Nashville's heritage as a railroad city began in December 1845 when the Tennessee State Legislature chartered the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad ( N&C ). Completed in 1854, after successfully negotiating both Cumberland and Raccoon Mountains as well as crossing the Tennessee River, the N&C was the forerunner of the NC&StL, which came into corporate being itself in 1873. The N&C survived the Civil War and various economic panics that followed in the preceding years as Tennessee, in general, and Nashville, in particular, rose from the ashes of war to rebuild itself bigger and better than before.
In 1859 the Louisville and Nashville Railroad ( L&N ) was completed between the two cities that formed it's name. These two railroads connected Nashville with the world. Via the N&C and connecting lines, one could travel south to Atlanta or to Savannah and from there to Europe. Via the L&N and other connecting railroads, one could travel north to New York, Philadelphia or even Boston and from there to Europe as well. Additionally there were other smaller railroads formed in the Nashville area before and directly after the War Between the States that turned the city into a true hub of railroad activity. Most of these other smaller lines were eventually absorbed by either the NC&StL or the L&N over the next few decades.
The NC&StL itself was the target of a hostile takeover by the L&N in 1880. The L&N was frightened by the lightning growth directed by the NC&StL's dynamic president, Col. E.W. Cole, and decided to do something about him and the railroad. The L&N was afraid that the NC&StL would enter St. Louis, Missouri with its tracks before the L&N could get there first. To stop it cold, the L&N purchased controlling interest in the NC&StL and would have merged the road completely into the L&N at that time had it not been for the hue and cry that developed in Nashville. The L&N's management was actually scared away from the idea of merging the two roads together because serious threats of destruction of its rolling stock and property in Nashville and other parts of Tennessee by outraged local citizens.
Therefore the NC&StL, though tied to the L&N by virtue of its controlling ownership of NC&StL stock, retained its own corporate identity in Nashville until August 30, 1957 when it was finally merged into the L&N. Throughout its existence, it was Nashville's railroad. The road stretched out from Nashville to the northwest to Hickman and Paducah, Kentucky; to the west to Memphis, Tennessee; and to the south to Chattanooga, Tennessee and on to Atlanta, Georgia over the leased tracks of the state-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad home to the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War.
Interestingly enough, the L&N was also the target of a hostile takeover in 1902 when the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad gained control of it with the help of J.P. Morgan and his trusts. Also in 1902, the Tennessee Central Railroad ( TC ) finally entered Nashville as a competitor to the NC&StL/L&N combine, providing the city with an alternative railroad to help keep passenger and freight rates lower. The TC was never quite the competition local city fathers had hoped it would be, but it was tenacious and actually soldiered on as an operating entity until 1968 when it was merged into the L&N as well.
Over the years through Nashville Union Station, opened in 1900, a variety of famous, classy NC&StL passenger trains called upon the city. Running from Chicago and St. Louis on through to Florida were the Dixie Flyer, Dixieland, Dixie Limited, Dixie Flagler, Flamingo, Southland and the Georgian . Between Nashville and Memphis was the NC&StL's City of Memphis and before that the Volunteer . There was also the Lookout between Nashville and Chattanooga.
Today, NC&StL Steam Engine 576 somehow looks quaint sitting beside the Tennessee National Air Guard jet in Centennial Park like a dinosaur relic from the past. But there was a time in the not so distant past when 576 and its sister units ruled the railroad world. Steam engines drove this country's trains for over 150 years. The engines came in all shapes and sizes, designed for different purposes and jobs. Over the years, the technology of building bigger, stronger, safer and faster steam engines developed just as it continues to do these days with jets and automobiles.
What is amazing to consider is that the engineers who designed and built these steam engines did so without the benefit of mainframe computers or even simple pocket calculators. There was no Computer Aided Design ( CAD ) back then. Intense mathematical equations that would take up entire walls of blackboards were used to over engineer these behemoths to insure that they could safely handle the load assigned to them and then some.
