Southern Railway 722

Last updated
Southern Railway 722
Southern Ry 722 and Savanna & Atlanta 750 in August 1971.jpg
Southern Railway 722 with Savannah and Atlanta 750 double heading an excursion train in August 1971
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Builder Baldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number24729
Build dateSeptember 1904
Rebuild date1918
1968–1970
2023–ongoing
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 2-8-0
Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.56 in (1.422 m)
Loco weight214,000 lb (97,000 kg)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons)
Water cap.7,500 US gal (28,000 L; 6,200 imp gal)
Boiler pressure190 psi (1.31 MPa)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 24 in × 30 in (610 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gear Southern (formerly Stephenson)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 46,700 lb (21,200 kg)
Career
Operators Southern Railway
(1904-1952, 1970-1980)
East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
(1953-1967)
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (1980–1985)
Class Ks-1
Numbers
  • SOU 722
  • ET&WNC 208
RetiredAugust 1952 (SOU)
December 8, 1967 (ET&WNC)
November 1985 (1st excursion service)
RestoredAugust 1970 (1st excursion service)
Current owner Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
DispositionUndergoing restoration to operating condition

Southern Railway 722 is a class "Ks-1" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in September 1904 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to run on the Murphy Branch, where it hauled freight trains between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina for the Southern Railway (SOU). In 1952, it was purchased by the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), alongside its sister locomotive No. 630, where they were served as switchers around Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Contents

In 1967, Nos. 722 and 630 were both traded back to the SOU for use in their steam excursion program until 1980, when they were sent to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee to make way for larger steam locomotives haul the longer and heavier excursion trains. In late 1985, No. 722 was taken out of service and was eventually purchased by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) in late 2000, where it is currently being restored to operating condition, anticipated to be completed around 2026.

History

Revenue service

No. 722 was built in September 1904 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Southern Railway (SOU), originally as a K class 2-8-0 Consolidation type with Stephenson valve gear, sliding valves, alligator crossheads, and a saturated boiler. [1] No. 722 was assigned to work on SOU's Murphy Branch, where it was primarily used to haul freight trains between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina. [2] [3] In the 1910s, the locomotive was upgraded with Southern valve gear, piston valves, and superheaters, which reclassified No. 722 as a "Ks" type. [1] In the 1920s, it had more upgrades added such as new cylinders and valve assemblies, which allow the locomotive to develop 46,700 lb (21,200 kg) of tractive effort and reclassified again as a "Ks-1" type. [1] During the 1940s, No. 722 was re-equipped with multiple-bearing crossheads. [4]

In August 1952, No. 722 was retired from revenue service after it pulled the last steam-powered freight train on the Murphy Branch. [5] Three months later, No. 722 and sister locomotive No. 630 were both purchased by the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), where they were served as switchers in Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee. [6] [7] [lower-alpha 1] After ET&WNC's acquirement, Nos. 722 and 630 were renumbered to Nos. 208 and 207, respectively, while their tender coal bunker were cut down to give the engineer a clear view during numerous switching moves and reverse operation. [7] In 1962, No. 208 traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, where it was filmed in a cameo appearance for the 1963 film All the Way Home. [6] [8]

Southern excursion service

On December 8, 1967, No. 208 (No. 722) and No. 207 (No. 630) were both traded back to the SOU for use in their steam excursion program in return for a pair of former Central of Georgia ALCO RS-3s. [9] While they retrieved their old numbers, No. 722 had a cracked firebox, but No. 630 was in better condition, and has been given minor repairs as it began excursion service in February 1968. [10]

Two years later, No. 722 had its firebox repaired and was given a brand new paint scheme of SOU's Virginian green with gold linings to match the fellow excursion locomotive No. 4501. [11] The No. 722 locomotive made its first public excursion debut in September 1970 with Nos. 630 and 4501 for the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) convention in Charleston, South Carolina. [11] [12]

In May 1979, SOU loaned No. 722 to the Wilmington and Western Railroad (WWRC) to operate on their Wilmington and Northern Branch line in Wilmington, Delaware. [13] [14] In September 1980, SOU loaned the locomotive again to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee along with No. 630 to make way for larger steam locomotives such as Canadian Pacific 2839, Texas and Pacific 610 and Chesapeake and Ohio 2716 to pull SOU's longer and heavier excursions. [14] While at TVRM, Nos. 722 and 630 were used to pull the short-hauling Missionary Ridge Local excursions. [14] [15]

In November 1985, No. 722 was retired due to its boiler ticket certificate and sat on display at TVRM. [14] [16] In 1992, the locomotive was moved to Asheville, North Carolina by Southern's successor, Norfolk Southern (NS) to be on display at the city's Biltmore section. [14] [16] In December 1999, NS sold the Biltmore property for redevelopment and removed No. 722 from its display site to the Asheville roundhouse for storage. [16] [17]

