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vincentberkan — Southern 4501 in 1966

Published: 2016-08-02 14:54:54 +0000 UTC; Views: 2459; Favourites: 16; Downloads: 0
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Description This is an old postcard I found on eBay, I don't own the photograph.

This is a photograph of Southern Railroad #4501 when she was first restored for the Southern's Steam Program in 1966. In this photograph, she is around 54 - 55 ears old at the time. Note that she still has her original tender.

#4501 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA in October 1911 (serial number 37085) for the Southern Railroad. It was the first of 182 Ms class 2-8-2s built for the Southern Railroad by Baldwin, ALCo, and Lima from 1911 - 1914, and 1917. The Ms class locomotives has 63 inch driving wheels, a boiler pressure of 175 psi, a tractive effort of 53,500 lbs., and they weighed 136 tons each (175 tons with tender). They served the Southern Railroad hauling freight. 10 were retired in 1939 when the Southern purchased their first diesel locomotives. But further retirements were postponed when the USA entered World War 2. During the war, the locomotive were fitted with manual stokers, increased power pressure, and a shortened cab which gave them a brutish look. In 1948, retirements began again, with a majority of the engines going down between 1949 - 1952, and by June 1953, only a few of them were left on the Southern's active roster. The ones that were active were the engines assigned to the Alabama Great Southern subsidiary. In 1954, the last locomotive dumped its fire for the last time as the golden age of steam on the Southern Railroad was over.

#4501 was lucky. She was one of the first engines retired in 1948. Her lack of a manual stoker caught the eye of Mr. Bruce, the chief mechanic of the Kentucky & Tennessee Railroad Company and she was sold to the K&T for $8,225.00. She was then renumbered to 12 and continued hauling freight, lumber, and coal with the K&T's other 2-8-2s, 1920 Baldwin #10, and 1922 ALCo #11. In February 1964, the K&T bought 3 ALCo S-4 diesels from the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the steam locomotives were retired. Paul Merriman, the first president of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN, heard that the K&T was planning to dieselize and he bought the locomotive for $5,000 of his own money. From 1966 - 1994, 4501 starred in the Southern's Steam Program, even starred in 3 motion pictures. In September 1998, #4501 was taken out of the service. In September 2014, 4501 was brought back to life after a 3 year restoration (with a manual stoker and superheater installed) and she continues today to haul excursions trains like did back in the 1960s - 1990s.
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Comments: 5

AlanPegler [2021-05-18 03:41:20 +0000 UTC]

A very different time.

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Zephyr4501 [2016-08-02 17:12:10 +0000 UTC]

Very nice! I find it very cool that she has that Auxiliary Tanker that she originally used.

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vincentberkan In reply to Zephyr4501 [2016-08-02 19:59:56 +0000 UTC]

That's a tank car.

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Zephyr4501 In reply to vincentberkan [2016-08-02 21:22:58 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, I know it is. It was used as an Auxiliary Tender before 4501 got a "real" one.

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vincentberkan In reply to Zephyr4501 [2016-08-02 22:47:03 +0000 UTC]

Oh. I see.

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