NC&StL Chief Mechanical Engineer, Nashvillian Clarence Darden, was responsible for the design and overseeing construction of 576 and her sister units in 1942. 576, as designed and built, was a coal-burning steam engine of the J3 class for the railroad. She was designed to be able to handle the heaviest passengers trains and the highest-priority freight trains that ran on the NC&StL. 576 operated between Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta initially but later were also run between Nashville and Memphis. 576 has a 4-8-4 wheel arrangement. Normally classified as a Northern by other railroads, that monicker would never be acceptable in the South or on the NC . So instead the engines were known as Dixies. Their earlier sister J2 4-8-4s, which arrived on the scene in 1930, were also known as Gliders for their smooth ride and handling characteristics.
As a 4-8-4, that means that the front four wheels of the engine help support its front end and guide the engine along. The next set of 8 wheels is the drivers. These are the wheels that are actually driven by the steam produced by the engine's boiler heating water that is turned into steam. The final set of four wheels is known as the trailing trucks and helps shoulder the weight of the engine on the track. In terms of size, the NC&StL's Dixies were pocket 4-8-4s shorter and smaller than other roads' 4-8-4 units. This was by design the engines and their tenders had to be short enough to fit on the existing turntables at the road's various shops.
576's tender is known as a semi-Vanderbilt model. Yes, it is named after the Vanderbilt family that built and ran the New York Central Railroad and whose name graces the university there in Nashville. The tender is where the coal and water necessary to run 576 was stored during its trips. Periodically the engine would require refuelling with both coal and water. The NC&StL maintained a number of coaling towers and water tanks along its tracks for this purpose.
The American Locomotive Company ( ALCO ) of Schenectady, New York was 576's birthplace in 1942. She and sister units 570-579 were constructed there and then delivered to the NC&StL in the fall of that year. As delivered, 576 sported wide yellow skirting on its flanks that was carried over on its tender as well. This quickly earned this series of steam engines the nickname of Yellow Jackets . With bullet noses and sleek Commonwealth pilots, these 10 engines were the pride of the NC&StL.
They, along with 10 more engines of the same class that were delivered in 1943 with yellow stripes instead of the skirting (they were immediately dubbed Stripes ) were the engines that helped this railroad carry the crush of troop and munitions trains across the road, and in their own way, help America win World War II. Later in its time with the NC&StL, 576 and several of her Yellow Jacket sisters were modified into Stripes themselves. Its broad yellow skirting was cut back to resemble the other Stripes. The bullet nose on the front gave way to a simpler cone-type nose and its pilot was switched out to an easier to use type. The NC&StL got their money's worth from all 20 of these engines. They were used in every conceivable type of service on the line before their retirement in 1952. The NC&STL even offered the engines to the L&N for their continued use since the L&N was slower to switch to diesels than the NC&StL but the offer was declined. Therefore NC&StL management made the decision to scrap the engines with the exception of one unit 576.
In September 1953, 576 was officially turned over to the city of Nashville by the NC&StL and rolled into the display space it occupies to this day. Countless thousands of people have visited the engine in Centennial Park over the last 49 years and have marvelled at its size and majesty.
Numerous railfan and museum groups have made pilgrimages to inspect the engine, turning then to the Metropolitan Board of Parks to possibly receive permission to possess the engine for purposes of restoration and operation. For a number of years certain retired employees of the NC&StL and other Nashville citizens allegedly were not in favour of this idea, voicing their opinion in the matter in a variety of ways. However, with the passage of time, the vast majority of those citizens have passed on, leaving no legacy that requires honouring.
The restoration and operation of 576 in Nashville would be unique in that, while there are other Southeastern cities where steam engines are still in operation for tourist and railfan excursions, no other city in the Southeast has a 4-8-4 steam engine. There is the possibility that with 576 restored and operating again, that the National Railway Historical Society could and would hold its annual convention in Nashville periodically drawing well-heeled railfans from across the country. However, with quarterly runs of 576, it would attract tourists on a year round basis to Nashville to see and/or ride the engine.
