Steam
Southern Railway
Birmingham, Al / Sep 1946 / collection
he steam passenger locomotives of the Southern Railway are probably best remembered for their bright colors of green, gold and silver. Freight and switch engines were also known for their well kept look. However, even though a pleasing appearance made a favorable impression upon the public, something more than just paint was required to produce efficient steam power. Unlike many other American railroads, the newest steam locomotive that the Southern owned was built for the company in 1928, prior to the days of the railroad roller bearing and cast steel bed frame. Although hardly considered modern by later steam standards, the motive power of the Southern was among the best maintained in this country. To sum this up in one sentence: "The Southern took pride in its steam locomotives."
Richard Prince
See also our complete Southern Railway fallen flag scrapbook in Mainlines
Our Southern steam scrapbook below is in no way comprehensive,
but instead offers a sampling of our favorite classes and collected materials.
2-8-0 Consolidation
Southern Railway #105
Baldwin 2-8-0 (1887) / Selma, Al / Jun 1947 / collection
Southern #1-173
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #542
Baldwin 2-8-0 (1903) / Spencer, NC / May 2001 / JCH
Southern #505-548
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #599
Baldwin 2-8-0 (1903) / collection
Southern #555-883
all retired by 1953
Southern Railway #698
Baldwin 2-8-0 (1903) / collection
Southern Railway #822
Baldwin 2-8-0 / collection
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #747
Baldwin 2-8-0 / Marion, NC / Mar 1948 / collection
Southern Railway #6591
Richmond 2-8-0 (1905) / New Orleans, La / May 1943 / collection
Southern #6565-6595
all retired by 1953
Southern Railway #6922
Baldwin 2-8-0 / Jun 1946 / collection
Southern #6922-6926
all retired by 1952
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
2-8-2 Mikado
Southern Railway #4501
Baldwin 2-8-2 (1911) / Jul 1967 / JCH
Southern #4501-4635
#4501 survives
See also our complete Southern Railway #4501 scrapbook
Southern Railway #4503
Baldwin 2-8-2 (1911) / Birmingham, Al / Sep 1946 / collection
Southern Railway #4615
Baldwin 2-8-0 (1912) / collection
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #6626
Alco-Richmond 2-8-2 (1926) / Birmingham, Al / Dec 1937
Southern #6622-6629
all retired by 1954
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Birmingham, Al / Mar 1946 / collection
Southern Railway #6910
Baldwin 2-8-2 (1920) / Chattanooga, Tn / Oct 1967 / collection
Article
from TIES magazine
— Jul-Aug 1999 / collection
This article by John C. Hawkins originally appeared in TIES magazine, a publication of the Southern Railway Historical Association. Posted here with permission.
4-4-0 American
Southern Railway #3841
Baldwin 4-4-0 (1887) / Selma, Al / collection
Southern Railway #3859
Alco Schenectady 4-4-0 (1889) / Meridian, Ms / Jun 1938 / collection
4-6-0 Ten Wheeler
collection
Southern Railway #903
Rogers 4-6-0 (1890) / collection
Southern #903-906
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #947
Baldwin 4-6-0 (1894) / collection
Southern #902, 942-968
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #1092
Baldwin 4-6-0 (1903) / collection
Southern #1085-1112
Southern Railway #6890
Baldwin 4-6-0 (1912) / Laurel, Ms / Apr 1941 / collection
Southern #6889-6891
all retired by 1948
Southern Railway #6892
Baldwin 4-6-0 (1904) / Meridian, Ms / Oct 1940 / collection
Southern #6888, 6892, 6893
all retired by 1948
4-6-2 Pacific
collection
Southern Railway #1339
Baldwin 4-6-2 (1913) / collection
Southern #1325-1359
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #1387
Alco Schenectady 4-6-2 (1924) / Washington, DC / collection
Southern #1366-1409
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #6690
Alco Richmond 4-6-2 (1926) / Birmingham, Al / Aug 1938 / collection
Southern #6684-6691
all retired by 1953
collection
Southern Railway #6978
Baldwin 4-6-2 (1914) / Meridian, Ms / collection
Southern #6975-6979
all retired by 1947
Southern Railway #6979
Baldwin 4-6-2 (1914) / New Orleans, La / Jan 1939 / collection
4-8-2 Mountain
Southern Railway #1457
Baldwin 4-8-2 (1917) / Chattanooga, Tn / Aug 1946 / collection
Southern #1450-1472
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Southern Railway #1482
Baldwin 4-8-2 (1919) / Birmingham, Al / Apr 1948 / collection
Southern #1475-1499
0-6-0 Six-coupled
Southern Railway #1388
collection
Southern Railway #6512
Pittsburgh 0-6-0 (1906) / Meridian, Ms / Apr 1938 /
Southern #6510-6518
all retired by 1949
6500 series switcher / Meridian, Ms / collection
0-8-0 Eight-coupled
Southern Railway #6536
Lima 0-8-0 (1926) / collection
Southern #6534-6537
all retired by 1954
Southern Railway #6849
Brooks 0-8-0 (1918) / Atlanta, Ga / Aug 1951 / collection
Southern #6849
retired 1952
from Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats
- Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection
Scrapbook
all pages from Southern Steam scrapbook / JCH
Survivors
Southern Railway steamers in our collection preserved on display or in operation at museums
Albany & Northern #9
Camilla, Ga / May 2019 / RWH
Albany & Northern #9
to Foley Lumber Company #9
to Albany & Northern #9
to Southern Railway #9
to Town of Camilla, Ga
on permanent display
Albany, Ga / Mar 1957 / collection
Camilla, Ga / May 2019 / RWH
Camilla, Ga / May 2019 / RWH
See our Albany & Northern shortline scrapbook for more Southern #9 photos
Southern Railway #630
Chattanooga, Tn / Aug 1986 / JCH
Southern #630
to East Tenn & W. N. Carolina #207, 1952
to Southern on trade for RS3, 1967
to Tenn Valley Rwy Museum, 1978
Bristol, Tn / Mar 2013 / Will Hankins
See our complete Southern #630 scrapbook in Steam
Southern Railway #722
collection
Southern #722
to E. Tenn. & W. N. Carolinia #208, 1952
to Southern #722 on trade, 1967
to Tenn Valley Rwy Museum, 1984-92
to Asheville chapter NRHS for display
to Dillsboro NC for rebuild
Dillsboro, NC / Jul 2001 / Jeff Marley
Dillsboro, NC / Jul 2001 / Jeff Marley
See our Southern Steam Excursion Program scrapbook for more #772 photos
Southern Railway #4501
Bristol, Tn / Oct 1993 / RWH
Southern #4501
to Kentucky & Tennessee #11, 1948
to The 4501 Corp. (Paul Merriman), 1964
to Tennessee Valley Rwy Museum, 1975
to Southern for excursions, 1966-87
to Tennessee Valley Rwy Museum
Hattiesburg, Ms / Nov 1984 / RWH
Hattiesburg, Ms / Nov 1984 / RWH
Hattiesburg, Ms / Nov 1984 / JCH
See our complete Southern #4501 scrapbook in Steam
Links / Sources
- George Drury, Guide to North American Steam Locomotives (Kalmbach, 1993) 372-4
- Richard Prince, Southern Railway System Steam Locomotives and Boats (Prince, 1970)
- Southern Steam classification table
- Southern Steam Locomotives
Locomotive blueprints used above are from Southern Railway System
Steam Locomotives and Boats by Richard E. Prince - 1970 / collection