Southern Railway 4501 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern Railway 4501 |
|
 |
|
| Southern No. 4501 on static display at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in 2006 | |
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| References: | |
| Builder | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| Serial number | 37085 |
| Model | 12-48 1/4 E |
| Build date | October 1911 |
| Configuration | 2-8-2 |
| UIC classification | 1'D1'h |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Driver diameter | 63 in (1,600 mm) |
| Weight on drivers | 215,700 lb (97,800 kg) |
| Locomotive weight | 272,900 lb (123,800 kg) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Boiler pressure | 205 psi (1.41 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 27 in × 30 in (686 mm × 762 mm) |
| Valve gear | Walschaerts |
| Tractive effort | 53,900 lbf (239.8 kN) |
| Factor of adhesion | 4.00 |
| Number in class | 1st of 182 |
| Nicknames | "The Big Engine" (by K&T crews) |
| Retired | February 1964 (revenue service) September 20, 1998 (1st excursion service) |
| Restored | August 1966 (1st restoration) September 6, 2014 (2nd restoration) |
| Current owner | Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum |
| Disposition | Operational, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee |
|
Mikado Locomotive No. 4501
|
|
 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 2202 N. Chamberlain Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Built | 1911 |
| Built by | Baldwin Locomotive Works |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002440 |
| Added to NRHP | March 28, 1979 |
Southern Railway 4501 is a special steam locomotive built in October 1911. It was the very first "Mikado" type (meaning it has a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement) made for the Southern Railway. This powerful engine was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1948, the Southern Railway stopped using steam engines like No. 4501. They started using newer diesel engines instead. So, No. 4501 was sold to a smaller railroad called the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway (K&T) in Stearns, Kentucky. There, it worked hard pulling coal trains.
When the K&T also switched to diesel engines in 1964, No. 4501 was bought by a train enthusiast named Paul H. Merriman for $5,000. He brought it to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Soon after, it was fixed up to run special excursion trips for fun, not for hauling goods. This was part of the Southern Railway's special steam program. In 1979, the locomotive was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized as an important historical item.
No. 4501 was a big star in the Southern Railway's steam program until 1985. It ran again from 1991 to 1994. Then, the program stopped because of high insurance costs and busy train tracks. After that, No. 4501 ran trips for its owner, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga. Paul Merriman was one of the people who started TVRM, and he eventually gave No. 4501 to the museum.
In 1996, the locomotive was painted black, like it was when it first started working. It stopped running in 1998 because its "boiler ticket" (a safety certificate) expired. In 2012, work began to restore No. 4501 again. It was finished in 2014, with some new parts added to make it run even better. Today, No. 4501 still runs fun tourist trips for the TVRM in Chattanooga. It often pulls longer trips to Summerville, Georgia.
Contents
History of Southern Railway 4501
Working on the Rails
No. 4501 worked for the Southern Railway in many different states. These included Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. In October 1948, the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway (K&T) bought the locomotive. They changed its number to No. 12.
In February 1964, the K&T bought three new diesel engines. Because of this, No. 4501 and the other steam locomotives were retired from their regular work. Paul H. Merriman, a big fan of trains, bought No. 4501 for $5,000. He wanted to fix it up so it could run special trips for fun on the Southern Railway.
Fun Trips: 1966–1998
On June 6, 1964, No. 4501 arrived in Chattanooga. Volunteers from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) started fixing it up. They worked at a company called Lucey Boiler Company.
During this big repair, many parts of No. 4501 were replaced. These included the thin floor of the cab, the rusty ash pan, and the front of the smokebox. The dented roof of the cab was straightened. The engine was also painted in Southern Railway's special Virginia green color with gold lines. This was different from its original black color.
After the repairs were finished in August 1966, No. 4501 made its first public trip. It traveled between Chattanooga and Richmond, Virginia. In 1969, No. 4501 got a bigger tender. The tender is the car behind the engine that carries coal and water. The new tender could hold 18 tonnes (18,000 kg) of coal and 15,000 US gallons (57,000 L) of water. The old one held 12 tonnes (12,000 kg) of coal and 8,000 US gallons (30,000 L) of water.
