Lets hope that reason overcomes the popular insanity that is the order of the day.
http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/Western_%26_Atlantic_Railroad_'General'
Talking about the “General?” I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s well=insulated in that museum.
I agree with you on the hysteria going on right now. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker said it a long time ago, “Never underestimate the power of hysteria!”
And it is not the ‘General Lee’! It is the General, without association with any particular named army.
The RF&P here in Virginia had a 4-8-4 named the “General Robert E. Lee,” howver it was sent for scrap many moons ago.
Too bad, those “Generals,” “Governors,” and “Statesmen” locomotives were fine machines, it’s a shame none were saved.
Yes, and it’s not even so specific so as to have a “The”, it’s just “General” like the loco chasing it was just “Texas”.
These are the most impressive models of the “Great Locomotive Chase” locomotives you’re likely to see. They were hand carved from ivory by Mooney Warther between 1905 and 1971. In those days ivory was legal. These days, it’s double jeopardy if society turns against something in such a radical way. If you’ve never seen the Warther carvings, you should come to Ohio! [#welcome]
But anyways. Destroying historical monuments serves no purpose. Wish more railroads had looked at their equipment in that vein and saved some of the icons for posterity.
People got in the habit of saying, “The General” after the Buster Keaton classic film, one of my all-time favourites! In any event, the locomotive is the real article!
I’m not sure, but I think the Warther Collection was featured on “Tracks Ahead” about 20 or so years ago. If that’s the case the carved locomotives featured were absolutely jaw dropping.
Don’t get me started on taking down Confederate statues, and I’m a Yankee!
Probably, but we never had Tracks Ahead in my area. The only parts of the show I know are the segments included in a documentary collection called “World’s Greatest Railroads” I bought at Target.
This one was Mooney’s personal favorite:
Note that he carved each individual part (including thousands of rivets), everything is dry fit, no adhesives, self lubricating and MOVES. This loco turns majesticaly on a turntable as it’s drivers slowly rotate.
Anyways, I don’t want to hijack.
Don’t worry about hijacking the thread Becky, it’s always a thrill to look at astonishing pieces of craftsmanship, and they ARE astonishing!
Wayne
PS: We had “Tracks Ahead” on and off for quite a while here, it seemed like the local PBS station couldn’t figure out what to do with it.
Anyone know where “The General” was filmed?
Did they actually wreck an operable lines’ trestle to film it?
There is far more behind it then you realize. While I agree that valid historical monuments should be preserved what your not understanding is a lot of these so called “historical monuments” were erected by the KKK or ancillary groups sympathetic to the KKK. And even to this day new ones are being erected by KKK infiltrated front groups. Now hey, if the KKK was being racially sensitive or historically accurate with the monuments then maybe you might persuade yourself to be neutral but thats not the case. Some of the past monuments were used as KKK gathering places or cross burnings.
Now when folks are made aware of the above they say. “Hey what does it matter, the memorial is on private land and a man is free to do what they want with their own private land”.
While that is true if you look at other Confederate Monuments around the country erected in the early 1900’s they too were erected on private land (such as Stone Mountain in Georgia, carved on land owned by a Klan sympathizer). So what is wrong with that is the KLAN is not stupid, they will wait for a period of racial tension and then make a case that gee we can no longer afford upkeep to this monument…wouldn’t you the State of Georgia like to buy it and take it over (1958 during the Jim Crow debates). And walla! Now the private monument isn’t so private anymore, the KLAN gets taxpayer money (directly or indirectly), and the monument is protected by government and state law. Some of the monuments are just downright offensive such as the “Happy Slave” mo
The General was filmed on a now long gone logging Railway in central Oregon. They simply used the trains and 4-4-0 locomotives the Railway already had. They simply built prop passenger and box cars on the flatcars used to haul sawn lumber and logs. The trestle were all part of the existing right of way. The finale with the loco falling thru the burning trestle was filmed on a real bridge that they cut away almost all of the structure till it would barely support the train, the fire was real and a mannequin was placed in the engineer seat for the one and only filming take, and hulk of the engine remained in the creek for years until scrapped during WW2.
Excerpt from Pacific Coast Miner, Sept. 5, 1903
The work on the Oregon Southeastern Railroad Company, connecting Cottage Grove with the Bohemia district, is being pushed rapidly. Rails and ties are on the ground, and it is anticipated that connections with the mining camp will be made before the rains begin. One hundred and fifty men are working on the electric plant on Frank Brice Creek, which will operate concentrators and drills and the tram line connecting the Helena, Champion and Musick mines. The three 10-stamp mills of these properties have been combined into one and the tramways connecting them where there are no tunnels have been shedded so as to prevent interference by heavy snowfalls. A tunnel is being driven through Grouse Mountain to reach the Broadway vein, recently purchased by the Oregon Securities Company. The power line will be operated by the 15th inst., it is thought. Mr. J.H. Pierson is general manager of the railroad, and is connected also with the mining operations of the allied company.
Excerpt from Cottage Grove Historic Context Statement (1992)
The Oregon South Eastern built a railroad towards Row River in 1902. Governor Geer arrived from Salem to dedicate the railroad by turning the first spade of earth. The OS&E became known as the “Old Slow and Easy.” lt traveled to the end of the line at the junction of Row River and Sharps Creek and was used to transport supplies to, and gold from, the mines. From the beginning the Old Slow and Easy was used as an excursion train. When Bohemia mines were at peak production it is estimated that there were 1500 to 1800 people residing in and around t
And it is not the ‘General Lee’! It is the General, without association with any particular named army.
Why am I visualizing someone wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes in the cab with the engineer of this mythical locomotive?
[:$][#welcome] upvote!
Why now? Whats with this all of of a sudden?
Good post, CMStPnP. It’s about moving time for those statues of Confederate generals, etc… They should be relocated to battlefields or military cemetaries.
For the Confederate Monuments - Establish a ‘Losers Memorial Park’ - these are the leaders of a failed ideology that commited treason, waged and lost a war against the United States of America trying to implement that ideology forever. The losers fought valiantly and lost. May it be forever remembered THEY LOST and were a large blemish on the history of the USA. The icons they used in battle also lost.