Restoration

No. 722's classification lights and try cock valves on display at the Swain County Heritage Museum in 2014 722 Marker Lights.jpg
No. 722's classification lights and try cock valves on display at the Swain County Heritage Museum in 2014

In December 2000, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR), which operates a part of the same Murphy Branch where No. 722 was used in revenue service, purchased the locomotive with the hopes of restoring it to operating condition. [2] [17] However, when No. 722 was being disassembled for restoration work, the plans were halted due to GSMR's other steam locomotive ex-U.S. Army No. 1702 went out of service in 2005, leaving them both remaining disassembled outside the GSMR's workshop area in Dillsboro, North Carolina, exposed to the elements. [18] [19] [20]

In 2012, GSMR announced their plan to restore both Nos. 1702 and 722 to operating condition with the restoration cost estimated at $700,000 for each locomotives. [21] In 2017, a year after No. 1702 was restored back to service, GSMR stated that they were still determined to restore the No. 722 locomotive back to operating condition. [22] [23]

In late May 2023, GSMR announced that the restoration work of the No. 722 locomotive had commenced, anticipated to be completed by 2026. [24] [25] Additionally, No. 722 will be converted from burning coal to oil fuel and will eventually retain its 1970s SOU Virginian green excursion paint scheme once the restoration work is finished. [25] In September 2023, the boiler and driving wheels were shipped off to a workshop in Pennsylvania for repairs. [26]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Originally, the ET&WNC offered Ks-1s No. 685 (Baldwin, 1904) and No. 835 (Baldwin, 1906), but turned it over in favor of Nos. 630 and 722 due to the formers being stored outside in dilapidated condition. [3] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum</span> Railroad museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a railroad museum and heritage railroad in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Transportation Museum</span> Transport museum in Spencer, North Carolina, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Smoky Mountains Railroad</span> Tourist railroad in North Carolina, U.S.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a heritage and freight railroad based in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. Originally formed in 1988, it was currently owned and operated by American Heritage Railways since late 1999. The GSMR operates excursion trains on the former Southern Railway's Murphy Branch between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. The GSMR is one of the most popular tourist railroads in the United States, carrying 200,000 passengers each year.

The East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad, affectionately called the "Tweetsie" as a verbal acronym of its initials (ET&WNC) but also in reference to the sound of its steam whistles, was a primarily 3 ft narrow gauge railroad established in 1866 for the purpose of serving the mines at Cranberry, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 4501</span> Preserved American Ms class 2-8-2 steam locomotive

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murphy Branch</span>

The Murphy Branch is a branch line operated by the Western North Carolina Railroad, later the Richmond and Danville, Southern Railway, the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) and today the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad. The branch runs between Asheville, North Carolina in the east and Murphy in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk and Western 1218</span> Preserved N&W class A locomotive

Norfolk and Western 1218 is a preserved four-cylinder simple articulated 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive, built in June 1943 by the Norfolk and Western's (N&W) Roanoke Shops in Roanoke, Virginia as part of the N&W's class "A" fleet of fast freight locomotives. It was retired from regular revenue service in July 1959, and was later restored by Norfolk Southern for excursion service for their steam program, pulling excursions throughout the eastern United States from 1987 to 1991. It is currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 1401</span> Preserved American 4-6-2 locomotive (SOU Ps-4 class)

Southern Railway 1401 is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in July 1926 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia, for the Southern Railway (SOU) as a member of the Ps-4 class, which was based on the United States Railroad Administration (USRA) Heavy Pacific design with some minor differences. It was assigned to haul the SOU's Crescent Limited passenger train between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway 630</span> Preserved American 2-8-0 locomotive (SOU Ks-1 class)

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 as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.

Southern Railway 154 is a 2-8-0 G class steam locomotive built in 1890 by Schenectady Locomotive Works for Southern Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta and West Point 290</span> Preserved American 4-6-2 locomotive

Atlanta and West Point 290 is a P-74 steam locomotive built in March 1926 by the Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio for the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. It is a 4-6-2 heavy "Pacific" type steam locomotive, which was remarkably similar to the Southern Railway's Ps-4 class. With sister locomotive No. 190 built for the Western Railway of Alabama (WRA), No. 290 ferried the Southern Railway's Crescent passenger train from Atlanta, Georgia to Montgomery, Alabama until its retirement from revenue service in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk and Western 611</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 steam locomotive based in Virginia

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 one of the pinnacles of American steam locomotive technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway Ps-4 class</span> Class of 64 American 4-6-2 locomotives

The Southern Railway Ps-4 was a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives built for the Southern Railway, as well as its subsidiaries, the Alabama Great Southern Railroad and the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway. The locomotives were notable for their green with gold trim liveries, and have been regarded by Smithsonian curator John H. White Jr. as being "among the most celebrated passenger locomotives operated in the United States...."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Valley Railroad 610</span> Class of 1 post-WWII American Army 2-8-0 locomotive

Tennessee Valley Railroad No. 610 is a preserved S160 Class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation for the U.S. Army in March 1952. It is one of the last steam locomotives built for service in the United States and the last new steam locomotive acquired by the U.S. Army. As of 2023, No. 610 is owned by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.

