[?]

North Carolina Transportation Museum 4/8/2016

I woke up at 6:30 AM and had breakfast at the Econo Lodge then I watched some television before calling a taxi for 9:15 AM. My cab was waiting at 9:10 AM and soon an ex-railroader and NCTM volunteer drove me to the North Carolina Transportation Museum. He took me first to the Barber Depot before we ended up at the Gift Shop where they set me up for my visit today.

The museum was founded in 1977, when the Southern Railway deeded four acres of land to the state of North Carolina for a transportation museum. Two years later, another 53 acres was added to the original donation; the entirety of the railway's largest former steam locomotive repair shops. The museum's first exhibit opened in 1983, called People, Places and Time. The museum grew over the years, most notably in 1996, with the opening of Barber Junction, a relocated railroad depot from some 30 miles away, and the newly renovated Bob Julian Roundhouse. Barber Junction serves the museum's Visitor's Center and departure point for the on-site train ride. The Bob Julian Roundhouse serves as the hub for most of the museum's railroad exhibits but also includes aviation exhibits and site history.

Several bays of the Spencer Shops roundhouse are devoted to volunteered restorations of locomotives and rolling stock in the museum collection. It was here that the 542 was worked on and steam locomotives from 1896-1953 were repaired. In the first 16 stalls, visitors can walk among the massive locomotives and rail cars on display. Moving into the Elmer Lam gallery, aviation exhibits dominate, with a full size replica Wright Flyer, Piedmont Airlines exhibits, and more. Moving into the restoration bays, visitors may also see volunteers working on various railroad pieces, and even manufacturing their own parts, as steam engines have been out of date so long it is impossible to obtain replacement parts from any manufacturer.

The Flue Shop, where all of the flues for steam engines were formerly produced, as become the Bumper To Bumper exhibit, featuring vintage and antique cars. These include several Model Ts, a Model A and even a Ford Model R (the 1907 predecessor to the Model T). A Highway Patrol car from 1935, a Divco Milk Truck, a Lincoln Continental and others are also part of the museum's collection.

In 2005, the museum's Back Shop underwent a massive renovation, which included repairs to the roof, re-pointing of the brick, and a stabilization of the building's floor. This building, where the full overhaul of steam locomotives once took place, is most notable for its size and scope. Nearly three stories tall and two football fields long, it was once the largest industrial building in the state. It may be most notable, however, for the words "Be Careful," standing some three feet tall, visible from nearly anywhere on the north end of the site. In 2009, the museum opened the Back Shop to the public for the first time, with an access ramp on the south end. "Behind the Scenes" tours and special events often featuring a full Back Shop tour.

The museum has a heritage railroad, which operates passenger excursion trains several times per day, year round, but on a seasonal schedule. Trains are usually powered by the Norfolk and Western 620, however, at times it is substituted by Southern 6133 or Southern 2601. Southern 6133 and Southern 2601 also assist in special events where two or more trains are operating. Though the museum has no operating steam locomotives of its own, it has used the Lehigh Valley Coal 0-6-0 126 for trips, along with Flag Coal Co. 0-4-0 75, the American 4-4-0 "Leviathan" locomotive, as well as the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Southern 2-8-0 630. For caboose trips and at-the-throttle trips, the museum has leased engines from the Gramling Locomotive Works; the Virginia Museum of Transportation and Norfolk Southern previously allowed the museum to use their Norfolk and Western 611 during its two stays. Cab rides to the normal excursion can be purchased at Barber Junction.

Visitors may also purchase tickets to ride the roundhouse turntable every day.

The museum hosts a number of events annually and some one-time railroading events that bring rail fans from across the country. In 2012, the Bob Julian Roundhouse was the stage for all 20 of Norfolk Southern's Heritage locomotives during a two-day photographic event. In 2014, the museum hosted Streamliners at Spencer, with notable 1930s to 1950s era locomotives gathered around the Bob Julian Roundhouse turntable for a four-day event. Streamliners at Spencer included the Class J 611 steam engine visiting from the Virginia Museum of Transportation. This notable locomotive remained in Spencer for repair and restoration work to allow it to once again pull passenger excursions across the southeast.

The Museum has also operated 21st century steam trips from its grounds over its property and Norfolk Southern using the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Southern 630 and rolling stock as well as the NS steam rolling stock fleet in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, the museum was used as the boarding destination for some the Virginia Museum of Transportation's Norfolk and Western 611 trips.

