Chris Parker and I arose at 5:30 AM so we could be at the Garden Restaurant when it opened. I ordered the Chattanooga Choo Choo waffle that took only thirty minutes to get from the kitchen to my table then picked up the hotel bill and returned the wireless device that had allowed me to connect to the Internet. Next we packed the room and drove the car over to where the steam train would be arriving this morning.
I walked the train to acquire the consist just before the steam engine arrived. Our train had United States Army 2-8-0 610, water tender 51, GP7 1829, open window coach 1000, coaches 907 and 906 {Jim Crow}, concession car "Emporium", RDC 22, coach 3203, RDC 20, Southern coach 1037, dining car 3148 "Travelers Fare", Pullman car "Clover Colony" and first class car 98 "Eden Isle". This train was the longest operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. By the time I had walked the train, the steam engine arrived at the Choo Choo.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 2-8-0 610, nee United States Army Transportation Corps 610 built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in 1952, a company formed by the 1951 merger of Baldwin with Lima-Hamilton, itself formed from the merger of Lima and the General Machinery Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio, in 1947.
610 was the last steam locomotive built at Baldwin's Eddystone plant for a domestic customer and BLH then concentrated on producing diesel-electrics. Although Lima and Baldwin had built high quality steam locomotives, however, their diesel-electrics could not compete with EMD, Alco and GE, and BLH abandoned locomotive production in 1956.
The steam engine was one of eight working the thirty-one mile Fort Eustis Military Railroad in Virginia. It was used to train soldiers in railroad operation and to transport material around the fort and to an interchange with the mainline system at Lee Hall, Virginia. The Fort Eustis locomotives were retired in the 1960's and 610 was donated to the Wiregrass Chapter of the NHRS in Dothan, Alabama in 1971. They donated it to the TVRM in 1978, who restored and returned it to operation in 1991.
Terminal Tower built in 1908.
Water tender 51. I next boarded and found two seats in Central of Georgia coach 906.
The plaque in our coach explaining the Jim Crow features.
At 7:56 AM, we departed for Summerville.
Photographers were all along the line.
The train ran out to 23rd Street as we crossed over the CSX onto the Norfolk Southern.
Crossing the CSX onto the Norfolk Southern.
Crossing Chattanooga Creek.
We then made a reverse move to gain access to the tracks to Summerville.
Almost onto our route for today.
The tracks we would be taking in a few minutes.
The 23rd Street control box. Once onto the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railroad, former Central of Georgia tracks, Lookout Mountain came into view as we ran through Rossville.
A look down into the valley as the train climbed Missionary Ridge.
Kudzu plants invade and take over anything they can climb on or across.
Another view looking down.
More kudzu growing out of control.
Rounding a large kudzu-covered curve.
We kept climbing up then over Missionary Ridge, passing Wilder Tower in the Chickamauga Battlefield and National Cemetery. The first photo runby of the excursion was then announced.
Central of Georgia "Jim Crow" coach 906, ex. Southern Railway 906, nee Central of Georgia 528 built by Pullman Company in 1924. It was part of iconic passenger trains like the Man 'O War and the Seminole. In its early days, it featured adjustable openable windows and a clerestory roof. However, 1937 saw its modernization. Later, as the Central of Georgia Railroad transitioned to its successor, the Southern Railway, the coach was rebranded as 906.
The reverse move.
Photo runby one north of Chickamauga. A second runby here was announced so I relocated.
The reverse move.
Photo runby two, after which everyone reboarded.
Rolling through the trees.
Going through the siding at Chickamauga.
Central of Georgia Chickamauga station built in 1890. I suddenly was dead tired so curled up on our coach seats, took a brief nap which really helped and was back sitting upright as we passsd by the Lafayette Airport. Before we arrived at Trion, our next runby was at the town park.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 2-8-0 610.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum GP7 1829, nee United States Army 1829 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951.
The reverse move.
Photo runby three.
A view between the runbys.
The reverse move.
Photo runby four. Once back onboard, I called Let's Talk Trains, the Internet Radio Show, and caught them up on my new stories and this trip so far. All too soon, we arrived at Summerville at 1:52 PM, where our engines would be turned on the turntable there. Since we saw 610 get turned on the turntable two days ago, Chris and I decided to go for lunch and using the map and asking a local resident, we found the perfect place.
A look back down to the train.
Pop's Place had an all-you-can-eat buffet for $7.10 which was excellent.
US Highway 27 in Summerville as we walked back down to the station.
Central of Georgia Summerville station built in 1918.
TVRM GP9 1829.
The engine behind the station sign and a concrete phone booth.
TVRM 2-8-0 610.
Our steam engine crew.
NRHS member Wesley Ross and Steve Barry, editor of Railfan and Railroad Magazine, who set up all the photo runby locations and did a great job of controlling them along with another fan. I sought the cool air of our passenger car and asked everyone to close the shades before they detrained in order to keep it cool for our afternoon return.
Dawn Holmberg of the Northstar Chapter in the cab of TVRM 610.
Car host Cary Atkinson, a TVRM volunteer.
The Flag of Summerville which reads "A Town with a Past.....A City with a Future!" Our train departed at 4:11 PM
Crossing the Chattooga River.
The Lafayette Airport.
Milepost 422.
A derailed car before we passed through Lafayette.
Columbus & Greenville GP11 1804, ex. Joseph Transportation 1804, exx. Illinois Central Gulf 8736, exxx. Illinois Central 8736, nee Illinois Central 9185 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956.
The Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railroad Lafayette station built in 2000. We paused at Rock Springs for the final photo runby of the convention.
The reverse move.
Photo runby five.
The well-organized photo line.
Back through the forest.
Swamps as we neared Chickamauga.
A yard limit sign for Chickamauga.
Traversing Chickamauga Creek.
Dropping down Missionary Ridge.
Passing all the kudzu as we descended.
They make for interesting pictures but are hell to the trees.
A look down into the valley. I was then given a tour of the First Class cars by Wesley Ross.
The interior of Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum dining car 3158 "Travelers Fare", nee Southern Railway 3158 built by Pullman Company in 1924. It continued its service to the Southern Railway up until 1968, when it was generously donated to TVRM.
Interior of Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 12-1 sleeper "Clover Colony", ex. High Iron Company, exx. Southern Pacific 8351, exxx. "Clover Colony", exxxx. Pullman, nee 8 section-5 double bedrom-1 drawing room "Bernadotte" built by Pullman Company in 1920.
Interior of Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum first class car 98 "Eden Isle", ex. Intermountain Chapter National Railway Historical Society "Maggie II" 1962, exx. Baltimore and Ohio 98, nee Pullman 99, built by the company in 1917 as a private car for the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Daniel W. Willard.
I returned to my seat and it was announced that Norfolk Southern would run our train straight into the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Crossing straight across at 23rd Street. I said my goodbyes to everyone in my car before we arrived at the Chattanooga Choo Choo at 8:25 PM, ending another fabulous NRHS 2007 convention.
Everyone now went their own way and Chris and I walked to the car. It took quite a while to exit the parking lot due to all the foot traffic.
One last look at our NRHS 2007 Summerville steam train. I now had an Amtrak train to catch, but that is yet another story.
