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Former Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630 and 2-8-2 No.4501 are just south of Rock Springs, Ga., on November 12. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum ran its final 2016 Summerville Steam Specials from Chattanooga to Summerville, Ga., and return over the weekend of November 12-13. PHOTO BY JOHN BIEHN
STEAM AND PRESERVATION OTTO M. VONDRAK
Fort Wayne Acquires Nickel Plate 624
On November 15, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society announced the completion of an acquisition months in the making when the city of Hammond, Ind., agreed to donate Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 No. 624 to the preservation group. Part of a group of ten Mikado-type locomotives built for NKP by Lima in 1922, No. 624 was retired in August 1955. Following a public request by city leaders, it was donated by the railroad and placed on display opposite the Civic Center in September 1955. Unfortunately, the years of outdoor storage have not been kind. The Northwest Indiana Railroad Preservation Society was formed in 2007 to raise funds for the restoration of NKP 624. After a few years of clean-up activity the group disbanded, leaving No. 624 again in search of a savior. Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott, Jr., said, “It’s been disheart-
ening to see the deterioration over the years. I’m happy to see it go to a good home.” The locomotive will be moved from Hammond to the FWRHS facility in Fort Wayne for evaluation. While a full rebuilding to operation would be exciting, volunteers are planning for a cosmetic restoration as a first step. Much of the initial work is being funded by a private anonymous donor. Long-term goals call for No. 624 to be
the anchor of the “Headwaters Junction” museum complex proposed by FWRHS for the Fort Wayne waterfront, joining NKP No. 765 and other pieces of historic equipment.
Espee’s Lone RDC is Coming Home
Southern Pacific owned just one Budd
Rail Diesel Car (RDC), built in 1953 and delivered in 1954 as SP-10; the lone car was initially assigned to the run between Sacramento and Oakland, Calif. After the termination of those runs in 1959, it was transferred to subsid- iary Northwestern Pacific, operating as the Redwood between Eureka and Willits, Calif. Originally built in the
standard coach configuration with 90 seats, SP rebuilt one end of the unit to handle baggage and parcels prior to its assignment on the NWP. As the result of a grade crossing accident in 1960, the baggage end was rebuilt without its cab controls, requiring the RDC to be turned at the end of its run. The “pocket streamliner” continued to operate until the formation of Amtrak in May 1971. SP-10 was sold to shortline Oregon Pacific & Eastern, where it operated until 1978. Acquired by the Moody Foundation, it was brought to the Galveston Center for Transportation and Commerce in Texas, which later became the Galveston Railroad Museum. The unit was placed on display and occasion- ally operated until the early 2000s when a mechanical failure sidelined it. In 2008, Hurricane Ike devastated
the Gulf Coast, flooding Galveston and damaging much of the museum’s collec- tion. Saltwater infiltrated the car’s two Detroit 616 diesel engines, rendering SP-10 inoperable. The Southern Pacific Railroad History
Center non-profit group was formed to acquire the car, transport it, and establish a museum and interpretive
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