The 21st Century Steam program was conducted by the Norfolk Southern Railway from 2011 to 2015, featuring four classic steam locomotives pulling passenger excursions along Norfolk Southern rails in the eastern United States. The last train was to be Southern 4501's Piedmont Limited excursion trip from Atlanta, Georgia, to Toccoa, Georgia, but cancelled on October 1 due to Hurricane Joaquin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio 2716</span> Preserved American 2-8-4 locomotive (C&O K-4 class)

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2716 is a class "K-4" 2-8-4 "Kanawha" (Berkshire) type steam locomotive built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). While most railroads referred to these 2-8-4 type locomotives as Berkshires, the C&O referred to them as Kanawhas after the Kanawha River, which flows through West Virginia. Used as a dual service locomotive, No. 2716 and its classmates served the C&O in a variety of duties until being retired from revenue service in 1956.

The Southern Railway Ss was a class of 2-10-2 "Santa Fe" type steam locomotives built in 1917 and 1918 for the Southern Railway (SOU). They were assigned to haul and bank heavy freight trains over the Saluda Grade and Old Fort Loops in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah and Atlanta 750</span> Preserved American 4-6-2 steam locomotive based in Georgia

Savannah and Atlanta 750, formerly Florida East Coast 80, is a 4-6-2 “Light Pacific” steam locomotive built in January 1910 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, originally for the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) as No. 80. Throughout the 1930s, FEC had sold of several of their locomotives, with No. 80 being sold in 1935 to the Savannah and Atlanta Railway, where it was renumbered to 750. The locomotive pulled commuter passenger trains and occasional mixed freight trains for the S&A, until the railroad dieselized in the early 1950s. In 1962, the locomotive was donated to the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, who began using the locomotive to pull occasional excursion trains. No. 750 was subsequently leased to the Southern Railway for use to pull trains for their new steam excursion program, and the lease ended in 1984. From 1985 to 1989, the locomotive pulled excursion trains for the New Georgia Railroad around Atlanta, until it was retired, due to firebox issues. As of 2022, No. 750 remains on static display inside the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 1702</span> Preserved 2-8-0 steam locomotive, based in North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 1702 is an S160 class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in September 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps during World War II. After the war ended, the No. 1702 locomotive worked on two railroads in Arkansas and one in Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National 5288</span>

Canadian National 5288 is a J-7-b class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built in June 1919 by the Montreal Locomotive Works, originally for the Canadian Government Railways (CGR) as No. 516 and later No. 5288 on the Canadian National Railway (CN). It was on display at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, in April 2023, it was acquired by the Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown, Pennsylvania to be restored to operating condition for use in tourist excursion service.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Schafer, Bill, ed. (2018). "First Quarter, 2018". TIES. Vol. 32, no. 1. White River Productions. pp. 22–25.
  2. 1 2 "Steam Engine Number "722" Returning Home to WNC and Back to Service". Asheville.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2001. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Waite (2003) , p. 234.
  4. ↑ Drury (2015) , p. 294.
  5. ↑ Plott & Plott (2021) , p. 171.
  6. 1 2 Ferrell (1991) , pp. 170–171.
  7. 1 2 3 Waite (2003) , p. 238.
  8. ↑ Ferrell (1991) , p. 178.
  9. ↑ Ferrell (1991) , p. 199.
  10. ↑ Wrinn (2000) , p. 21.
  11. 1 2 Wrinn (2000) , pp. 31–32.
  12. ↑ Wrinn (2000) , p. 111.
  13. ↑ Vazquez (2008) , p. 43.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Wrinn (2000) , pp. 54–57.
  15. ↑ "Missionary Ridge Local Train Rides". Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 "Fourth Quarter 1999 News". SteamCentral. 1999. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Wrinn (2000) , p. 109.
  18. ↑ Harper, Allen C. (October 29, 2012). "Current status of GSMR Steam". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  19. ↑ Lester, David (January 8, 2019). "Requiem for Southern 722?". Trains . Kalmbach Media. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  20. ↑ Plott & Plott (2021) , p. 187.
  21. ↑ Harper, Allen C. (August 9, 2012). "Fellow Steam Patrons And Railroad Fans". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Great Smoky Mountains Hosts HRA Spring Meeting". HeritageRail News. HeritageRail Alliance. May 15, 2017. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  23. ↑ Plott & Plott (2021) , p. 189.
  24. ↑ Franz, Justin (May 23, 2023). "Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to Restore Southern 2-8-0". Railfan & Railroad . White River Productions. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Walls, Kord (May 24, 2023). "722 Rebuild – OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. American Heritage Railways. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  26. ↑ Hodge, Rex (September 18, 2023). "Full steam ahead: Second steam engine with Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to be restored". WLOS . Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.