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No steam this year on Great Smoky Mountains
I appricate the update and explination as to the current situation.,
Steam would be nice, but they really need to do some Serious right of way trimming among other things. Or get some F units!
What became of the 1149, Swedish steam engine? I thought GSMR purchased it some time ago.
Just keep up the great articles and letting us know whats happening.
Although it is too bad that they’re not operating steam this season, an “excursion” trip behind a Geep-7 or Geep-9 on the Great Smokey Mountains route might be ALMOST as much fun as a steam-powered trip.
GP-7s/9s are pretty much musuem pieces themselves these days.
A very thoughtful and truthful explanation of the realities of doing business in the present day!
From what I saw they destroyed two steam locomotives. I seriously doubt the can find all the parts they scattered all over to lie in the rain and rust. They just had to have the 722 or bust. Pitiful.
Tennessee is a beautiful state, but still no choo-choo to Cattanooga. How sad. I’d love to go. Getting around Tennesse is so difficult on transportation other than going by car.
U.S. Army 2-8-0 No. 1702 was a sad-looking little engine, with its cab just a few feet off the ground. I wish GSMR would focus all resources on the Southern 2-8-0. Just as good would be to find an operable F unit and paint it in black, white and gold. (That’s what I saw operating over this line when I was a boy.)
This truly makes me sad and sickened. I’ve ridden behind the 722 when it was being operated and taken care of by a certain organization who should have gotten it to begin with. This man should know better. It does not take a genious to know to properly store parts for a disasembled loco. 18 months to restore each? Ha! That’s a laugh considering the pictures I’ve seen of everything just scattered everywhere and probably already rusted beyond any kind of relief. How arrogant of him to describe how he wasted money on another loco, money that could have gone into where it needed to be. I am willing to say you will not see any kind of restoration of any kind for years to come. And even then it’s questionable. Very very sad waste of beautiful equipment.