Southern Railway 722
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Southern 722 backing onto the train in the Macon, Ga terminal in the mid 1970's | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Southern Railway 722 is a steam locomotive built in September 1904 by Baldwin Locomotive Works for Southern Railway. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation of the railroad's Ks-1 class.[1]
History
722 was used on Southern to run on the Murphy Branch pulling logging trains until its retirement in the 1950s.[2] 722 and sister locomotive, 630, were purchased by the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad and renumbered 208 and 207 respectively. In December 1967, both locomotives were traded back to the Southern for use in their steam excursion program and reverted to their former identities in return for a pair of former Central of Georgia Alco RS3s.
722 and 630 headed main line excursion trains over the entire Southern system until by the late 1980s, they both were retired again from the Southern in favor of more larger and powerful steam locomotives to haul the heavier excursions. The Ks-1 sisters were both leased briefly to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee to haul some light passenger train excursions. In 1992, 722 was subsequently loaned by Southern's successor Norfolk Southern to the Asheville Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in Asheville, North Carolina.[3]
But Norfolk Southern donated 630 to TVRM in 1999 where it still operated today since March 2011 and 722 to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2000 where it operated on the ex-Southern Railway Murphy Branch (the same place where 722 worked at a long time ago).
2000-Present
The GSMR have plans to restore the locomotive, but it remains disassembled outside their Dillsboro locomotive workshop area along with their other steam locomotive, ex-Reader Railroad #1702 a USATC S160 Class. The parts for 722 were stored in a boxcar to make sure they won't get rusted. According to GSMR, 722 would be restored after 1702's restoration.
By July 24, 2016, the Swain County in North Carolina paid for 722's restoration so that it will be restored to operating condition once again.[4] In addition, 722 would be converted from burning coal to oil just like 1702.
References
- Ferrell, Mallory Hope (1991). Tweetsie Country. Johnson City, TN: The Overmountain Press. ISBN 0-932807-58-5.
- Tillotson, Curt, Jr. (2005). Southern Railway Steam Trains, Volume 2 - Freight. Forest, VA: TLC Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-9766201-5-4.
| Passenger Locomotives |
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| Freight and Switching Locomotives |
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