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Getting to the NRHS 2017 Nashville Convention

This year's National Railway Historical Society Convention was to be in Nashville, Tennessee. I was asked to be a bus host again this year and would work the Summerville Steam trip, My Old Kentucky Dinner Train trip and the Heritage Tour to the Andrew Jackson Hermitage Site and Jackson Showboat Tour as well as the Tennessse Central trip to Cookeville. I planned the trip to include the Southern Railway Number 154 Photography Charter in Knoxville, Big South Fork Scenic Railway, chasing the Lhoist Railroad, riding the Nashville Music City Star commuter train and visiting the Casey Jones Museum in Jackson, plus more before the convention began. After the convention I would visit downtown Nashville and Bowling Green before flying home the next day. It promised be a great trip, with Bob and Elizabeth Alkire joining me Monday through Sunday before they flew home.

I got up in the morning and waited for Super Shuttle while having breakfast. They arrived late due to traffic but had me at the airport in plenty of time. I was TSA approved but my CD case caused me to have a secondary search that only took a few moments. The TSA agent was very apologetic, saying that it should not have happened as all I had in there was music and music should not have flagged the system. With my knees hurting, I was pre-boarded which allowed me to choose a better seat and I chose the second row which allowed a very easy exit when I arrived in Las Vegas. This flight was one of those up, level off and down flights. When I got to the level part, I enjoyed a Coca-Cola. We arrived at the B Terminal in Las Vegas but my connecting flight was at C25. So I walked over to that terminal with plenty of time to spare. This plane was having a significant problem in the fact that the crew was not there. Shortly thereafter, the cabin crew arrived but we could not board the plane until both pilots were there, so the first pilot arrived off a flight that came in from Phoenix and the main pilot arrived on a flight from Houston which had been delayed by weather.

This flight, while leaving ten minutes late, was smooth sailing as I enjoyed another Coca-Cola and took one for myself for later on the second serving. I arrived in Nashville on time, went to the Dollar Rental Car counter, filled out the paperwork and was led on a wild goose chase to the rental car terminal. Finally finding the Dollar Rental car kiosk on the second level, I was told to pick a mid-size car of my choosing so with the choice of cars, I decided to pick a Nissan Versa. I then headed to the Days Inn (why they call it the airport I do not know as it is away from the airport), was given Room 641 which was very comfortable and I had a good first night in Nashville.

6/16/2017I arose at 5:45 AM, packed up the room and headed out across Tennessee. I took the Interstate 24 south to an exit to Smyrna where I would find my first depot of the morning.

The Louisville & Nashville station, formerly Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis, at Smyrna, built in 1873. From here I drove to Murfreesboro.

The Murfreesboro Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis station built in 1898.

Also on hand was the CSX local power. From here I took a wrong turn and was headed southwest. Once I crossed Interstate 840, I knew I was on the wrong road so I took the first left which took me back under the freeway. It made a T in the road; that road took me south where I joined US 41A, the road I needed to take to get to my next stop in Tullahoma.

CSX 5277 West at Tullahoma.

The Tullahoma Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis station built in 1884. Tullahoma was founded in 1852 as a work camp along the new Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.

Louisville and Nashville caboose 1092, built by Louisville and Nashville in 1964. I made my way to Winchester where I stopped at McDonald's for breakfast, after which I drove on to Cowan.

The 1904 Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis wood-frame depot at Cowan.

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis speeders 7276 and 7299, both built by Fairmont, on display beside the depot.

Cherokee Brick and Tile 2-4-2 1 built by H. K. Porter in 1920 for the Bibb Brick Company in Macon, Georgia. The Bibb Brick Company was started in 1902 with a plant in Macon and its own railroad with spur tracks to the Central of Georgia and Southern railroads. After suffering adverse financial conditions, the plant and railroad were acquired by the Cherokee Brick & Tile Co., including 1, in the late 1930s. In 1964, the steam engine was sold to Cole & Marion Walters in Charleston, South Carolina, who at some stage sold it to the amusement park Pirateland in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where it ran over a mile- and-a-half line through the fair grounds. It was then sold to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennesse, who next sold it to the City of Cowan in 1979.

Louisville and Nashville flat car 24536.

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis bay window caboose class NE8 153 built in 1943 from boxcar 89 built in 1913. It was used as Radnor work train 42335.

The display train.

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis 44-ton switcher 100 built by General Electric in 1950. In 1962, this was the first US locomotive to be equipped with radio control in such way as to not require an engineer in the cab.

A display train.

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis boxcar 22524 built by Pullman Standard in 1952.

Museum scene.

Another view of the display train. As I was driving away I heard a whistle coming so I crossed the street, parked and stood in a bandstand to photograph the train.

CSX 7827 West at Cowan. From here I drove to Chase, Alabama to the Northern Alabama Railroad Museum who knew I would be there this morning. Finding it closed, I walked in to photograph and started to do that.

Southern Railway bay window caboose X3087 built by Southern Railway in 1950.