The NC&StL Railway Preservation Society, Inc., ( NCPS ), a Tennessee non-profit corporation, is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Society has filed for its 501[c](3) designation from the Internal Revenue Service. The group was formed in July 2001 to serve as a freestanding organization dedicated to preserving any and everything that is related to the NC&StL Railway. The scope of this preservation quest is centred entirely on 576 at present. NCPS may endeavour to rescue other NC&StL rolling stock, buildings or other artifacts in the future as time and resources allow, but 576 is and will continue to be the centrepiece of attention for the Society. NCPS is seeking to successfully negotiate and execute a long-term lease with the city of Nashville for the community use and operation of #576 as a live, steaming history museum to honour Nashville's railroad heritage and to provide an additional tourist attraction for the city and the region.
The Society proposes to start this project with the successful negotiation and execution of a long-term lease, preferably in 20-year segments with reasonable renewal options, with the city of Nashville for the ability to move 576 from its current display inside Centennial Park to a secure location in Nashville where it may be restored to operating capacity and then operated on excursion trips around Nashville. Several other major cities in the country (Portland, Oregon; Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; and Austin, Texas) have already entered into similar arrangements with railfan and museum groups in their respective communities to restore steam engines that had previously been on static display and all of these projects have proven successful and beneficial to the respective cities.
Upon successful completion of the restoration process, 576 would be featured in a select number of quarterly operating one-day long, roundtrip excursions upon the Nashville and Eastern Railroad ( NERR ) to local communities such as Lebanon, Watertown and Cookeville and then return to Nashville. NCPS will benefit from its alliance with the Tennessee Central Railway Museum ( TCRM ), which has offered its facility for the initial secure storage of 576 once it is moved from the park.
NCPS welcomes contributions to the 576 Restoration Project as well as memberships in the Society.
Across the world, there is still a huge interest in steam locomotives, large and small. These wonderful machines refuse to die though they have been out of regular service in most countries 20,30,40 or more years. There are places (China, for instance) that still build them. Talented craftsmen design, build and operate steam powered miniature locomotives. People come from miles around to ride behind and see operating steam engines. Princely sums are expended to recover, restore, maintain and operate them. Why this strange phenomenon?
Further questions one might ask are:
* Why are they wonderful?
* Why are they out of service?
* What happened to all of the ones that no longer grace the rails?
* How is it that there are still these dinosaurs in operation?
I will attempt to answer a few of these questions (and undoubtedly raise a few more valid ones!) as I discuss one particular engine that I have had a fifty-year love affair with.
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, USA during the hey-day of steam, I early on became interested in Nashville's own "home" road, the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis RR. I was aware of other RR's, but the N&C, as it is sometimes called, reverting back to the initials of its originally chartered name, was the only road for me. This road served an important economic area of the US and fielded some wonderful equipment. Its people were mostly what made the RR special, and it was not uncommon for Son to follow Father who followed Grandfather in service on this RR. This fact earned the road the nickname of "Grandpa's Road". Americans are commonly known to apply nicknames to almost everything, and RR's were no exception.
The N&C, or "NC&StL" (sound your "saint" when pronouncing the initials) was very distinctive and forward thinking, being a classy operation in every way. Between the beginning of World War two and the end of steam operations on the N&C, the RR found itself strapped for decent modern power to pull the heavy and frequent trains of wartime. As a result, parent company Louisville and Nashville RR authorized the purchase of 20 additional large, speedy and efficient steamers to supplement the road's aging fleet of engines. The new engine was based heavily on the basic design features of a group of five engines the road already, had, which served them well in the semi-mountainous territory they traversed.
