The "Diesel Steamer" Returns: Sumter & Choctaw 102 at NRM

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Jun 10, 2020 11:32 am

Do those of you taking offense to this arrangement actually understand this conversion was actually done decades ago? That the current administration "inherited" it?

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:25 pm

Randy Gustafson wrote:

John T wrote:

I agree with Aaron F. Put your money where your mouth is.

Getting back on topic, didn't the Stone Mountain RR at Atlanta, GA do something similar years ago?

Yes, and I remember it well. I came across it in 1982 or 1983, and I 'think' it was a 2-6-2 that was being pushed by an SW-something that had a fake boxcar built over top of it. The engineer ran it from the steam locomotive cab, and there was an air hose draped over top of the tender to run the whistle on air. The running gear - side rods and valve gear, audibly clanked horribly with loose bearings. And the diesel was fairly loud. Round the circle you went. It was obvious that the steam locomotive was beat and was even questionable to be pushed much longer. It appears to be what was then the "Yonah II", was withdrawn not long after I saw it, and has ended up on display at the New Hope Valley for possible restoration. AKA the Cliffside #110.

As a Pennsylvanian in that Confederate-theme park, you keep a low profile and don't even talk much, and keep your opinions to yourself. I remember seeing people point to my license plate....

They had a couple of ex logging road 4-4-0s (the "Texas II" and the "General II") and an actual diesel critter at one point. The Clinchfield also ran their No. 1 in a similar fashion. As I recall, the boiler was derated to a pressure that was only sufficient to generate enough steam to blow the whistle and operate the injectors. The engineer had a controller for the B unit that pushed her along.

Andrew Durden · **Posted:** Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:36 pm

Randy Gustafson wrote:

John T wrote:

I agree with Aaron F. Put your money where your mouth is.

Getting back on topic, didn't the Stone Mountain RR at Atlanta, GA do something similar years ago?

Yes, and I remember it well. I came across it in 1982 or 1983, and I 'think' it was a 2-6-2 that was being pushed by an SW-something that had a fake boxcar built over top of it. The engineer ran it from the steam locomotive cab, and there was an air hose draped over top of the tender to run the whistle on air. The running gear - side rods and valve gear, audibly clanked horribly with loose bearings. And the diesel was fairly loud. Round the circle you went. It was obvious that the steam locomotive was beat and was even questionable to be pushed much longer. It appears to be what was then the "Yonah II", was withdrawn not long after I saw it, and has ended up on display at the New Hope Valley for possible restoration. AKA the Cliffside #110.

Around 1983, the Yonah II, which was still steamable, had its running gear come apart while going up the back side of the mountain. It was subsequently parked. The Texas II was last steamed that year, also, but got a bunch of running gear work and was the favored hood ornament in later years. The General II actually lasted in steam (with help from the SW1 in-a-box) until 1986 before being relegated to only being pushed.