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Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad No. 4 is a preserved 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. It was constructed by Baldwin in 1926 as the only locomotive to be bought-new by the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad. It served the railroad by pulling coal and lumber trains throughout Clay County, West Virginia until it was retired in 1965. No. 4 was restored to operating condition by the Quakertown and Eastern Railroad for excursion service in Pennsylvania, and it made its way to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in 1978. No. 4 was subsequently used to pull tourist trains across the museum's property in Spencer, North Carolina from when its multi-year overhaul was completed in 1986 to when its flue time expired in 2001. The locomotive spent fourteen years in storage, waiting for a rebuild that never came to fruition. In 2015, No. 4 was purchased by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad, who moved it to their shops with the hopes of restoring it to run it on their trackage between Durbin and Cass, West Virginia.
In the mid 1920s, the Ferrocarril Mexicano (Mexican Railway) ordered a new type of steam locomotive from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This new steam locomotive was an oil-fired 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type, and it was planned to be numbered as No. 200. However, by the time the locomotive rolled out of the factory in September 1926, J.G. Bradley made a deal with Baldwin, and the locomotive was instead sold to the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad (BC&G). [1]
It would become one of only five locomotives to ever be purchased-new by the BC&G, as the rest of the locomotives they had rostered were purchased-used. After arriving in Clay County, West Virginia, the locomotive was modified with the BC&G's own features; it was renumbered to 4, it was converted to burn coal, the headlight was moved from the top to the center of the smokebox door, and a cylindrical air tank was installed on the pilot. The cowcatcher was also changed in later years. [2]
No. 4 was first assigned to haul coal and lumber between Widen, Swandale, and Dundon, where the trains it pulled would often interchange with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Sometimes, it would also pull passenger cars to carry coal miners and railroad men between their homes and the mines. [3] During revenue service, the locomotive became one of the most photographed steam locomotives in the Eastern United States. [4] No. 4 made its last run for the BC&G on February 27, 1965, as the railroad ended operations altogether that same day. [5] The locomotive would subsequently be stored cold for the next two years.
In 1967, No. 4 was sold to Francis Ede, who moved it to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for use on his Quakertown and Eastern Railroad (Q&E). Repairs were made to the locomotive at the Reading Company's Bethlehem Engine Terminal, and beginning in April 1968, the locomotive pulled several mainline excursion trains across the state of Pennsylvania on the Reading, the Lehigh Valley, the Lehigh and Hudson River, and the Penn Central. In 1970, William Young began calling No. 4 "Ol' Slobber Face", since moisture was constantly falling from the smokestack, resulting in most of the smokebox area to be continuously wet while operational. Many other crews also began to call No. 4 by this nickname as a result. However, 1970 was also the year Francis ceased all operations on the Q&E, and No. 4 was stored out of service again.
In February 1972, No. 4 was sold along with the Q&E’s Ex-Reading passenger car fleet to Carter-Cash Enterprises, a company owned by famous Country singer Johnny Cash. Carter-Cash had possible plans to create a tourist attraction in southwest Virginia near the former home of the Carter Family of Country Music Fame. [6] These plans never materialized for No. 4. In 1974, the locomotive and passenger car fleet was sold again to the Southwest Virginia Scenic Railroad (SVSR). The SVSR was formerly used as part of the Southern Railway's Bristol branch line that lied between Mendota and Bristol before it became a tourist railroad that was shortened to lie between Mendota and Hiltons. Upon arrival in Mendota, No. 4 was fired up again, and it began pulling tourist trains over the SVSR's trackage, but this operation only lasted one year. By the end of 1975, the SVSR filed for bankruptcy as a result of low ridership.
