Hello,
Did any of the Southern Railway’s Ps4 pacifics ever make it to Asheville or anywhere in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina?
Cheese
Im not certain. I think you refer to the ones similar to the Cresent Pacific that pulled FDR’s funeral train down in Wash Dc at the Smithsonian. These pacifics got into everything. It could very well have been dispatched to those locations. You might want to contact the historical societys in the area and ask.
North carolina I think is Clinchfield Country while Tennessee is L&N.
Yes,
Southern #1401 at the Smithsonian is a Ps4. The only surviving Ps4 to be exact.
While the Clinchfeild did run in North Carolina and the L&N in Tennessee, the Southern had a very strong presence in those states, especially in the areas mentioned. The ACL and Seaboard were in the eastern parts, and the N&W had a line that ran into Winston-Salem, as well as the Abingdon Branch in North Carolina, but the Southern ran all over the state. with no less than 4 lines into and out of Asheville, NC.
The Southern aslo has a stong presence in Tennessee as well, but shared the Spotlight in some areas with the L&N, NC&StL, and the Frisco in Memphis.
The reason I ask this is that the 4-8-2’s were the primary passenger engines in these parts due to the hilly areas, such as Saluda Grade and a few others, as they were (obviously) stronger pullers than the Ps4s, and I have heard people say it’s douptfull that they even made it into Asheville.
So any information, even rumors, would be appriciated.
Cheese
Please excuse the naivete of a newcomer…the January, 2008 issue of Trains has a wonderful article on Ps4 Pacifics.
Yes,
Thank you, but I am aware of that, but I’m glad you chipped in and welcome to the forums.
As a matter of fact, the part in the Trains article mentioned that it was unlikely the Ps4’s ever made it into the Mountains on NC and Tennessee, which is why I posted this asking others if they knew that for certain.
Cheese
I was just spending a little time browsing this morning, while enjoying a cup of coffee, and came across this website. Thought you might be interested.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/pacific/
I don’t know how to make the link active, but hope it might be of some help.
Wayne
(Type spacebar once) http://www.steamlocomotive.com/pacific/ (After pasting link, hit ENTER)
(New line is what makes link active)
Ah yes,
Thank you sfcouple, but I have already scoured that site for every scrap of information I could find. I appriciate your thoughtfullness though. A VERY Merry Christmas to you sir.
Cheese
Here is a wild idea… why not call the Smithsonian Museum of Technology where the Cresent Engine is kept and ask a Curaitor (Spelling?) about it and others of her Class? You think they ought to know about that engine’s travels or connect you with someone who does.
I once bought a recording of it as a child on a school trip to that museum. I dont know if I still have that recording, things like that tend to get lost to time.
And a Merry Christmas to you too…Thank you and best of luck in your search.
Thanks,
I would call the museum, but do you honesltly think some boob of a curator will know if they ever made it to Asheville? Maybe, but I doupt it. I will be getting into contact with some historical societies soon, fo they will be sure to know more than a curator. But it was a good suggestion.
Thank you both for your help.
Cheese
Maybe that “Boob” as you refer to may not have the exact ANSWER you are looking for. But I bet HE or SHE has the goods on that very engine and others of her Class. Maybe there will be information as to records from the Southern Railroad that RAN the engine somewhere. The Smithsonian is pretty good with historical understanding of pretty much everything in the place, particularly where it’s been, built, used, who used it etc.
The Smithsonian isnt some hayseed museum with blowing tumbleweed and aged men set on a bench and saying “A-yuh I remember it 60 years ago just like yesterday.”
Keep in mind good things are found by those who seek.
I see,
Thank you for correcting me on my assumption of the Smithsonian. I will try to get in contact with them soonn.
Cheese
Good luck!
And a Merry Christmas to you too lol.
We recently visited a tourist attraction of old ships at a local pier in San Francisco. They had a docent on hand to answer questions and I was very impressed with the depth of his knowledge. So don’t give up on the idea of someone at the Smithsonian being able to help. You will be surprised at how much info they have tucked away in all their many years of experience.
Cheese,
I kind of doubt it. A good candidate would be the Sunnyland. Seems it was a short train that ran west of Asheville. The Southern scrapped all their steam in 1953. I have seen some pictures of the Asheville Special, all heavyweight and powered by a 4-8-2. Southern streamlined a Pacific (1380) to run the Eastern leg of the Tennesean, Washington to about Lnychburg, but was replaced by diesel on that run in 1942. Then it was sent to the Washington to Atlanta route.
Gary
Good grief Lucy: John H. White, Jr. and Bill Withun were/are curators at the Smithsonian. If memory serves, John was one of the prime movers behind getting Southern 1401 inside. I know he led the full restoration to steam and operation of the John Bull.
Thanks, Gary, your information was very helpfull. I doupt that the Ps4’s made it there too, which is why I am asking. All photos I have seen of passenger trains in this area have shown the 4-8-2’s in the lead. I also knew Southern Rwy steam ended by 1953, but thanks for the info. Cheese |
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Cheese,
Take a look at srha.com, that is the Southern Railway Historical Association webpage. There are some very good links. I did find a couple of photos of Pacifics taken in Memphis in 1935. They could have come from the Cincinnati.
Gary
Thanks,
I will be in touch with them. However, I do know that Southern’s subsidary, the CN&TOP or something like that had a fleet of Ps4s which ran in Tennessee, but I am looking for Ps4 that ran in the Specific region of Asheville and Knoxville (not including the CN&TOP).
But I will be in touch with them.
Cheese