Lackawanna Railroad S-2 484 built by Alco in 1949, lettered for Mercury and Chase.

The Chase station, Southern Railway/Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis, built in 1937.

North Alabama Railroad Museum RSD-1 8652 built by Alco for the United States Army in 1945.

Southern Railway heavyweight passenger coach 1665 built by Pullman in 1926 as New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad 4673, a predecesor.

Dubuque Packing Company ice bunker refrigerator car 63601.

Museum scene. I was going to continue to photograph down this line when I noticed a pole which had a warning about you being filmed if trespassing. Even though they knew I was going to be here, why take a chance? So I decided to go and take pictures of the Mercury Express passenger train.

The Mercury Express passenger train.

Former Pennsylvania Railroad coach 6082 built by Budd in 1939.

Former Pennsylvania Railroad coach 6072 built by Budd in 1947.

North Alabama Railroad Museum hospital car 1000, now a concession/diner, built by American Car and Foundry in 1943 as United States Army 89444.

Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis S-2 213 built by Alco in 1941 as 571.

One last view of the Mercury Express.

Museum scene.

Alco RSD-1 8652.

Chase depot. I left the museum and stopped at Walmart on my way out of town to get a tripod since mine would not fit in my suitcase. I then started my trek to where I thought I was going, which was Pigeon Forge. As I neared Chattanooga, I lost 45 minutes due to bumper-to-bumper traffic so made my way to Townsend, Tennessee and my next stop of the day.

The Little River Railroad is a historic class III railroad that operated between Maryville and Elkmont, Tennessee during the period 1901 to 1939.

The Little River Railroad was established as a subsidiary of the Little River Lumber Company on November 21, 1901. Colonel W. B. Townsend was the owner of both entities.

The LRR was primarily a logging railroad. The Little River Lumber Company owned over 76,000 acres of prime forest land in Blount and Sevier counties. By the time Little River Lumber Company completed operations in 1939, it had harvested two billion board feet of lumber from the Little River watershed.

The general methodology of the LRR was to build a line into an area, complete the logging operation, then remove the line. In all, the LRR built 150 miles of track, none of which still exists.

The LRR operated a number of forms of equipment during LRR's lifetime. The primary logging locomotive was the Shay. The LRR also utilized the 4-6-2 Pacific and the first 2-4-4-2 Articulated Mallet. In addition, the LRR owned a rail bus and Col. W.B. Townsend utilized a rail car.

In 1925, Col. Townsend agreed to deed all of the holdings of the Little River Lumber Company to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for $273,557, or $3.58 an acre. This purchase represented a singular milestone in the eventual creation of the park. The purchase permitted the Little River Lumber Company to continue logging within the park boundaries until 1938. In 1939, the LRR ended operations.

Today, the Little River Lumber Co & Railroad Museum in Townsend, Tennessee preserves the history of the LRR.

The LRR had a main line which ran from Maryville, through Walland and Sunshine to Townsend. The line of the LRR roughly follows US 321 and TN 73 today. Townsend was the site of the Little River Lumber Company's sawmill. The main line continued to the confluence of the Little River and the West Prong of the Little River at a spot now known as the Townsend Y. The western branch led to Tremont, where a small logging community was located. The eastern branch led to Elkmont, where a larger logging community and a recreational community were located.

The LRR roadbed still winds its way along the Little River from Townsend to Elkmont as the Little River Gorge Road or TN 73. Within this section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are numerous trails that owe their existence to the LRR. All of the "Quiet Walkways" except Bote Mountain Road between Gatlinburg and Cades Cove are former LRR road bed.

I pulled into the parking lot and was very happy I came here.

The sign along the highway.

Little River Lumber Company three-truck shay 2147 built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1909 for Tellico River Lumber Company as their 2147 at Tellico Plains, Tennessee. In 1934, it was sold to Bond Wolf & Company 2147 at Alcoa, Tennessee then in June 1935, sold to Little River Lumber Co. 2147 at Townsend, Tennessee but a year later, they sold it to John J. Craig Company 2147 at Friendsville, Tennessee. In 1960, it was sold to Conasauga River Lumber Co. 2147 at Conasauga, Tennessee and in 1986, became the property of Graham County Railroad at Topton, North Carolina. In 1982, it was sold to the Little River Lumber Co. Historical Society at Topton, North Carolina and in 1984, was moved to Townsend, Tennessee.

Logging crane.

Steam tractor.

A logging car.

The restoration shop.

A rear view of Little River Lumber Company shay 2147. I went into the office and introduced myself to the gentleman behind the desk. We had a quick visit as I thought I had another place to go. I headed on to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee but this part of the trip was in vain as there were no signs coming from the south directing anyone to Dollyworld. As it was late in the afternoon and I had a night photo shoot to attend, I then forgoed my Dollyworld experience and headed to Knoxville, where I checked into the Super 8 for the night. But first I would go down to the river for the night photo session with Southern Railway 154. That however is another story.

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