Other annual events include Day Out With Thomas, the Polar Express, Fire Truck Show, Automobile shows, the Harvest Festival, the Easter Bunny Express, and Spring and Autumn (Southern leaf specials) excursions that take visitors to destination cities.

The NCTM is also host to Boy Scout Rail Camp, which allows for Boy Scouts and Leaders to camp out on the historic facility and earn the railroading merit badge. It is the largest railroad related scouting event in the nation. There are plans to implement Girl and Cub Scout events at the museum in 2017.

In the story from my visit on 8/16/2007, I showed you everything the museum had. This time it will be strictly the railroad aspect of this great and unique museum. My first chore was to get the consist of our Norfolk and Western 611 Excursion trains for the next two days. I met Jim, a good friend and Iowa Pacific employee and it was good to talk with him here. After that I started my look around the grounds.

Southern Railway GP30 2601 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963.

A view of the front end of our excursion train.

Norfolk & Western caboose 555012 built by International Car Company in 1976.

Southern ES44AC 8099 and FP7 6133.

Norfolk Southern ES44AC 8099, one of the company's heritage fleet painted in predecessor Southern Railway, built by General Electric in 2012.

Southern FP7 6133 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950 as Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway 6133.

My first picture of a very alive Norfolk and Western 611 built by the railway in 1950. It was assigned to haul the Norfolk and Western's premier passenger trains between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio; and to ferry the Southern Railway's passenger trains between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. In 1959, it was retired from revenue service and served as a steam generator at the East End Shops. Three years later, 611 locomotive was donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, where it sat on display as the sole survivor of the class J locomotives.

In 1982, 611 was restored to operation by the Norfolk Southern Railway, N&W's successor. It became the main line star of the NS steam program, pulling excursion trains throughout the eastern United States. In 1984, the steam engine was dedicated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. It was often invoked as an icon of Roanoke and its railroading history. In late 1994, when liability insurance costs led NS to end its steam program, the locomotive was again retired and moved back to the VMT.

In 2013, the "Fire Up 611" committee established by the Virginia Museum of Transportation announced that 611 was to be restored to operating condition. It was moved to the North Carolina Transportation Museum roundhouse in Spencer, North Carolina in late May 2014, where restoration work began the following month. Restoration was carried out with the help of volunteers, including several from the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugar Creek, Ohio. On 31st March 2015, 611 was fired up for the first time in over twenty years for a test fire and, on 9th May, it ran under its own power as part of the first round of post-restoration testing. On 21st May 2015, 611 made a brief test run from Spencer to Greensboro, North Carolina, pulling the museum's "Powhatan Arrow" passenger cars. On 30th May, it hauled its first excursion from Spencer to Roanoke, Virginia.

Three more views of the N&W 611.

Virginia Central coach 4886 built by Pullman Standard in 1956. The Virginia Central Railroad was operated by the late Jack Showalter.

Virginia Central coach 4888, ex. South East Michigan Transportation Authority, nee Grand Trunk Western 4888, built by Pullman Standard in 1956.

Virginia Central coach 4887, ex. South East Michigan Transportation Authority, nee Grand Trunk Western 4887, built by Pullman Standard in 1956.

Canadian National coach 5064 built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1924. At some point it was re-numbered 4953. It is currently lettered Chicago and North Western from the movie "Leathernecks".

Chesapeake & Ohio F7A 8016 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1948 as Clinchfield 800. It was rebuilt in 1952 and became Seaboard System 800 in 1982. It was re-numbered 116 in 1983 and then CSX 116 in 1987. In 2002 it was sold to the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society in Clifton Forge, Virginia, where it was re-liveried as Chesapeake & Ohio 8016. The locomotive is on lease from the Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society to the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, a shortline tourist operation based in Romney, West Virginia.

Clinchfield three-bay hopper 56338 builder and date unknown.

Three museum scenes.

Aberdeen & Rockfish 50-foot non-cushioned box car 1046 built by Evans, year unknown.

North Carolina Transportation Museum table car 604 built by Pullman Standard in 1948 for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for its first-class Capital Limited train and would later be sold to New York Central. It was rebuilt by the Virginia Central in 1991 but retains its art deco interior decor and original metal artwork on the walls.

Missouri-Kansas-Texas lounge/sleeping car 1202A "J. Pinckney Henderson" built by Pullman-Standard as a 72-seat coach in 1954, ex. Amtrak 7200, exx. Northern Pacific 527 nee MKT 1202A. When owned by Lancaster and Chester, it was rebuilt to its current configuration as a lounge-sleeper.

