Back in September of 1988 Ron Findley and I drove up to Chattanooga, Tennessee to ride the steam train at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM). The museum has two depots in Chattanooga. The East Chattanooga location has a turntable and shops, the Grand Junction location (the main depot) has static displays of equipment, both locomotives and cars.
At the time of our visit the museum had two ALCO model RSD-1 road switchers. The RSD-1 is a 1000 HP, six axle version of the four axle RS-1. This spread the weight of the locomotive over a larger area, helpful when running on light weight rails. Ron photographed the TVRM #8677 while it was at rest at East Chattanooga.
While the bulk of this ALCO model were built for the United States Army Transportation Corps for export to Russia during WWII, both of these units never left the United States until after the war. They eventually returned to the U.S. and were last used at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Note the angled cab walls on the unit, apparently for tight clearances on overseas railroads. While I didn’t care for the look of the cab, I did like those heavy six axle trucks . . . they add a look of muscle!
I’ve shown a number of photographs of the Southern Pacific steam locomotive #745 over the past several years. I admit to having a soft spot in my heart for the locomotive as I’ve known her since I was a kid in the 1950s and 60s. I crawled and climbed over every square inch of the beast during her earlier years on display in the Audubon Park in New Orleans.
In 2005 the restored #745 pulled a train of passenger cars around the State of Louisiana, the cars featuring exhibits of the state’s history. During the return journey back to New Orleans, the train traveled through a portion of Mississippi, running south on Canadian National’s McComb Subdivision mainline (this is the line between Chicago and New Orleans).
The #745 is a class Mk-5 Mikado (2-8-2), and was built in the Espee’s shop in Algiers, La. back in 1921. She operated on the Texas and New Orleans subsidiary of the Southern Pacific. She had been restored back to operating condition by the Louisiana Steam Train Association (LASTA) in New Orleans.
I recorded this photograph of her while in McComb, Mississippi. The date is April 30, 2005, and the locomotive is laying over for the night in McComb. Tomorrow she’ll continue south to Hammond, Louisiana where she’ll pause for a few hours to allow the citizens a chance to view the train. Late that afternoon she will head west to Baton Rouge for her next overnight.
I acquired my first digital camera during the period when the locomotive was being restored to operation back in the early 2000s, and I have quite a few images of her underway on test runs she made, as well as on her tour around the state in 2005. I may post a few of those images from time to time.
For a few years back in the mid-to-latter 1980s, there was a fledgling tourist railroad operation that ran a short excursion train behind a small 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive named Lady. The venue was in an industrial park at a place called Port Bienville in Mississippi. The excursion ran between a designated track in the park out to the interchange track a mile or so away by the CSX (former L&N) mainline. There was a short run-around there that allowed the locomotive to get to the other end of the train for its return.
The owner/engineer for the steamer was Mr. J.R. Phillips. He was a kind, older gentleman and he enjoyed showing off his locomotive to anyone who had an interest. On one of several visits to the operation, I brought my young son and daughter. This paid an unexpected benefit, as not only did we get to tour the cab of the locomotive, but also scored a short ride as she ambled through the park. J.R. even allowed my daughter Julie to blow the whistle a couple times, something she did with enthusiasm.
Steam locomotive #203, the Lady, resting for a few minutes between runs. Note the twin whistles, allowing for a bit of variety for the engineer. J.R. was indeed a master of quilling, and his artistry could raise the hairs on the back of your neck!
The #203 was a product of the Baldwin Locomotive Co. of Philadelphia, and was built in 1925. She went to the Washington & Lincolnton Railroad, a Georgia shortline. She later went to the Rockton & Rion in South Carolina. While there, she went into storage for quite a few years. In the 1980s she was acquired by others and ran excursions in Florida, and in Mississippi, one of those here in Port Bienville. A few years later, the group had to move, and she and all the rolling stock were relocated to Meridian, Miss. Nothing happened while there, so another move brought her to the Columbia and Silver Creek Railroad, also in Mississippi, where it was hoped that excursions would again run. Unfortunately that didn’t pan out either.
In 1995 the Gulf & Ohio Railways purchased the locomotive and began the task of rebuilding her for the Three Rivers Rambler, another excursion train. She seems to be doing well these days hauling folks between Knoxville, Tenn. and the Tennessee River. You can see her on their website: The Three Rivers Rambler.
Unfortunately I don’t recall the name of the photographer of this image.
On an overcast day in January of 1978, CE Hunt was roaming around the Illinois Central Gulf facilities in Shreveport, Louisiana. He spotted this ICG GP18 at rest in the servicing area and recorded it on film. I think he captured the essence of the scene, complete with a muddy puddle of water reflecting a bit of the white and orange on an otherwise dismal day.