In 1978, the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) purchased No. 4 and the SVSR’s passenger car fleet, and they moved them to their museum grounds in Spencer, North Carolina with the hopes of using them for their own tourist operations. The NCTM decided to give No. 4 a multi-year overhaul to ensure that the locomotive would be in good mechanical condition while operational on their trackage. They also decided to repaint the locomotive and renumber it to 604, in order to masquerade it as a Southern Railway Ks-1 class. The overhaul had an estimated cost of $500,000. In 1986, No. 604 was steamed up once again, and the NCTM began using it to pull their three-mile on-site tourist trains alongside Graham County Railroad Shay No. 1925. [7] [8]
As time flew by, No. 604 became one of the NCTM's star attractions. [9] Some further modifications were also made to it during the early 1990s; the number font on the tender was changed, the color of the smokebox was darkened, and the centered headlight was lowered by a few inches. [10] In 1995, during the 30th anniversary of the locomotive's finale run on the BC&G, it was repainted to its original identity as BC&G No. 4 for a "BC&G Reunion Day". Six replicas of the original circular numberplate were made, and one of them was given to the locomotive, whereas the rest of them were given away to participants of the occasion. By the end of 1995, the locomotive became Southern No. 604 again while it resumed tourist service for the NCTM. [11] Its last run for the museum occurred in November 2001 before it was sidelined to receive an overhaul as required by new regulations of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
No. 604 was moved inside the NCTM's Spencer shops for some flue replacing, but the locomotive ended up being further torn down, as several parts needed to be replaced, including the smokebox. Meanwhile, its tender was put on static display behind Southern 2-8-0 No. 542, which would also be renumbered to 604 during that time. By 2014, the rebuild on No. 604 was cancelled in favor of the NCTM's higher priorities, including the rebuild of Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 No. 611. [12] The locomotive would remain stored, disassembled for one more year.
In 2015, the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (D&GVR) announced that they would purchase No. 604 for $150,000 from the NCTM's foundation with the goal of restoring it for operational purposes on their own trackage in West Virginia in its original BC&G livery. [13] During the summer of that year, the locomotive's boiler was separated from the frame and running gear, and they were each loaded onto separate trucks with oversized load banners. [14] The cab and the tender were also loaded onto separate trucks. By the end of the year, No. 604 has arrived in the Cass Scenic Railroad's trackage, and it has touched West Virginia soil for the first time since it was removed from the BC&G's trackage in 1967. Volunteers have made thickness measurements on the area of the boiler that needed repair work, and they were beginning to come up with a plan of action to complete the restoration. In the summer of 2016, No. 604 was moved inside the D&GVR's locomotive shops in Cass, so that restoration work would begin. Restoration was planned to be completed in September 2016 during the locomotive's 90th birthday, but due to their efforts being concentrated on their geared shay locomotives, work on No. 604 has been postponed as time flew by. Although they have inspected the running gear, the frame, and the tender, which were all deemed to be in good condition, the firebox and both flue sheets in the boiler needed to either be repaired or to be replaced, in order to meet FRA standards. In February 2022, the D&GVR reached an agreement with the Sistersville Tank Works Incorporated of Sistersville, West Virginia to construct a brand new boiler for the locomotive, since the original boiler is in poor condition as a result of being used for several decades. [12] After construction of the new boiler is completed, restoration work on the locomotive is estimated to take one year to complete. Once the locomotive is operational again, it will be renumbered back to 4, and it will pull the fifteen-mile excursion trains between Cass and Durbin, West Virginia. [15]
A Climax locomotive is a type of geared steam locomotive built by the Climax Manufacturing Company, of Corry, Pennsylvania. These had two steam cylinders attached to a transmission located under the center of the boiler, which sent power to driveshafts running to the front and rear trucks. Some 1,000-1,100 were built in three classes between 1888 and 1928.
The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a museum in Spencer, North Carolina. It is a collection of automobiles, aircraft, and railway vehicles. The museum is located at the former Southern Railway's 1896-era Spencer Shops and devotes much of its space to the state's railroad history. The museum has the largest collection of rail relics in the Carolinas. Its Back Shop building of nearly three stories high is notable for its size, two football fields long.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park is a state park and heritage railroad located in Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Buckingham Branch Railroad is a Class III short-line railroad operating over 275 miles (443 km) of historic and strategic trackage in Central Virginia. Sharing overhead traffic with CSX and Amtrak, the company's headquarters are in Dillwyn, Virginia in the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) station, itself a historic landmark in the community. The railroad was featured in the January 2012 issue of Trains Magazine. It is referenced in the How It’s Made episode “Railway Bridge Ties”, showing it crossing a curved bridge.
