Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: 60th Anniversary Special 2021

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   / @stevensainerailfanproductions   Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: 60th Anniversary Special 2021. After 60 years of railroad preservation, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum hosted an event that is to celebrate the entire six decades up to this point.

The event consisted of two night photo sessions: (none of which we were able to attend) featuring all of their steam locomotives lined up, and the next week featured all the diesels.

The event also featured usual rides on the Missionary Ridge Local. For the event, the museum had two trains running, powered by their two operable steam locomotives: Southern Railway 2-8-0 #630, and Southern Railway 2-8-2 #4501.

I have written a description of 630 in a previous video, but I will write the description of 4501's history for this video. (being that it is the main focus of the video)

Southern Railway #4501 was built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as a 2-8-2 MS class Mikado for the Southern Railway. It was also the first of it's class. 4501 hauled freight trains on the Southern until it was retired in 1948. The Kentucky and Tennessee Railway "K&T" would purchase the locomotive to haul coal trains. While it was on the K&T, 4501 was renumbered to 12. 12 was retired in 1964 in favor of newer ALCO diesels. In 1966, Paul Merriman purchased 4501 from the K&T and moved it to the newly formed Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga TN. In 1967, with the help of Lucy Boiler Company. 4501 was restored and ran excursions for the Southern Railway Steam Program. At the request of William Graham Claytor Jr, 4501 was painted in a green paint scheme inspired by the Crescent passenger train. In 1982 Southern Railway merged to form Norfolk Southern which limited 4501 in favor of larger power such as N&W 611 or 1218. In 1994, NS ended the steam program, and 4501 operated on TVRM property until 1998. 4501 was restored in 2014 just in time for that year's Railfest. It was also painted back into an accurate black paint. In 2015, 4501 powered a few excursions for the NS 21st Century Steam Program. After it's cancelation in 2016, 4501 was confined to TVRM property. Today 4501 powers many trips for the museum, and has been in operation ever since.

*4501 was wearing black flags because of the unfortunate passing of the landscaping administrator for the museum. If I remember correctly his name was Mike Smith. The flags were up in honor of him. Rest In Peace man.

Go subscribe to the railfans I met/saw while there:

‪@TheNoogaRailfan‬

‪@SmokyMtnSteam‬

‪@AppalchianShowcase‬

‪@TravisDGordon‬

Tennessee Rail Productions
   / @thecrownedsignal  

Consolidation Productions
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