Regarding the 3525 posts below-

According to Willie Souder, the 3525 (which they named "Big Dixie", among other things) only made two trips at Stone Mountain. She was pretty heavy on her feet and the story says they thought she broke rails. Actually, I bet they were just shook up by her size and fuel consumption.

She wound up in Johnson City as part of the old SOuthwest Virginia Scenic Railroad deal, which operated from Hiltons to Mendota, VA on the V&SW back in about 1975-76. They bought the BC&G engine 4 that the Spencer group has cone such a good job with from the Quakertown & Eastern. Lynn Lowe went to move the 4 back to Andover, VA and inspected that 3525 for the SWVS at Stone Mountain. He recommended they pass on the 3525 but they bought it anyway and moved it to Muse Welding in Johnson City (on Legion St. next door to the ET&WNC enginehouse) for conversion to coal firing.

I don't know if Muse did any work on 3525 or not but she was a sad sight in the mid 70's. People often thought that she was a derilect ET&WNC engine, which caused a falling out between Muse and K. E. Wilhoit, the ET&WNC president at the time. Wilhoit insisted the ET equipment always look good as it reflected on the image of the Trucking Company.

3525 never made it to Hiltons.

Steam Locomotive Technical Books
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