The Elk River Railroad was a short line operating out of Gassaway, West Virginia that ran for 61.8 miles (99.5 km) between Gilmer, West Virginia and Hartland, West Virginia, and an additional 18.6 miles (29.9 km) between Dundon, West Virginia and Widen, West Virginia. The ELKR has existed since July 1989, although it was originally built in the late 19th century and was once part of the Coal and Coke Railway, formally the Charleston Clendendin and Sutton Railroad, that ran from Charleston to Elkins, and later the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. By 2022, the railroad had abandoned all trackage south of the rail yard in Gassaway, West Virginia. There were two different rail lines in this section of track, the ex-B&O Elk Subdivision, from Gassaway to Hartland, which was ripped up in December 2020, and the 18.6mi section of the former Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad, which was sold to the West Virginia Rail Authority in November 2020. The Elk Sub was purchased from CSX by Bill Bright in 1989, and if he had not stepped in, this section of railroad would have most certainly been abandoned.
Southern Railway 4501 is a preserved Ms class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in October 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the first of its wheel arrangement type for the Southern Railway (SOU). In July 1948, the locomotive was retired from the Southern Railway in favor of dieselization and was subsequently sold to the shortline Kentucky and Tennessee Railway (K&T) in Stearns, Kentucky, to haul coal trains.
Norfolk and Western 475 is a 4-8-0 "Twelve-wheeler" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1906 as part of the Norfolk and Western Railway's (N&W) first order of M class numbered 375–499. It was first assigned to haul freight trains on the N&W mainline before being reassigned to branch line duties on the Blacksburg Branch in the 1920s.
The Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad (BC&G) was a railroad chartered on April 1, 1904 and ran along Buffalo Creek in Clay County, West Virginia. The original Buffalo Creek and Gauley ended service in 1965.
The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad, as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.
Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway (SOU) as a member of the Ks-1 class. It was primarily assigned to haul freight trains on the Murphy Branch between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina until its retirement in the 1950s. No. 630, along with sister locomotive No. 722, were sold to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) to be served as switchers.
Southern Railway 542 is a steam locomotive built in 1903 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Southern Railway. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation of Southern's J class.
Norfolk and Western 611, also known as the "Spirit of Roanoke" and the "Queen of Steam", is the only surviving example of Norfolk and Western's (N&W) class J 4-8-4 type "Northern" streamlined steam locomotives. Built in May 1950 at N&W's Roanoke Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, it was one of the last mainline passenger steam locomotives built in the United States and represents a pinnacle of American steam locomotive technology.
Canadian Pacific 1293 is a class "G5d" 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1948 by the Canadian Locomotive Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Built for passenger service, No. 1293 served an eight-year career until being replaced by diesel locomotives where it was then retired in 1959. Purchased in 1964 by F. Nelson Blount for use at his Steamtown site in Bellows Falls, Vermont, No. 1293 was easily restored to operation for hauling fan trips for the general public. 1293 was later sold to the Ohio Central Railroad in 1996 for tourist train service. Today, the locomotive is out on display at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Grand Canyon Railway 4960 is a preserved O-1A class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in August 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). It was used by the CB&Q to pull freight trains, until 1958, when the locomotive pulled its first excursion fantrip, as part of the railroad's steam excursion program.
Southern Pacific No. 1744 is a preserved American class "M-6" 2-6-0 "Mogul" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Southern Pacific Railroad in November 1901. Originally equipped with Vauclain compound cylinders, it was rebuilt with conventional cylinders in 1912. It operated for many years out of Oakland, California on the Southern Pacific's Western Division and in California's Central Valley where the locomotive and its classmates were fondly called “Valley Mallets” by their crews. The locomotive was made famous in later years by pulling some of the last steam excursions on the SP alongside other steam locomotives, including 4-8-4 4460. In 1959, No. 1744 was donated to the Sons of Utah Pioneers in Corinne, Utah where it remained on static display, until 1980. That year, it was restored by New London Railroad and Village Incorporated to operate on the Heber Valley Railroad in Heber City for the rest of the decade.