An original Norfolk Southern tank car.

Virginia Museum of Transportation baggage car VMTX 9647, ex. Norfolk and Western 9647, exx. Canadian National 624273, exxx. Canadian National 9647, nee Canadian National 9267 built by National Steel Car in 1957.

Fruit Growers Express refrigerator car 39650 built by the company in 1949.

Southern "Big John" covered hopper 7993 built by Magor Car in 1965.

My next view of the very much alive N&W 611.

Southern Sleeper 10-6 sleeper 2003 "Catawba River" built by Pullman-Standard in 1949. It later became Amtrak 2864. The Catawba River rises in the Appalachian Mountains east of Asheville and flows east and then south through the Piedmont region of North Carolina and into South Carolina.

Norfolk Southern Railway 6 bedroom-10 roomette sleeping car 2022 "Royal Arch", nee Southern Railway "York River" built by Pullman-Standard in 1949. After the original "Royal Arch" was wrecked in 1974, Hayne Shops converted "York River" into an 11-bedroom sleeper and re-named it "Royal Arch". In 1979, the car became part of the Norfolk Southern's office car fleet as 14. It was donated to the museum in 1991.

Milwaukee Road "Wisconsin" built by the railroad in 1948. It was sold in 1977 to a private owner as 800464 "Stanley E G Hillman" before being sold to the Friends of the 261 and re-named "Wisconsin".

Southern ES44AC 8099 and Southern Railway FP7 6133.

Southern Railway FP7 6133.

My next view of the very much alive Norfolk and Western 611.

Southern ES44AC 8099.

Museum scene.

Norfolk and Western 611 extra water tender VMTX 250001, nee N&W 220106 built for use behind a Louisville and Nashville 2-8-4 "Big Emma" steam locomotive. It was rebuilt by the Louisiana and Nashville as a pollution control car after the steamer was retired, and later sold to the N&W as an auxiliary water tender. It wa again sold and used behind Chesapeake and Ohio 614 as 614-B in excursion service. From 1987-1991 it was the tender behind N&W 1218 on excursions and Southern 4501 in 1991. 611 used the tender from 1992-1994 and Frisco 1522 also used it in 1994 on NS excursions. It was also on the 611's last trip before its second retirement. The car was donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in 2002 then leased to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society for use behind NKP 765 from 2011-2014 wearing black paint and Norfolk & Western lettering along with RPCX reporting marks. In 2015 the car received its current paint job to match the 611, which started using the car in its third career.

Southern caboose X648 built by the railroad in 1951.

Norfolk Southern hopper 200273 full of coal for the steam engine later today.

Norfolk & Western caboose 518641 built by International Car Company in 1971.

WillettsRail Service.com caboose VGNX 199462, formerly Illinois Central 9462, built by the railroad in 1970.

Southern hopper car 72043 built by American Car and Foundry in 1953.

Sleeper "Shenandoah Vale", ex. Amtrak 5256, exx. Seaboard Coast Line 5256, exxx. Seaboard Air Line 6424, nee Chesapeake and Ohio 1658, built by Pullman-Standard 1958 and owned by C&O Historical Society.

Atlantic and East Carolina outside-braced boxcar 606 originally built in 1930 as a Seaboard wood-sheathed box car and owned by the Atlantic and East Carolina Railway and was rebuilt in 1953 to a steel car. Donated by Norfolk Southern in 181, it was restored in 1996.

Lehigh Valley Coal 0-6-0ST 126 built by Vulcan Iron Works in 1931. In 1954, it became Heidelberg Coal Company 126 at Avoca, Pennsylvania. It was purchased by John and Byron Gramling in 1993 and moved to Ashley, Indiana.

Norfolk Southern AS-416 1616 built by Baldwin in 1955. In 1974, it went to the Peabody Coal Company in Lentzburg, Ilinois, who donated it to the State of North Carolina in 1981.

Carolina Power and Light 0-4-0F 3 built by H.K. Porter in 1937 and was delivered to the Carolina Power & Light's Lumberton Plant in 1949. It continued in service at the Lumberton plant until 1980, when it was donated to the State of North Carolina and moved for display at the museum.

Southern Railway 150 ton crane 903006, nee Southern D99, built by Bucyrus in 1919. Originally steam-driven, it was converted to diesel after 1966.