It was of the 4-8-4 (Whyte system) wheel arrangement, yet was fairly small in comparison to other road's engines. US mainline locomotives tended to be quite large. The first five engines built in 1930 (class J-2) were highly successful just the same, and carried trains with speed, safety and comfort over quite rugged profiles of track. The new design (Class J-3) improved on that older design with few, but significant upgrades.
Importantly, Nashville's own Clarence M. Darden, Chief Mechanical Superintendent of the NC&StL assisted in the original 1929 design and drew up the specifications for American Locomotive Company (Alco) to build the new locomotive as well. All principal dimensions of the previous design were retained except total wheelbase, overall length and weight.
Such improvements as cast steel frame, cast integral with cylinders and valves, carrying the main air reservoir cast between the frame rails, and providing for mounting of all important appliances on the frame rather than the boiler were designed in. The previous class J-2 had successfully proven the value of an all-cast steel frame. Sealed Timken roller bearings were used everywhere except the side rods. The boiler incorporated thermic siphons, a large combustion chamber, Worthington type "4-1/2SA" feedwater heater and type "E" superheaters. Superheated steam was used everywhere, including the whistle. A semi-streamlined jacket, nose cone and skirting was applied for aesthetics and lowered wind resistance. Mounting appliances to the frame provided a very clean appearance to the boiler shape. A lengthwise set of wide and narrow yellow stripes accented the stark black paint. Mid-War deliveries of this engine had no stripes or skirting applied, so the RR applied a thin lengthwise stripe along the running board edge extending back on the tender. Of course, the two varieties of engines earned the nicknames "Stripes and "Yellow Jackets". Design speed was 80 Miles per hour, though later a successful test was run to 110 MPH. This approaches double the universal standard of "speed in MPH is limited to the same number as the diameter in inches of the main driving wheels". Drive wheel diameter was 70 inches. Wheelbase was kept less than 87 feet in order to be able to turn the engine (inconveniently) on the road's 90-foot turntables. She could negotiate a 20-degree curve because of special lateral motion devices on the first driving axle. Total engine weight was 400,500 Lbs. Alco's designation was S484-399. The interpretation of that is "Steam, 4-8-4, 399,000 lbs." It gained 1500 lbs with later additions of cab extensions. This was one gorgeous, high performance locomotive well liked by crews and management. Their tenure was short, however.
The tender carried the stoker motor, and also was equipped with Timken roller bearings in Commonwealth six wheel trucks. Its frame was also cast with support for all appliances. This particular design was exclusive to the NC&StL, and not repeated on any other railroad. Being of a "semi-Vanderbilt" appearance, carrying 16 tons of coal and 15,000 gallons of water the tender body was of riveted construction. A single duplicate tender was later supplied to the NC&StL by Alco in 1946 for use in updating an old 4-6-2 engine for a special home-made streamliner train called the City of Memphis, but it's construction was all-welded, and kept the railroad's "eye recognition" (spotting features) factor high.
All steam locomotives were soon phased out after the end of the war and Diesels had been discovered to provide superior economies in the larger picture. The most modern ones and those that had been out-shopped recently were allowed to work out their government regulated five-year terms on flues and other major system rebuilds. Diesels soon made the Stripes and Yellow Jackets surplus, and by early 1952 all steam was inactive on the NC&StL. Every one of the engines were unceremoniously cut up for scrap and hauled away in gondolas. All except one, that is, and this is where the story gets interesting to the restorer.
In 1952, the N&C, who's shops were located near Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee somehow managed to save one engine from the scrap-line. She was then donated to the good people of the City of Nashville, for display in one of their parks. This engine was one of the last ones running till that time, and was one of the modernized 4-8-4's, number 576. Though it had been received in an earlier batch and was thus supplied with full jacketing, it had later been converted from Yellow Jacket to Stripe status by the removal of skirting and simplification of the streamlined nose cone.