Reading Blue Mountain and Northern 2102 is a preserved "T-1" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive. Originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1925 as an "I-10sa" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type locomotive for the Reading Company, No. 2102 was rebuilt by the Reading's own locomotive Shops as a 4-8-4 "Northern" in September 1945, and it was used for pulling heavy coal trains for the railroad until being retired from revenue service in 1956. Between 1962 and 1964, No. 2102 was used to pull the famous Iron Horse Rambles excursion trains. After the Rambles ended in 1964, No. 2102 was sold to Steam Tours Inc. of Akron, Ohio to spend the next 23 years pulling various fan trips in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. In 1985, it was sold again to Andy Muller to operate on his Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad alongside 4-6-2 "Pacific" No. 425, until its flue ticket expired on October 27, 1991. Beginning in February 2016, the locomotive was restored to operating condition and returned to service in April 2022.
Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad No. 33 is a preserved SC-1 class 2-8-0 "consolidation" type steam locomotive originally built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in April 1916 for the Munising, Marquette and Southeastern Railway as No. 44. In 1924, the MM&SE was purchased by the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad and the locomotive was renumbered to 33. It served the LS&I by pulling heavy iron ore trains until it was retired from revenue service in 1962. The following year, it was sold to the Marquette and Huron Mountain tourist railroad to operate in excursion service, but instead sat idle in Marquette.
Southern Pacific 786 is a preserved 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive that was constructed at the American Locomotive Company's Brooks Works in New York. It was used to pull mainline freight trains by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad, until it was removed from service in 1955, and it was donated to the city of Austin, Texas the following year. Beginning in 1989, No. 786 was leased to the Austin Steam Train Association, who restored it to operating condition, and the locomotive was used to pull excursion trains on the Austin Western Railroad until 1999. Since 2000, crews have been performing an extensive rebuild on No. 786 to bring it back to service, and as of 2023, the rebuild continues to progress.
Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Co. 38 is a preserved 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive. It was built by Baldwin in April 1927 for use on the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company in south central Pennsylvania in the United States, which commonly used the locomotive to pull short-distance freight trains, as well as occasional passenger trains, until the railroad shut down operations in 1954. The locomotive was subsequently acquired by the Rail City Historical Museum in Sandy Creek, New York for static display. In the late 1960s, No. 38 was sold to the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad in Lakeville, New York, who restored the locomotive to operating condition to pull their excursion trains. In 1977, the locomotive was sold again to the Gettysburg Railroad, which used the locomotive to pull their own tourist trains until 1986, when No. 38 was transferred to the Knox and Kane Railroad to be used there. The locomotive had been removed from service in 1989 for a long-term overhaul that was eventually completed, but it never returned to service for the Knox and Kane. After No. 38 fell victum to an arson-related roundhouse fire in 2008, it was sold at an auction to Alan Maples for the Everett Railroad. As of 2023, the Everett Railroad is restoring No. 38 to operating condition for use in excursion service alongside 2-6-0 No. 11.
Mount Emily Lumber Company No. 1 is a three-truck or 'Class C' Shay steam locomotive that was originally owned by the Mount Emily Lumber Company. It was built in 1923 by the Lima Locomotive Works and delivered to Lima's Seattle dealer, Hofius Steel and Equipment Company of Seattle, Washington. It was later sold to the Independence Logging Company of Independence, Washington, and then it was later sold to the Mount Emily Lumber Company of La Grande, Oregon. When it was retired in 1955, it was donated to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Three years later, in 1958, it was donated to the Oregon Historical Society of Portland, Oregon. The engine was operational at Cass Scenic Railroad and the City of Prineville Railroad for many years. It was announced in 2022 that the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation would be the new owners of No. 1.