Steam Excursion Program

In May of 1967, an excursion was operated from Chattanooga, Tennessee, down to Attalla, Alabama, using 4501. Two of us from Huntsville took Southern Railway local train #36 to Chattanooga and once there we boarded the excursion at the station (now the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel). We rode behind 4501 all day, to Attalla and back. When we returned to Chattanooga that evening, we could see from the excursion train that local #36 was ready to depart ... without us. We lamented to the excursion conductor that we would surely miss our train. When he understood what our problem was, he said, "I can take care of that for you." He radioed #36 and asked them to wait for two passengers for Huntsville. They did ... and we walked across the tracks, right into #36's single coach. Now that's real Southern service!

In the 1960s and 70s, a number of excursion trains were operated to and from Huntsville, Alabama, where we were living at the time. Many went to or came from Chattanooga, but other locations were used as well in relation to Huntsville. I always went down to the Huntsville depot to see the train before it left. Southern 4501 was almost always the power on the train, although on one occasion a back-to-back pair of E8s was used. But when 4501 was the locomotive, I always thought how well the 1859 Huntsville depot and the 1911 Baldwin locomotive looked together. On the occassions when the trips originated in Huntsville, there would always be a collection of passenger cars brought in during the week prior for use on the excursion train. I remember one time finding an ex Central of Georgia passenger car painted in Illinois Central colors (above), likely for use on the Seminole. Another time, Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame was down at the depot greeting people before boarding the train.

One Saturday in the fall of 1973, there was a trip on the Southern from Sheffield down to Haleyville, Alabama. We left Sheffield with the usual assortment of Southern fantrip equipment, including "Lookout Mountain" on the tail end. Two things I remember about this trip: people getting smoked on a bridge and a wreck alongside the track.

As we went southbound through Russellville, Alabama, we saw that 20 or 30 people had gathered on a wooden overpass to watch 4501 pass underneath. There was a grade on the line leading up to the overpass, and just as 4501 went under the bridge the fireman must have shoveled on some more coal. A great cloud of black smoke came up and completely enveloped the overpass. Our next view was of all the people frantically trying to fan out all the smoke!

On the return trip, there were numerous cars and trucks that drove along the side of the train on a highway. Included in the group was a fellow on a motorcycle. As cars are likely to do in bumper-to-bumper traffic, suddenly there was a quick stop in the line of people pacing the train. From my view on Lookout Mountain, I was looking right at the man on the motorcycle when he ran smack into the car ahead of him. As the front wheel of the bike hit the car's bumper, he flipped clean over the car and landed on its hood.

The Columbus Limited

One Saturday in 1975, Jack and I rode a round trip special that followed Southern passenger trains Nos. 11 and 12 — the old Birmingham to Columbus, Mississippi, locals. We left the old terminal station in Birmingham and took the old Georgia Pacific main out past Gorgas. There we stopped at the depot for some passengers. In the best Southern tradition, the conductor stepped off the car and set his yellow stool on the ground to help the passengers aboard! He even had a dark blue suit and a conductor's visor cap. What style!

From there west to Columbus, the line was curvy and hilly with a 25 mph speed limit. 4501 had a day's work ahead of her! We were on the old Lookout Mountain car at the rear and so we could enjoy the scenery and hear 4501 work the grades. What a trip! The line was wooded most of the way with few signs of civilization anywhere. Somewhere east of Columbus we stopped for water, which was delivered via a local fire truck. We arrived in Columbus about 2 pm, several hours late, but who cared? The train was turned on the Columbus & Greenville Railway wye and 4501 was serviced at the C&G enginehouse. There were several hundred people in Columbus to watch all of this action. About 4 pm we whistled off for Birmingham, hours behind schedule. We finally arrived back at the station after midnight, about five hours late. For awhile en route it appeared the train crew would run out of legal time, but we made it back just before the limit. This trip was some rare mileage because portions of that line are no longer in existence — a year or so after the Southern merged with the Norfolk & Western, the Norfolk Southern abondoned most of it.