The shop forces cosmetically restored her with fresh paint, and in September 1953 the donation was made complete. Only 11 years and one month old, 576's intended career was done. In her new career, engine 576 was to reside in nearby Centennial Park. A temporary track called a "shoe-fly" was laid from the Shops to the Parks grounds and the RR shoved 576 down the track to rest in a shady spot in the park. Actually, the track ran downhill a little, and the engine "shoving" was more likely "pulled" by the bulk of the free-rolling 576. A lightweight GM Diesel was used, and there must have been a moment when the engineer on it had concerns for whether they would ever get stopped in time! NC&StL 576 was then open to the public, as access ramps were soon built so people could tour the cab safely. One of the first visitors was this writer, all of 11 years and one month old myself.
On that day my life was transformed forever. As I sat in the engineer's seat, I could still smell the smells of a working steam locomotive, and imagine myself at the helm of such a grand beast. I vowed someday to see this engine run again. But first I had to learn much, so that is what I did. I have since had the opportunity to repair and operate steam locomotives large and small, and often visited old 576 sitting there so cold and lonesome in Centennial Park. I always pay attention to her condition, which in later years has been increasingly worse as one might expect from sitting out unprotected in the weather. She has been given a coat of paint now and then, and had to have a fence erected around her to protect from vandals. She even has had her asbestos (insulation) removed for environmental concerns, with the side benefit of helping keep the boiler outer barrel and sheets relatively dry. There has always been oil in the lubricators, and the side rods had been solidly packed with grease after moving in. Every visit has had a turn or two on the lubricators. What was full fifty years ago is now almost empty, and one lubricator is broken now. I had no idea anyone else might feel the same way I did.
Enter home computing and the Internet, two of man's greatest inventions in my opinion. In the interest of getting a cover of some kind built over the engine, my wife and I established a discussion group on the Internet, and suddenly things began to happen. Having only a shed was not enough; we had to see if the city could be talked into releasing the engine for full restoration. This would not be the first time the city had been approached in this matter, as 576 is really an ideal size and in very good basic condition. The last three proposals have all been flatly rejected, and one was accepted too late to pursue the idea. That group had already chosen another engine to restore since the city took too long to favourably decide at that time. In the meantime, 576 sits there rusting away, unprotected.
As a direct result of this Internet discussion group, a new group was born, The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway Preservation Society (NCPS). Officially chartered in the great State of Tennessee, its mission is to preserve any and all things pertaining to the NC&StL. Now that is a grand mission, as much still exists, though not as much as in earlier years. The RR's trappings and memory is fading fast. Highest on the priority list is the preservation of engine 576. The president of the Richmond, Virginia Railway Station Museum has been quoted on national television as saying (in essence) that "the best preservation of an antiquity is it's proper and regular use plus proper maintenance and that is why the Richmond Station is still in such fine condition". This seems to ring true. Therefore, the NCPS has approached the city of Nashville with a solid proposal for such preservation. While there are difficulties and certain legal hurdles yet to solve, the city has agreed to not say "no" to our proposal. We are working diligently to satisfy whatever requirements there may be to have the city's blessing.
In the event that the city agrees to release their engine for restoration, then there are larger hurdles such as moving, funding and the nuts and bolts of restoration. At this point, we, the NCPS can use all the help we can get! In fact, being a volunteer organization with a need to grow our membership, anyone can help merely by joining. Charter Memberships are still available at $50.00 per year.
While we understand this is no small project, we feel something must be done and soon. Though the engine has weathered her stint outdoors for almost 50 years quite well, the last few years have been very rough on her. She will not stand much more exposure to the elements and still be restorable or even presentable.
The big plus in all this is that even though there is an anti-steam climate in the US propagated by mainline RR's, we have found a willing partner with over 130 miles of scenic Tennessee trackage. Now what we need to do is convince the City of Nashville that "now is the time", and find substantial financial backing.
Thank you very much for you having taken the time to read about one of the nicest 4-8-4's you'll ever see. Hopefully, one day you'll see her in steam, and maybe you will have helped!
