Including an old postcard. Any idea when and where the photo was taken? Looks like it might have been about at turn of the century.

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-General-Civil-W ... dZViewItem

Displayed at Chattanooga:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1900s-THE-GENERAL-L ... dZViewItem

The postcard appears to be after the initial "restoration" of the General, after she was discovered in decrepit condition on a siding in Vinnings Station, Georgia. The original restoration of the locomotive, done at the N.C.&St.L's Nashville shops included an original Radley and Hunter wood-burning smokestack, as in the post card. She was later converted back to burn coal, and a simulated wood-burning stack was installed, which she wears today.

Didn't she burn oil when last steamed?

J

There was an article in Trains that told of the restoration, and mentioned using a pair of Briggs, one to pump the oil (diesel), the other for the air compressor. All of this was hidden under the wood at the back of the tender.

The article also mentioned doing some research to be able to replicate authentic driver brake rigging and cylinders, which the original didn't have. IIRC, the only brakes were hand brakes on the tender.

Also, the article went into speculation on how much was original, this being a 100 year old locomotive. Kind of like my grandfather's ax, the head and handle have each been replaced several times, but its still my grandfather's ax. Interesting article, well worth looking up. (My copy is upstairs somewhere-)

Yup. The L&N shops installed two burner assemblies from Vapor-Clarkson steam generators, which was standard passenger diesel locomotive technology in 1960, and therefore readily available and on hand. A gasoline generator and air compressor was hidden in the woodpile to provide the pressure and electricity to make the whole system go.

Indian Railways recently tried a similar kludge on their new Darjeeling Himalayan tank engines with very limited success.

The coal grate for GENERAL is on display in Kennesaw as well, along with the little bit of that remains of Glover Machine Works.

dave