The #9423 had an interesting career, she was delivered to the Illinois Central in 1963 wearing the black “Green Diamond” paint. After the GM&O merger, she received the new orange and white paint. She was eventually rebuilt by the railroad’s shop in Paducah, Kentucky, emerging as a GP10 numbered 8720.
She lives on today as an HO scale model produced by Life-Like, and wearing the original Green Diamond paint.
On the 28th day of February in 1969, a Friday, photographer and historian Louis Saillard recorded this view of the Illinois Central office car #9. The car is coupled to the rear of train #2, the City of New Orleans, as it makes its first stop in Hammond, Louisiana on its way north from New Orleans to Chicago. It should be a bit after 9 am on this overcast day. And it was probably chilly outside, judging by the exhaust steam from the car’s heating.
Note the train order hoops at the right. It’s a bit surprising to see the weeds growing up around the track structure. But this was a time of belt-tightening on the railroad, and that second mainline track would soon be removed.
Car #9 was built in 1917 by Pullman. The diagram sheet states “original car No. 15, renumbered to US 67, then to 15, then to no. 1, then to no. 9.”
A Canal Street streetcar is seen as it trundled by the Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its destination is the central business district further down the line. The lot full of buses is a parking and repair terminal for New Orleans Public Service, Inc. (NOPSI) just across the side street from the school. Just to the right of this view is one of the streetcar barns where the streetcars were serviced and repaired. It was quite large and fully open facing Canal Street, and was quite interesting to look into while walking down the sidewalk.
Canal Street is one of the main drags (in older days THE main drag) in New Orleans. Its head is at the Mississippi River, and it extends 3.6 miles to the northwest, its end at City Park Avenue, an area with a massive number of graveyards for the city. Part of my decision to post this old image was for sentimental reasons — Warren Easton is my old high school alma mater, having graduated there in 1966. The school building, along with the gym and support buildings, took up the entire block. I remember having a class on the 3rd floor, with windows overlooking that transit facility. I spent way too much time fixating on what lay there before me. 🙂
While the photographer and date of this photograph are unknown to me, it appears to be the early 1950s based on a couple of those automobiles.
This little steamer has been on display in various locations in Opelousas, Louisiana for better than 60 years. I first saw it while my family was traveling through Opelousas back in the early sixties. She was located in the Courthouse Square where my dad photographed the little 0-4-4T for my benefit. She was in good shape as I recall, with a relatively fresh paint job. Fast forward to December 26th of 1988 — Ron Findley and I were traveling westward from Baton Rouge to New Iberia. Taking a somewhat circuitous route, we passed through Opelousas to see if that little tea-kettle was still there. And sure enough it was. She was in rather rough shape compared to what I had remembered. Somewhere along the way she lost her pilot, boiler jacketing and lagging, and had received a rather hideous paint job. But at least she hadn’t been scrapped.
I wanted to learn a bit more about the locomotive’s history, so I started digging around. Most of what I found was simply copies from the display plaque for the locomotive. But I did manage to uncover a bit more. While the plaque claims she was built in 2004 by the Davenport, Iowa Ironworks Company, I found another source that says she was built in 1911 by the Davenport Locomotive Works (the proper name) as construction no. 1161. Not much more about the construction except to say she is a wood burner, is standard gauge, and has 35.5″ drivers powered from her 11″x16″ cylinders.
Her ownership history was this: Built for the Weil Gutman Supply Co. at Columbia Switch, LA Later sold (no date) to Caire & Graughard (Columbia, Church Place & Maxie RR #1) In 1956 was sold to Elray Kocke Service Inc. at Donaldsonville, LA Sold (no date) to Ben Prather at Alexandria, LA
At some point, she was moved to the Hwy. 190 Tourist Information Center grounds in Opelousas. About 1990 the Opelousas Kiwanis Club funded the move to locate the Mary Jane to her current home at the Orphan Train Museum located in the Le Vieux Village de Poste des Opelousas, commonly referred to as Le Vieux Village.
This photo shows her at her current location at Le Vieux Village, likely in the year 2009.
