Steam in Alexandria in 1958-59?

[NW Mailing List]

Mark, Ed and all:

According to Lloyd Stagner in his last of Steam
articles, the final C&O steam run was I think in WV in
January 1957.

As for Reading and their famous T-1's, there was a
visitation to the area from one of these but that was
not until mid-August 1964 I think and was part of a
Philadelphia-Washington excursion. They tended to stay
on or near home rails for the most part and the
Reading Rambles were run from 1959-1964 when they
ceased.

As an addendum, the General also visited the DC area
in 1963 as well as 1962, the major difference being
that from what I have discerned in went no further
north than Alexandria in 1963 as opposed to staying at
Washington Union Station and the Navy Yard the
previous year. If we remember, 1962 was the 100th
Anniversary of the Andrews' Raid on the old Western &
Atlantic RR.

I know that the St. Elizabeth's engine, the 0-4-0
Oil-burning Porter which now resides at the Baltimore
& Ohio RR Museum in Baltimore, was active on the other
side of the River until the latter 1960's. I
personally remember seeing this in operation chugging
its' way up hill with a car or two of coal, while I
was stuck in traffic on nearby South Capitol Street in
the morning rush hour. This was in the 1965-1967
period. I don't think this engine would have strayed
over to south of Pot Yard as you describe but that is
a slim possibility, which also brings up the fireless
cooker or two which might have been in use at either
the Alexandria Power Plant or down on the RF&P near
Cherry Hill. Maybe even the old Buzzard's Point Pepco
plant had a fireless cooker as well?

Maybe even a real smokey Alco?

I can't figure which, what or if any steam engine
would have been in the region in that period.
Something like that would surely have attracted
attention and other reports would have surfaced before
this time.

Might it have been in 1962 when W&A "The General" came
to town?

Bob Cohen

 

> Mark,

> 

> I don't believe C&O or Sourthern was operating any

> steam locomotives as late as 1957. Does any one

> remember when Reading  began their rambles behind

> their 4-8-4 and whether that ever strayed to foreign

> roads?

> 

> Sam Putney

> 

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

>   From: NW Mailing List 

>   To: NW Mailing List 

>   Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 9:48 AM

>   Subject: Re: Classic Calendar faux pas?

> 

> 

>   Thanks Ed King!!

> 

> 

D'Oh! RF&P. I totally forgot about them!! (Senility is
transparent to the user)  
 
So would C&O have run a steam engine into Alexandria
after 1957? I seem to remember a story about a SRR
passenger train being brought into Alexandria because
the Diesels died on the road. Possibly more of that
senility thing though ....

> 

>   Mark Lindsey

> 

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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