During the steam era, the Southern Railway never rostered any locomotives of the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement. In 1981, however, that changed when the Southern needed a larger engine to power longer excursion trains. C&O Berkshire 2716 was leased from the Kentucky Railroad Museum and dressed in Southern attire. Starting in October, the Alco pulled Southern excursions until it was found to have a cracked firebox in July 1982. She was never revived by the Southern as N&W 611, and later 1218, took over the heavy lifting on the excursion schedule. The 2-8-4 languished in Birmingham until the NS steam program ended in 1994, when it went to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, who ran it on a few excursions in 1996. Ultimately the Berkshire ended up back in Kentucky, and is in the process of restoration in 2017. The Southern version of the 2716 is seen here after getting coaled in Alexandria, Virginia during its short excursion career. Let’s hope that the next rebirth will be more long-lasting.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
From a hint of "Bee" (NKP 765), colorful "Bees" (KCS), "Bees" w/ "attitude", to "Bees" that "sting" your eyes, in their own way they have "Bee" on display! Equipment that "Buzzes" with Yellow & Black colors! ("Bees" can still "Bee" entering this "hive"!)
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