The paint job is essentially what I remember from back in the sixties, and it looks like some of her jacketing (sans lagging) has been restored to the boiler, giving it a bit cleaner look. Unfortunately a few details seem to be misapplied (note the coupler pin lifting lever (cut lever) attached to the lower extension of the pilot beam). But she still exists! 🙂
As best as I remember, it was the summer of 1965 that I was out on my little Honda motorbike searching for interesting railroad “things” to see and photograph. While riding near the engine facilities in the Illinois Central’s Mays Yard in New Orleans, I spied this ALCO RS-2 locomotive at rest, painted and lettered for the company Raymond as their number 1501. Armed with my Argus C3 35mm camera, I recorded this image of the unit while wondering who this was and where she belonged. An older railfan buddy later saw the slide, and said she had come from Africa and speculated that she was headed to a shop for overhaul.
Raymond #1501 ALCO RS-2 locomotive in the Illinois Central’s Mays Yard in New Orleans. There must have been good eating in the yard judging from the number of pigeons hanging around!
I recently came across this photo buried in a box, and again wondered about its history, so did a bit of digging. She was built in April of 1949 and was delivered to the Lehigh & New England Railroad as their number 651. In September of 1961 she was sold to Raymond International who bought several L&NE RS-2s and many gondolas, hoppers and other rolling stock. They were sent to Liberia (in west Africa) where Raymond was building a railroad in the Nimba Mountains.
She was again sold to Whisler Equipment, c. 1966-67, and then to Precision Engineering, where she was eventually scrapped.
I mentioned above that I shot this with an Argus C3 camera. Older folks may remember that camera, which was rock solid in my experience. But it did have a few flaws. The view finder did not display the actual image you would get (it showed more than you’d get). I was disappointed that I’d cut off the nose of the machine. The camera also had a less than perfect light meter, that in my case often produced under exposed images. I was too dumb to figure out how to compensate for those discrepancies. Rats!
Pictured is a Louisiana Midland freight train as it travels between Rhinehart and Vidalia, Louisiana. Heading up the train is former GM&O RS-1 locomotive #1120 pulling a rather rag-tag fleet of cars. The first boxcar is lettered for the Chesapeake & Ohio, followed by a Penn Central gondola and two more LOAM boxcars. The C&O car is rather curious as the reporting mark and number look to be hand lettered with spray paint, and it has no other data on it.
I’ll speculate that the train is headed westbound (last week we saw the unit as it traveled short hood forward while heading east). Photographer Dan Watson captured this photo back in 1975. If he happens to see this posting, perhaps he can shed more light on it.
This image was scanned from a print in the late Ron Findley’s collection. Tony Howe provided the photographer’s identity and the location of the train.
On a Saturday in August of 1975, Louis Saillard recorded this view of a doubled-headed eastbound freight train west of Searcy, Louisiana. Headed up by Louisiana Midland locomotives #1120 and #1111, these ALCO RS-1s are of former GM&O heritage.
The #1111 was nicknamed the “Four Aces” and was the recipient of a rather wild paint job of white, red and purple. A bit over a year ago I posted a color photo taken while it was working the pulpwood yard in Rhinehart, Louisiana. Dan Watson had relayed this tidbit to me: “The story behind this paint scheme was that the LOAM General Manager dispatched the crew to the local hardware store to buy paint for the locomotive, but as cheaply as possible. They came back with several cans of paint leftovers and mismatches, but of various colors, none enough to paint the whole loco with one color. So they came up with this scheme, using what they had”.
This is another photograph from the Ron Findley collection. Tony Howe graciously provided me with the information of the who, when and where for this image.
Looking through Ron Findley’s collection, I came across a few photo prints of three of the ALCO model RS-1 locomotives that the Louisiana Midland Railway owned during its final life. Shown below is the #1107, a former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio locomotive of the same number. It appears that a crew member is adding water to the unit’s radiator via the top filler during its servicing routine. The photographer noted that the engine had overheated while pulling 54 cars.
She had been acquired in 1974, and I understand that she led a rather short life on the road due to an engine failure.
Photographed by Louis Saillard in July of 1975. Thanks to Tony Howe for providing this, and other information.
In October of 1967, Wilbur T. Golson captured this view of Reader Railroad steamers #11 and #1702 double-headed on a freight train as it was approaching a grade crossing at the DeWoody spur.
This is another of the prints in the former collection of Ron Findley. I had originally not intended to post this image as it was significantly under exposed, leaving the locomotives almost as silhouettes. But I’ve not seen many photographs of double-headed locomotives on the Reader and really wanted to share it. So with nothing to lose except for time, I tested my meager photo editing skills and managed to adjust the brightness and contrast at least to the point of something viewable. And I’m glad I did the experiment, because I really like this scene of those two steamers underway, with #11 blowing a whistle for the crossing.
Reader crewmen seemed to like riding atop of locomotive tenders. Note the crewmen, one standing on the tender tank of #11, and two riding on the tank of #1702.
