Ran across this on another list unrelated to the subject, but interesting. Is it true?To all group members,An old friend needs help. While on vacation recently, we went to theSouthern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, GA.Home of the "General" steam locomotive. Recently, it was discoveredthat even though the General is indoors and in a controlledenvironment, she is rotting away and falling apart. When she wasplaced in the museum years ago, her boiler was not washed out, thesand was not removed from her sand dome and there is still No. 2fuel in her tender. All of this is doing no good for her.Restoration is going to cost upwards of $40.000 If you can help inany amount of money, please do so. She is an important piece ofhistory of our great country, a war that is worse than the war weare fighting now, the war amongst ourselves. Please send what youcan. The address is as follows:The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History2829 Cherokee StreetKennesaw, GA. 30144(770) 427-2117Thank you fellow railroaders, buffs and foamers for all your help.

While I haven't been to Kennesaw for a couple years, things must have gotten very bad very quickly if this report is correct insofar as the "rotting and falling apart" goes. I don't know if the boiler was washed, or if any attempt has been made to dry it and keep it dry, or if in fact any thought has been given to the matter. A couple light bulbs and removing some washout plugs won't cost much. The oil tank was made (like a great deal of GENERAL) by the L&N in 1960-61 and does still have some oil in it, which isn't hurting it and isn't going anywhere unless a leak develops, which hurts the carpet more than the tender. Sand in the sand domes is as dry by now as the conditioned air in the structure, and won't rot out the domes from the inside as if it were wet, but removing the sand is a guy with a small bucket and some time to spend some evening. I'd be hard pressed to spend $40,000 "restoring" something that doesn't need anything but minor touch up, and maybe some light cleaning and conservation work on what little original fabric remains. Actually, restoration to some condition predating the L&N rebuild would be cost prohibitive. Building a replica of her as she was at the time of the raid would be less costly. If they are looking for something worth doing, I would encourage them instead to pile up lots of junk and foundry dirt in the Glover exhibit hall to make it more accurately reflect the reality of the shop as it was rather than a sanitized and sterile anemic entity of nothing incorporating a few of the artifacts. dave

Dave,I agree. This sounds like some armchair quarterbacking to me. Georgia Northern 107 has been in a much worse environment for almost 50 years and (except for the wrapper sheet and backhead) is not quite "falling apart".Hey, why don't we offer to show up for a weekend and take care of a few of those things for them. A couple of DOT 55 gallon drums for the fuel, a small scoop and a shop vac to get the sand out, and pop the top to see if she's really wet inside. I'm sure there was a drain for the fuel tank, so that should not be a big problem, and a local petroleum recycling company could probably be talked into taking the fuel off for nothing (especially if it is just old No.2 diesel).I bet we could get 4 or 5 volunteers there, at least, to do a little work. Including a few from the Atlanta area who frequent Interchange.What do you think?I suspect there may be ash and other detritus in the stack. Back in the mid-1980's there were corrosion holes developing on the lower extremities of the stack. I did not notice them about a year ago when I was there. I heard there was some repair work performed, but don't know for sure.

That sounds more realistic. Perhaps they got involved with a consultant who floated a ridiculous figure to them to see if it would create histeria and they would bite on it. I recall there was a move to replicate the General and Texas in their earlier Andrews Raid configurations some years ago for special events, but I guess that died a natural death.Too bad the real Glover plant was lost. From the photos I've seen of it, it would have made a great and unique historic site.

No problem Stephen. I reckon we could get maybe 4-5 guys together and do a Saturday's work or something like that. I will help if you organize it with the museum. dave

The Glover plant was a wonderful looking building. I wish it had been saved. I loved the 4-rail track in it.As for the General and Texas, the State of Georgia owns the General II and the Texas II at Stone Mountain Park and the park is not using them (I think a GP9 or an FP7 is now doing the honors). How about getting the General II and the Texas II and refurbish them?Being owned by the state, they could even tour the state owned tracks (probably not the W&A but the short line owned stuff) and have civil war encampments and reenactments and reenactments of the "Great Locomotive Chase".Oh well, my 2 cents worth.Doug

About the only common link between the original "General" and "Texas" and the "General II" and "Texas II" are their wheel arrangements. The ones at Stone Mountain were built much later, and represent very late production 4-4-0s. Using them to recreate the chase would be like bringing a U.S. Model 1898 Krag rifle to a Civil War reenactment. It just wouldn't be right.

Rarely do I say things like this, but the General is a joke anyway. What sits in the museum there is barely the general anyway, but aside from that the 'restoration' of it represents NO era. At no point did it EVER look like that in its historical period (of about 1855-1893, its common carrier service life). What sits there now is a mix of about 4 different eras, with a dash of circus train and misinformed railfan syndrome (red pilot, etc). The best that this engine can be returned to is about 1880 or so, which would be its green era, diamond stack. I cannot recal what its number was at the time. But we all know this wont happen, they will waste money continuing to misinform the public.This sounds like they are fishing for money, there are engines far worse. I almost fell out of chair when I read 'falling apart'.