Since nobody has shared this here yet.

http://www.Nashvillesteam.org

Good potential with a railroad to run on and big names behind it.

Trains Magazine just posted an article on it.

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2016/04/26-ncstl

Good potential, but note there have been numerous similar campaigns over the past 30-40 years to restore this engine. Let's see if the city would be willing to part with the engine this time.

Chris

I, too, remember a recalcitrant Nashville years ago.

However, this time:

Hey, man, it could happen.

I saw this locomotive in 2013 during a trip around the West end of the Volunteer state. I've seen worse condition equipment run again, but of course it depends on the condition of the stuff you can't easily see from the outside.
But if it's good enough for the Man in Black, right?

I'd be concerned about the condition of the boiler considering how long the locomotive has been out in the elements with it's asbestos lagging.

Only time (and $$$) will tell.

That picture above -- is on the cover of which one of his albums?

I've seen that picture many years ago and never knew that was the 576!

It's under a shed, and I believe it has been for its entire time in the park.

It has been in the park since 1953, and under cover since 2004. Nashville has kept it in the same spot for 63 years. I think this restoration is a good idea, as the yellow jackets were among my favorite engines, but I'm a little concerned about it's condition. Without cover and exposed to vandalism for 51 years. Now fun fact, this is the largest surviving engine in Tennessee, so that could be a good slogan "Help restore the largest engine in Tennessee for the rest of this good country to see."

Would be nice to see this happen... Hopefully the TC has an agreement with the current track owners to run this. I would assume so, but stranger things have happened.

The line from Nashville to Lebanon is good for 59 in some places. They would probably limit steam to 40 or 50 but still, that's a good clip.

Seeing this photo on the groups website of 576 on a steam era freight got me to wondering if the photo might possibly one day be replicated if 576 is indeed restored. The car behind the Dixie's tank is a B&O twin bay coal hopper which and I believe at least one of these might survive. The next car is a steel box car, possibly Rock Island although I can't quite see the herald. At least one Rock Island box car is in existence. Next comes a New York Central box car, and if the group at the museum at Linden, Indiana moved that car from Greencastle, Indiana as they reported they were going to do, there is that car. Then comes another unidentified box, but perhaps this could be a genuine NC&StL box car itself. At least one such car exists today. Then two unidentified gons followed by at least one ice bunker refrigerator car, of which a number exist in various museums. Hard to come up with all these cars to replicate this freight train photo? Perhaps, but IF the Dixie Lines 4-8-4 is one day restored, such a train would be nice to see.

Les

Right on, Les. There are at least two B&O 2 bay hoppers to chose from!

Rob

The "Yellow Jackets" were my father's favorite steam loco. As a child he traveled to and from Clarksville, TN to visit his mothers family. Many a trip behind these fine locomotives. He used to tell me when I was a young-un, "If Bill Purdie and the Southern could get that Yellow Jacket out of Nashville, they'd have the finest engine in the South." Well that never happened of course, but the breed surely was one of the best to serve the South. I'm pleased to hear this news and like many hope the negotiations with the city go very well. Wear wise she's young and barely used under pressure, but oy-vey 50 years with no cover and intact lagging give me visions of serious pitting on the shell, and lots of staybolt sleeve replacement.
Aesthetically this class has the look feel of a UP FEF. Clean lines without all the stuff hanging on the boiler. I'd kinda like to see her with the full nose cone as delivered from ALCO. Now a question(s)... The whistle has it survived or was it stolen years ago? What kind of chime and tone did they have?
edit: answering the first one. the whistle is still on her. Here is an image gallery from 2006.
http://www.ncstl.com/576/images/large/index.html
The trains article mentions that the last locomotives of the class were delivered with cast iron bells no brass. I wonder if the whistles on the 1943 ones weren't brass.

Update from TRAINS:

Nashville board approves steam locomotive lease to preservation group

Group needs to convince one last board before it can clear all political hurdles to bring 4-8-4 to operating condition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Organizers pushing for a restoration of a famed steam locomotive are beyond one of the last political hurdles to getting the engine on the road to restoration.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the Nashville Steam Preservation Society says the city's Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation met and approved the group's request to move and restore Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576 to operating condition.

"This was a huge milestone in the history of the locomotive so that future generations can know and experience this wonderful artifact as it was originally intended, under steam," a preservation society representative wrote.

With parks department approval, the group and their desire to lease and restore the engine from the city of Nashville moves to the city legislature, the Metropolitan Council for final approval.

This is awesome news. The Nashville Steam Preservation Society is one step closer to realizing their dream of operating #576. I hope and pray that they succeed in bringing another iron horse back into operating condition.