Duke Power 0-4-0 111 built by American Locomotive Company in 1922 and sold to the Stewart-Jones Company of Great Falls, South Carolina in February 1922. In July 1924, it was sold to the Wateree Power Company, which later became part of the Duke Power Company. Duke Power used this steam engine at their Mt. Holly and Cliffside plants in North Carolina, as well as at the Buck Steam Plant on the Yadkin River north of Spencer.

Southern Railway Jim Crow coach 1211 built by Pullman in 1922. It was retired in 1969 and the museum purchased the car from the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

Southern Railway observation car 449 "Doris", ex. Western Pacific 101, exx. Western Pacific 106, exxx. Western Pacific "Doris", exxxx. Pullman "Davie Crocket" nee Pullman "Pioneer") built by Pullman in 1917. At one time it was owned by James B. Duke (of Duke Power and Duke University fame) named after his daughter.

Graham County Railroad Company Shay 1925 built by Lima in 1925. It hauled lumber out of the Snowbird Mountains to the Bemis Lumber Company mill in Robbinsville, North Carolina. The logging portion of the railroad closed in 1948, but the remainder carried general freight between Robbinsville and Topton to an interchange with the Southern Railway. Because of falling demand and deteriorating track conditions, however, the Graham County ceased operations in 1970. Until then, it had been the last commercially-operating steam freight line in the county. In 1974, a tourist operation, the Bear Creek Scenic Railroad, tried to re-open the line to Robbinsville, but this also ceased operation within a few years. 1925 was donated to the museum in 1988 and restored to operation in 1998 to pull on-site train rides. It has also hauled excursions on the Smoky Mountain Railroad out of Bryson City, North Carolina.

Piedmont & Northern Railway box cab 5103 built by General Electric in 1913. The Piedmont & Northern was created in 1914 to consolidate the electrified Greenville, Spartanburg & Anderson Railroad in South Carolina and the Piedmont Traction Company in North Carolina, both owned by James B. Duke of Duke Power. The Piedmont & Northern was the only mainline Class I railroad in the south to use electric locomotives, and was the first electric railroad in the United States to operate both passenger and heavy freight electric services.

The railroad also had a divided right-of-way, with part operating Charlotte to Belmont, North Carolina and the other Spartanburg to Greenwood, South Carolina. The company sought to link the two disconnected segments and expand to Durham a number of times, but the efforts never paid off because of stiff resistance from the Southern Railway, which had parallel track in both states. The Seaboard Coast Line bought the Piedmont & Northern in 1969.

5103 started work on the Spartanburg-Greenwood division of the Piedmont & Northern, but moved to the Charlotte-Belmont division in 1950 when the South Carolina division converted to diesel. Electric power ended on the North Carolina section in 1954. Some of the railroad's electric locomotives were then shipped to South America and, except for 5103, the rest were scrapped. 5103 ended its life operating on old trolley tracks on Mint Street in downtown Charlotte in 1958. It was donated to the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1963.

Cliffside Railroad caboose 105. The Cliffside Railroad was taken over by Seaboard Air Line in 1984.

Charlotte Electric Railway Company streetcar 1 which served in Piraeus, Greece from 1914 until 1960.

The North Carolina Merci Car P.L.M. J54906.

Railway Express Agency truck.

Southern 2-8-0 542 built by Baldwin in 1903. It served mainly in freight service around Statesville and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The engine has been restored to look as it did working on the Atlantic & Yadkin Railroad in 1947. The Atlantic & Yadkin Railway was a short line wholly owned by the Southern Railway operating between 1899 and 1950 from Mount Airy southeast to Sanford, North Carolina. 542 was rented to the A&Y by the Southern at various times between 1937 and 1946. In 1954, after retirement, 542 was donated to Tanglewood Park near Clemmons, North Carolina. In 1991, the museum traded former Illinois Central 0-8-0 1894 for the locomotive and 542 was cosmetically restored as Southern 604 and used in the 2008 film "Leatherheads" starring Renée Zellweger and George Clooney.

Seaboard Air Line 2-10-0 Decapod 544 built by Alco-Brooks in 1918. Twelve hundred of this 2-10-0 type were ordered from Baldwin and American Locomotive Company for export to Russia. Eight hundred and fifty-seven were delivered but, when the Russian government was overthrown by the 1917 Revolution, about two hundred were diverted to United States railroads by the USRA. Built for Russia's 5 foot gauge, they were not regauged for the American 4 foot eight-and-a-half inch gauge. Although the front pilot was replaced, the drivers were simply fitted with wider tyres.

