mikado superheated) Class locomotive has 63-inch driving wheels.
Southern Railway 630: Built in 1904 at the Richmond, Va., works of American Locomotive Company, this Consolidation-type locomotive has traveled throughout the Southeast, often in the company of 4501 and sister locomotive 722. An extensive six-year rehabilitation to Federal Railroad Administration standards is being completed at TVRM’s Soule Shops complex in Chattanooga.
Tennessee Valley Railroad 610: Built in 1952 by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton for the U.S. Army, 610 has been the mainstay of TVRM steam operations since 1990. It also appeared on several Norfolk Southern steam excursions from 1990 to 1993. No. 610, also a Consolidation type, was one of the last steam locomotives built in the U.S.
“This is the right time for steam to ride the Norfolk Southern rails,” said CEO Wick Moorman. “We have a fascinating history, and we have a compelling message about how today’s railroads support jobs, competition, and the economy. It is a forward-looking message that resonates with people everywhere.”
“21st Century Steam can help introduce historic and modern railroading to a broad new audience of supporters,” said TVRM President Tim Andrews. “We are pleased to be developing this relationship with Norfolk Southern for the purpose of preserving and interpreting the steam age, and of bringing today’s railroad closer to people young and old, in communities large and small.” The launch of 21st Century Steam would coincide with key dates. 2011 will be 4501’s 100th birthday and TVRM’s 50th. The year 2012 will mark Norfolk Southern’s 30th anniversary. 21st Century Steam’s initial appearances and runs tentatively could take place in the Chattanooga area this fall, with locomotives 610 and 630. No. 4501 could join the program sometime in 2011, after rehabilitation. Exhibit dates, ticketing, and other details will be announced later.
“The sights and sounds of a steam train are powerful enough to catch the public’s attention in this busy and complex age,” said Jim Wrinn, author of Steam’s Camelot: Southern and NS Excursions in Color, and editor of Trains Magazine. “A steam train is a living piece of American history that teaches volumes about this exciting industry that has much to offer our country today. Once the door is open with the steam locomotive, you’ve got an opportunity to teach a new generation how railroading is the right transportation solution to so many challenges facing us.”
Later this year, Norfolk Southern and TVRM plan to launch a web site in support of the program. Correspondence can be addressed to 21stcenturysteam@nscorp.com.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded in 1961 in Chattanooga to create an interpretive operating museum of historic equipment and artifacts in an authentic setting. Today it operates an extensive schedule of historic and scenic trains in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, supported by its East Chattanooga locomotive and car shop complex. TVRM is the largest operating historical excursion railroad in the Southeast.
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.
For Sale: a very limited number of the Earlington Bee Newspaper Coal Mining and Railroad Supplement are still available. This special supplement was printed December 3, 1903. This 49 page supplement is printed in magazine style on 11×16 inch heavy stock paper. The edition contains ten chapters. Three chapters devoted to the L&N Railroad Henderson Division, including over 75 bios on railroad employees at Earlington. Bios cover jobs worked, longest time on duty without rest, and fastest running time on the division, etc. Other chapters cover history of Western Kentucky coal fields, leading coal companies in the area and bios of the leaders in the coal business. Another chapter covers the history of Earlington. Many photographs are provided, giving readers a look at life in Western Kentucky during the early 1900’s. Twenty Three pages are devoted to ads for business in Earlington, Madisonville, and Evansville. A must buy for new and or out-of-state members. The cost of the 1903 Earlington Bee supplement is 10.00 each, plus 6.00 postage and handling. Proceeds from sales go to the Earlington Schools Reunion Association. Make checks payable to Dennis J. Carnal. Mail orders to Dennis Carnal, 704 Choctaw Drive, Madisonville, KY 42431. Phone 270-584-5491.
- Norfolk Southern Railway Company–Trackage Rights Exemption–The West Tennessee Railroad, LLC June 9, 2010 3:15 p.m. Pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement, The West Tennessee Railroad, LLC (WTNN) has agreed to grant overhead trackage rights to Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) over approximately 118.9 miles of rail line controlled by WTNN, between milepost IC-406.1 near Fulton, Ky., and milepost IC-525.0 near Ruslor Junction (Corinth), Miss.
- From the June issue of “The Nashville Retrospect” historical newspaper: “Through Sept. 30, the Metro Archives’ “All Aboard! exhibit will feature a working model train along with artifacts, maps, memorabilia, documents, and photographs centered on trains and train service in and around Nashville from the middle 1800s to the present. On June 19 (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM) the Archives will host a panel discussion on the railroads and their local impact. The exhibit, located at 3801 Green Hills Village Drive, is free and open to the public during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. For more information or directions, please call (615) 862-5880.”Steve Johnson
Those of you who attended the June meeting were treated to a great program of personal photos from Chuck Hinrich’s collection. The photos were from many places and the quality was excellent. Chuck is one of our most talented photographers
I now have a new key to the Center since it officially passed to the City of Madisonville. We have been welcomed by the Mayor and his staff to continue our use of the building for which I expressed thanks to them. Hopefully, we can enjoy the very nice location and facilities at this fine 1929 L&N Railroad Depot downtown for many years to come.
In light of the continued oil spill problems in the Gulf I thought that it was interesting to learn in the July, 2010 issue of Trains Magazine that several major railroads are continuing to study the use of biodiesel for their engines. Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, and Amtrak are all testing the use of concentrations of from 5 to 20 percent biodiesel blends made from soybeans, vegetable oil, and animal fats. Amtrak is testing a blend made from the remains of Texas cattle. Previous tests have found some problems with fuel gelling in cold weather but the biodiesel industry claims that this can be dealt with. The railroads are using diesels from both major manufacturers in their tests which include tests for reliability, overhaul and maintenance, and reviews of specific components on diesel engines. Canadian Pacific even tested the blend in the Calgary-Edmonton area which should be a revealing cold weather test and Amtrak has tested the blends on their Heartland Flyer between Ft. Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. So both cold and hot testing sites are being used. The railroads have not yet released the results of these tests but it should be interesting and might be a good way to extend the oil supply.
At this writing, member Ron Stubblefield has been in the hospital in Marion, Kentucky for about two weeks. Keep Ron and his wife, Kay in your thoughts and prayers as we all hope for a speedy recovery.
Copies of the new book Kentucky and the Illinois Central Railroad are now on sale at Walgreens Drug Stores in Madisonville, KY. These 128-page soft-cover books contain around 200 photographs. Some taken in Madisonville area including West Yard. Books are priced at 21.95. Save postage by buying one at Walgreens in Madisonville.