In November 1969, a special event called “Steam-O-Rama” happened in Anniston, Alabama. It celebrated the Southern Railway's 75th birthday. Three steam engines were there, including No. 4501. The other two were Savannah and Atlanta No. 750 and the famous “Flying Scotsman” from England.
In the 1970s, No. 4501 traveled to many different railroads for special trips. It became famous for pulling the Old Milwaukee Special train in summer 1973. This train carried items for the Circus World Museum. On March 28, 1979, No. 4501 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it was recognized as an important historical item.
On April 11, 1981, the locomotive had a problem with its front flue sheet during a trip. A diesel locomotive had to finish the trip. No. 4501 was taken for a long repair. It didn't run again until November 1984. After this repair, No. 4501 got a new tender body. Its water tank was made a bit smaller. The engine was also painted a lighter green color.
On November 3, 1991, No. 4501 joined two other large steam engines for a special trip. These were No. 611 and No. 1218. They pulled a 28-car passenger train from Chattanooga to Atlanta.
In 1994, the Norfolk Southern company decided to stop its steam program. This was due to safety concerns, high costs, and busy train tracks. No. 4501 made its last big trip on April 30, 1994. It had to stop early because of overheated bearings. A diesel engine finished the trip. After this, No. 4501 returned to the TVRM on May 25, 1994.
After the Norfolk Southern program ended, No. 4501 continued to run trips for TVRM. In 1996, it was painted black again, like it was in the 1930s. It stopped running on September 20, 1998, because its boiler safety certificate expired.
Running Again: 21st Century Operations
.jpg)
In June 2010, Norfolk Southern announced a new program called "21st Century Steam." They planned to run special trips with No. 4501 and another engine, No. 630. In March 2011, No. 630 started running trips. With No. 630 working, the restoration of No. 4501 began in 2012.
During its restoration around 2013, No. 4501 received some important upgrades. It got new roller bearings on its trailing wheels. These help the engine move smoothly around curves. A new feedwater heater was added to make the engine more efficient. Its tender also got a mechanical stoker, which helps feed coal into the fire. The boiler was also checked and approved to run at a slightly higher pressure. This gave the engine a bit more power.
On September 6, 2014, No. 4501 was steamed up for the first time since 1998. It made its public return at TVRM's 2014 Railfest. It then had a test run to prepare for the Summerville Steam Special trip.
On May 1, 2015, No. 4501 successfully completed a test run on the Norfolk Southern mainline. In June 2015, it pulled the Radford Rambler and Lonesome Pine Special trips.
On September 12 and 13, 2015, No. 4501 ran a round-trip excursion during TVRM's 2015 Railfest. Two weeks later, it ran the Nancy Hanks Special trip.
No. 4501 was supposed to run another trip in October 2015, but it was canceled due to Hurricane Joaquin. After this, Norfolk Southern officially ended its 21st Century Steam program. However, No. 4501 continued to run regular trips at the TVRM. It became the main engine for the annual Summerville Steam Special trip.
In September 2019, No. 4501 was specially decorated to look like Louisville & Nashville No. 1593 for a historical convention.
Appearances in Movies and TV
No. 4501 has been in several movies and TV shows:
- It appeared in the 1971 movie Fools' Parade. For this movie, it was painted to look like Baltimore & Ohio No. 4501.
- In the 1974 movie Ridin' the Rails: The Great American Train Story, No. 4501 is shown under steam. A clip from this movie, with Johnny Cash driving the engine, was used in his music video for the song Hurt.
- No. 4501 was in the 1975 movie Hard Times.
- It starred in the 1976 television movie Eleanor and Franklin.
- No. 4501 appears several times in the 1978 movie Summer of My German Soldier.
- It was used as the locomotive in the 1999 movie October Sky. It was marked as a Norfolk and Western Railway engine in the film.
- No. 4501 was featured in the 2016 documentary And Then There Was One. This film tells the story of No. 4501's history.
- It was also seen in the Baby Einstein “On the Go” episode, pulling a freight train.
- The sound of No. 4501's special 3-chime whistle was used in the Thomas & Friends episode "Toby's New Whistle."
Images for kids
-
No. 4501 in storage at TVRM's Soule Shops in 2006.