When built for the Russian Railway, 544 was numbered E1198. It was assigned by the USRA to the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad as 1088 and then sold to the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton in 1926, where it became 311. The Seaboard acquired the locomotive in 1935 and re-numbered it 544. Known as "Russians" by their crews, they served on branch lines throughout the Seaboard system, mainly out of Hamlet and Raleigh. During the 1950s, they were transferred to the Gainesville Midland, a Seaboard subsidiary in Georgia. 544 went on display in Atlanta in 1965 and was sold to the North Carolina Railroad Company in 1980, which then donated it to the State of North Carolina.

Atlantic Coast Line 4-6-0 1031 built by Baldwin in 1913. The locomotives quickly earned the nickname "Copperheads", because they originally had polished copper rims around the tops of their smokestacks. Primarily used to haul both freight and passenger services in the Fayetteville, Rocky Mount and Wilmington district they nevertheless worked as far afield as Richmond, Virginia, and Jacksonville, Florida. As dieselisation gathered pace on the ACL, many were transferred to serve on smaller subsidiary lines. For most of its life, 1031 operated mainly out of Florence, South Carolina, hauling freight and passenger trains. It was taken out of service in 1952, but was then lent to the Atlantic Coast Line subsidiary, the Virginia & Carolina Southern. Later it was transferred to the East Carolina Railway. In 1959, it was placed on open air display behind the Florence passenger station but after continuing deterioration in its condition, the City of Florence donated it to the museum in 1994. Two years later, it was cosmetically restored to its 1940s appearance.

A pair of cabooses.

Seaboard wooden caboose 5458 built by the railroad in 1925.

Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio caboose 1048 built by the railroad in 1924 and operated until the 1970's. It was been on loan to the museum by the Samuel Spencer Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society since 1987.

Southern Public Utilities streetcar 85 built by the company in 1927. It was the last electric streetcar to run in Charlotte on March 14, 1938. Trolley 85 was stripped of its seats and sold to the Air National Guard in 1938 and used as an airport office. A year later, it was moved to Huntersville, where it remained through the 1940s, used as a diner and concession stand for an area, according to the research from the Landmarks commission, populated primarily by transients. In 1951, the trolley was sold to Daisy Mae Trapp Moore, a Huntersville resident, who moved it into her backyard. The trolley was used as housing, first for Moore’s relatives, then later as a rental property. During this time, 85 was altered into a three-bedroom residence, though it lacked plumbing and other modern conveniences. Even so, the car's final resident lived there for 15 years.

When officials with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission located 85 in 1987, it had been condemned as housing and was weeks from being demolished. Instead, Moore sold the car to the historic preservation group for $1,000. Over the next several years, the car was preserved, housed behind Charlotte's Discovery Place and renovated to its original operating appearance. After years of alterations, the car once again bore its original green paint scheme and the legend "Southern Public Utilities Company". In 2005, the trolley was returned to limited service in Charlotte. In 2014, it was moved from the Charlotte Trolley Barn to make way for new trolleys, as the city continues to again embrace trolleys as a viable part of public transportation. A new home was sought and the N.C. Transportation Museum was a natural fit.

Atlantic Coast Line E3A 501 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1939 for the Champion from New York to Miami which began as a daily service in 1939, competing with the Seaboard Air Lines' Silver Star and Silver Meteor services. In 1941, the ACL added a St. Petersburg train called the Tamiami Champion, at which time the Miami train became the Tamiami Champion. In 1943, the names were simplified to the East Coast Champion and West Coast Champion.

After the merger of the ACL and SAL into the Seaboard Coast Line in 1967, the Champion remained as a New York–St. Petersburg service. Following formation of Amtrak in 1971, The Champion was finally discontinued in 1979. After retiring, 501 was bought by the Colorado entrepreneur for a private ski train in 1972. In 1977, it was sold to Glen Monhart to run excursions in Wisconsin. The North Carolina Department of Transport Rail Division eventually bought 501 in 1999 to loan to the museum. It is still operational.

Replica of Raleigh and Gaston Railway 0-4-0 "Raleigh", the first steam locomotive to operate in North Carolina. It was built by the Seaboard Air Line shops in 1927.

