Southern 4501 on an early excursion, with its original Southern tender:http://saulnadler.railfan.net/display.cgi?4501_Oct1966FruotRoyal_Va.jpg

This trip operated from the lower level tracks at Washington Union Station, using the tunnel under the US Capitol and the railroad bridge adjacent to 14th Street bridge to access the SR via Potomac Yard. Later SR excursions departed from Alexandria Union Station across the river in Virginia.Wesley

4501 wore 1401's whistle for this trip. The recording played in the railroad hall at the American History museum today is of 4501 on this excursion.

I may be wrong and maybe G. Mark Ray could confirm or deny this. I believe I read in an earlier post on here, that TVRM is going to be using the 4501's original tender frame as a basis for a new tender for ex SR 2-8-0 630 that is currently undergoing an overhaul in the East Chattanooga Shops.Steven Ashley

Steven is correct. 630 doesn't have its "original" tender now and we are going to take an Ms class tank and build a Coster (name of the backshop located in Knoxville, TN) style cistern for it. The new tender (the Coster tanks were of welded construction) will have a 10,000 gallon capacity. This was done several times on the Southern (Ks 831 is a prime example) and the change in appearance is quite remarkable.

Just curious:is the tender used on 630 while at TVRM the tender it had on the ET&WNC, as modified?was the tender it used at the ET&WNC the tender it arrived with from the Southern?Or are you saying that 630 got a tender swap between the Asheville dead line and Johnson City?I believe this Dale Roberts photo (SOU 587, Asheville NC, mid-1948) shows the welded Coster tank Mark is referring to. Dale's comments on the photo say that 587 was a long-time Knoxville engine transferred to Asheville after WWII.JAC