So, what motivated the installation of a stoker on 4501?

Ummm, maybe shoveling several tons of coal a day gets REALLY old, REALLY fast?

Oh, wait..... [checks dusty corners of repressed memories]...... why, yes. Yes, it does.

Seeing I apparently can't find this stoker topic on any other site...tell us more.

if it didnt I'd be putting a stoker in too.

Smaller engines than it did, consider the N&W M2c's, 0-8-0's etc.
tho pouring over the lost engines pics I couldnt tell it had stokers, seems some early stoker designs fed coal thru the center of the firebox than on the boiler edge using steam to fling coal around.

From pics of 4501's door sheet on TVRM's website, it doesn't look like she will have a stoker.

According to the original story on Trains "Newswire," 4501 is being retrofitted with the stoker from CN Pacific No. 5288, which TVRM acquired from Steamtown several years ago.

In David P. Morgan's Locomotive 4501 there is a passing reference that Southern fitted stokers to some of the Ms class engines, of which 4501 is the class locomotive of.

I don't have a copy of Prince's book on Southern steam power to confirm this.

Were other members of the Ms class fitted with stokers?

I believe that she was called the "Fireman Killer" by the Southern crews that ran her on the steam program. Probably won't be called that now, aye? Haha

Great news! Hope to see 01 run in the future!

Martin

Believe it now? Backhead has been flanged for it now too.

Link to Trains article
http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2012/03/Southern%20steam%20stars%20getting%20prepped%20in%20Tennessee.aspx

Check the literature -- many Southern Ms-class engines were retrofitted with stokers and some with feed water heaters too. It's just that 4501 is getting hers about 75 years later than most.

--Bill Schafer

So is Bill Purdie rolling or saluting?

Steve

I hope he's saluting, since some of the blueprints from his collection are aiding in the restoration and "improvements."

Seriously, I've been told he talked about installing one from time to time. I don't think he had the budget to do a lot of things he would have liked to do.

Andrew Durden
Decatur, GA

I don't see this as a bad thing. Gets rid of the need for two firemen and one or two cutters in the tender. Not sure today's NS would want people riding in the tender all day long. Plus, getting rid of a body in the cab gives room for a VIP.

Well, they could have converted her to oil. The stoker should be a winner and I'm sure the crew will love it. Bit of a learning curve for some of them.

stoker is nice, sometimes tho you nab some coal to throw into a needed spot.
As far as the VIP, he better have jimmies on, and ready to push coal down the tender some...