Former Canadian National coach 5077 painted as Chicago and North Western 4955 built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1924.

Beaufort and Morehead H-12-44 1860 built by Fairbanks Morse Company in 1953 for the United States Army. It served at the Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal, North Carolina before moving to Beaufort & Moorehead Railroad, where it was based at Moorehead City State Ports. 1860 was acquired by the museum in 2004 after disposal by State Ports, and it has been used by the museum for on-site train rides.

Southern Railway E8A 6900, nee Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific 2923 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951. Until Amtrak took over passenger services in 1971, the seven E8s hauled Southern's crack passenger trains including the Royal Palm, the Southern Crescent, Southerner and Tennesseean. They were initially painted green with aluminium striping but changed to black in the late 1950s. In 1972, Southern President W. Graham Claytor had all the E8s returned to green and aluminium to reflect pride in the railroad's history. At the same time, 2923 was re-numbered 6900. It ended its career hauling the Southern Crescent in 1979 and was donated to the museum in 1980.

US Navy DE44 switcher 65-00056 built by Davenport Locomotive Works in 1953 as United States Army 1223. In October 1970, it was transferred to the United States Navy where it was renumbered 65-00556.

Private car "Loretto" built by Pullman in 1902. Charles Schwab's father, so the story goes, owned a livery stable at Cresson Springs, Pennsylvania and sometimes rented horses to Andrew Carnegie, the founder of the Carnegie Company. During one of these visits, Carnegie heard Charles Schwab, who was then a young boy, singing. "When that boy of yours is ready to look for a job, you bring him to me." Carnegie supposedly told Schwab's father....Schwab's star rose quickly after his initial entry into the Carnegie Company. Within six months of being hired at the Edgar Thompson Steel Works--which was then the largest steel mill in America-- Schwab became its acting chief engineer. And within twenty years of his hiring, Schwab would be president of the Carnegie Company.

Charles Schwab, who first publicly proposed the concept of creating a new company by merger of two existing industry leaders suggested that the public interest would be served by a strategic alliance between the Morgan and Carnegie interests. J.P. Morgan, who was in attendance, apparently saw the consummation of such a deal as an easy way to save face and acted upon the suggestion. The new company, United States Steel Corporation, would actually be a holding company which controlled 213 steel mills and transportation companies. The (original) "Loretto" was ordered just a few short months after Schwab was named-- at the youthful age of 35-- as the first president of the newly-created corporation....Schwab took delivery of the (original) "Loretto" on March 15, 1902. He named the car after a town in Pennsylvania; though Loretto was not his birthplace, he had lived there since the age of five, and apparently considered it his home town. The car, built to Pullman 1735, Revision E, and designated lot number 2773, carried a price tag of about $40,000. In 1917, Schwab purchased a new car. Upon its arrival, the name "Loretto" was transferred to the new car; the 1902 car was renamed the "Bethlehem" to honor the headquarters town of Bethlehem Steel. The original "Loretto" is currently at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.

NCMX table car 492, nee United States Army Hospital Car 89492 built by American Car and Foundry in 1945

United States Army 0-6-0T 5012 built by the H.K. Porter Locomotive Company in 1942. This switcher was moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 1946. The following year, it was bought by the W.R. Bonsal Company, a gravel operation in Lilesville, North Carolina. The Bonsal Company donated it to the museum in 1979.

Southern Railway Post Office Car 800700, nee Southern 36, built by Bethlehem Steel in 1928.

Hampton and Branchville Edwards motorcar M-200 built by Edwards Railway Motorcar Company in 1926. This railroad connected with both the Charleston & West Carolina and Atlantic Coast Line. M-200 was a segregated 42-passenger vehicle which operated between 1926 and 1951. After a "catastrophic" entine failture in 1951, the Hampton and Branchville pushed the car into a shed where it remained undisturbed for 47 years. It was acquired by the museum in 1998.

United States Army Hospital Car 89480 built by American Car and Foundry in 1945. This car was used as an exhibit car at the golden anniversary of the driving of the golden spike at Promontory, Utah.

Buck Steam Service 25 ton switcher 5951 built by General Electric in 1953 as Duke Power 5951.

United States Army 45 ton switcher 7497 built by General Electric in 1945.

Two more views of the very alive N&W 611.

Buck Steam Service switcher 5951 with Southern covered hopper 7993.

A small group of the 900 children that came to North Carolina Transportation Museum. They all rode the first two trains of the day so I had to ride the 1:30 PM train. I next went into the back shop looking for one locomotive.

