NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 24, Issue 20

[NW Mailing List]

Gentlemen, Mark, Ed and all:

Let me toss some observations from research I have
done on the last revenue steam operations into the
Washington, DC region.

I'm going to do this like 10 little Indians and if
someone else out there has better information, then
please step up to the plate.

We all know that Southern steam had ended much earlier
than the others with the last actual steam runs into
or out of the DC area ending in the early part of 1952
by my research. There were steam work trains
continuing into the 2nd half of 1952 and a steam
switcher was reactivated in the Southern yards during
the Christmas rush.

The Southern mainline water tanks and coal tipples
were all retired by mid-1953, kept in stand-by mode
for C&O which had requested such. I can provide
locales and dates if you want. Even Southern #1401 did
NOT come up under its own power, being messengered up
in February 1953 with rods down.

The last C&O regular service steam run into or out of
the DC area was the early June 1953 excursion of
Hudson #490 to Charlottesville and back to DC and this
run is WELL-documented. The previous regular service
steam run had been 6-12 months earlier. I don't have
an exact date of this one either.

The last RF&P steam run out of Pot Yard was December
31,1953 and the last RF&P revenue steam run out of
Washington Union Station was during the New Year's
Mail Rush on January 3rd,1954 with #622 the Carter
Braxton providing the power. It is also
well-documented that the 10 RF&P steamers, after being
stored serviceable at Acca yard were leased to the
power short C&O during 1955 and were returned in the
first half of 1956. By 1958 they were all stored
outside and rusting away with their piston rods
disconnected since their return from the C&O 2 years
earlier

B&O had ended daily steam service from the north on
Train #22 in early November 1953 to end steam into
Washington on the Baltimore Division. Amazingly, the
Pennsy ran a Thanksgiving weekend extra 3 weeks later
to the Bowie Race Track 3 weeks later from Washington
Union Station but that was it for those 2 carriers.

ALSO, all lead engines on the RF&P had to have the
automatic train control devices which were not
compatible with the PRR's or other ATC's. I have not
found any references of ACL or SAL steamers having the
ATC devices AFTER the start of Diesel service in the
early 1940's. Beside all ACL and SAL steamers had been
retired by the 1956 period.

The ATC device is a key element in the plausibility of
operations on the RF&P. The Southern mainline did not
have such a control mechanism.

N&W could have theoretically come up from Monroe until
around that time frame, but it's a 165-mile run for
that distance from Monroe to DC and I wonder how they
could have been coaled in between. Water canteens were
in use by then so that part of the servicing could be
explained with ease. From what I have read, the K1's
and K-2's were all retired by or during 1957 or
perhaps early 1958 but once again I would defer to a
more knowledgeable authority on that. I definitely
question if their range could even closely approximate
165-miles without being watered.

In the excursion days when 611 was run from Lynchburg
to Manassas, I remember them coaling the engine at
each end with a crane.

That's what I can offer from here and if this steam
report can be confirmed, I would find it most
interesting and enlightening.

The first reported returning steam operation into the
region since 1954 was the General in March or April
1962 and it DID come up on the RF&P as I remember in
my reading.

Bob Cohen


-------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2007 08:45:37 -0500
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Classic Calendar faux pas?
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Message-ID:
<001101c839a0$9f365db0$2f01a8c0 at 601ek604>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Don't know about the engine, Mark (except that it
wouldn't have been an N&W one) but the Atlantic Coast
Line didn't go to Alexandria. That crossing was the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac going over the
Southern main line. The ACL didn't get any closer to
Alexandria than Richmond. The C&O came into Alexandria
over the Southern from Charlottesville.  The ACL and
SAL trains came in over the RF&P.

> 

> Ed King



>   ----- Original Message ----- 

>   From: NW Mailing List 

>   To: NW Mailing List 

>   Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 5:52 AM

>   Subject: Classic Calendar faux pas?

> 

OK History Buffs!  When I was very young, We lived in
Alexandria, just 1/5 mile from the crossing of
Southern tracks and Atlantic Coast Line tracks (CSX,
ATL, Seaboard?). I believe it was spring of 58, but
possibly '59. Mid morining. Mom was cleaning the 2nd
floor windows and called me to see a STEAM ENGINE
coming north into Alexandria. I missed actually seeing
the engine, but saw the smoke rising from the trees.
As a Steam engine was by that time an unusual event, I
was wondering If anybody had any idea what engine it
was? It almost HAD to be a Norfolk and Western K or J,
and pulling one of the Southern trains. 
 
Mark Lindsey


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