View of the Southern Railway Spencer back shop.

Two views of the famous Civil War Andrews Raiders' Great Locomotive Chase 4-4-0 "Texas" built by Danforth, Cooke and Company in 1856 as Western & Atlantic. Although a total of four locomotives were involved at various stages in chasing the "General", the "Texas" ran the greatest distance. On 12th April 1862, the locomotive was hauling a twenty-one car train southbound from Dalton to Atlanta. Bluffed into making way for the "General" at Adairsville, it was then commandeered by Fuller to continue the pursuit. Dropping its cars, the locomotive ran fifty miles at speeds approaching 60 mph, to close the chase just north of Ringgold.

Before the war, the "Texas" ran freight and passenger services between Atlanta and Dalton. In 1863, it was loaned to the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad where it ended the war. Returned to the Western & Atlantic in 1866, it was re-numbered 49. In 1877, the locomotive became 12 "Cincinnati". Leased to the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis in 1890 as 212, it was finally retired in 1908 and donated to the State of Georgia.

The "Texas" stood deteriorating in an Atlanta side yard until a campaign began to raise funds for its preservation. It was taken to Grant Park in 1911, but only moved indoors in 1921 when the Cyclorama building (below) was erected to house a panoramic painting of the Battle of Atlanta. For many years, the "Texas" was stored in the basement. In 1936, historian Wilbur G. Kurtz led efforts to restore it to its wartime appearance, but it was not until 1981 that it moved upstairs to its current viewing area after modernisation of the Cyclorama building.

It was on display here in Spencer being cosmetically restored.

The tender of the "Texas". On my way out front, I met long time Mr. 261, Steve Sandberg, and we caught upon a lot of different issues affecting both of us.

Norfolk & Western caboose 518675 built by International Car in 1970.

Seaboard Coast Line caboose 0613 built in 1964 as Atlantic Coast Line 0613.

Atlantic Coast Line caboose 0635 built by the railroad in 1964.

New York, New Haven and Hartford six double bedroom-club lounge 553 "Pine Tree State", ex. Amtrak 3212, exx. Penn Central 4435 built by Pullman-Standard in 1955. It was later owned by the Piedmont Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society then the museum acquired the car in 2004.

Norfolk Southern exhibit car 27, ex. Southern 24, nee "Lake Childs" built by Pullman as a 10 section-1 drawing room-2 compartment sleeper in 1926.

Cone Fabrics box car 16 built by Pullman-Standard in 1937 for the Central of Georgia Railroad. Cone Mills bought 16 of these in 1972 to move flannel a quarter of a mile from its Revolution Mill to its Proximity Print Words. Saved from scrapping by the Greensboro Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1983, this car was donated to the museum in 1999.

State of North Carolina 45 ton switcher L-3 built by General Electric in 1943. It was used by the North Carolina Ports Authority in Wilmington its entire life. Donated in 1980, it is one of the oldest diesel locomotives in the museum's collection. With the help of a $2,000 heritage grant from the National Railroad Historical Society, it was recently restored by the museum to its late 1970s condition.

Museum scene.

Southern Railway three-part auto rack 599000 built by Greenville in 1973.

Norfolk & Western GP9 620 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1958 and donated in 1985.

Amtrak F40PH 307 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1979.

Reading wooden coach 1292 "Jack Vail".

Fruit Growers Express refrigerator car 1580. Now for a photo runby of the 11:30 AM Museum Train.

The NCTM 11:30 AM Museum Train whose consist was Norfolk and Western GP9 620, Norfolk and Western combine 1506, Southern coach 1081, NCTM coach 129 and NCTM observation car 1297. From here I went to see what was in the NS Exhibit Car and I operated the simulator and became an Honorary Norfolk Southern Engineer here. I ran into Steve Sandberg again in this car.

Three more pictures of that very alive N&W 611.

Museum scene. I headed out to ride the 1:30 PM NTCM museum train.

Southern Railway box car 262914 built by Pullman-Standard in 1957. I picked up my ticket and we had another group of school children sitting in the observation car. Since the train's usual route was blocked by our excursion equipment, we ran a modified trip.

Norfolk and Western 611 as seen from the excursion train.

Piedmont & Northern Railway box cab 5103. I got off the train and walked back to the turntable to get ready to see N&W 611 move under steam for my very first time, live not dead. A joke!

RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE