In Sunday's Knoxville,Tennesse News-Sentinel there is a short summary about local events back in June 1976.One of them is about the American Freedom Train making a three day stay at the Southern Railway Station.I have never heard of the train visiting Tennessee before.My question is did steam locomotive 4449 make it to Knoxville also? My quess is that it did not since N&W 611 was never routed through Knoxville. Anyone know where I can find a history of the freedom train's travels?

ts1474@aol.com

> I have
> never heard of the train visiting Tennessee
> before.My question is did steam locomotive
> 4449 make it to Knoxville also?

Could it have been Reading 2101?

robsterne@hotmail.com

> Could it have been Reading 2101?

Yes, it was RDG 2101. You might remember that the 2101 pulled the Freedom Train throughout the eastern US because of its slightly smaller size than SP 4449. The 2101 definately pulled the AFT into Chattanooga. The 4449 did make a run from Birmingham to Chattanooga later on, but I don't think she made it to Knoxville. Matter of fact, Chattanooga was one of only a handful of cities along the Southern Railway which hosted all three AFT locomotives: 2101, 4449, and T&P 610.


sfreer@tvrail.com

A while back I posted a message on the American Freedom Train (AFT) . My question is did the 4449 and the 610 survive all these years? If so where are they located? I know that the 2101 is located at the B&O Railway museum.

Not to long ago a thread of messages were here on the message board regarding the selling of Reading T-1 2100! I was wondering if this unit has been sold yet, or if someone is interested in it.

I live near the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Company (RBMN) which is the owner of T-1 2102. The RBMN operated the 2102 in the late 80's and early 90's. The railroad hasn't operated 2102 in about 10 years or so, and the RBMN doesn't plan on overhauling it's boiler anytime soon!

Aaron

norfolk_western_611@hotmail.com

> A while back I posted a message on the
> American Freedom Train (AFT) . My question
> is did the 4449 and the 610 survive all
> these years? If so where are they located? I
> know that the 2101 is located at the B&O
> Railway museum.

4449 is owned by the City of Portland, OR and maintained in operating condition by Doyle McCormick at the Brooklyn Roundhouse. It operates nearly every year, including within the past few weeks.

610 is stored at the Texas State Railroad Museum in Palestine, TX in nonoperating condition.

You can find the location of nearly any surviving US steam engine at Wes Barris' www.steamlocomotive.com

Wes Barris' Surviving Steam List
eledbetter@mail.rypn.org

> My question is did steam locomotive
> 4449 make it to Knoxville also? My quess is
> that it did not since N&W 611 was never
> routed through Knoxville.

Au contraire - 611 did come through Knoxville. (It was towed through there in October 1981 on its way to Birmingham.) And according to the steam schedules, it powered an overnight Cincinnati - Knoxville - Cincinnati trip in 1993.

The river bridge at Loudon prevented the bigger engines from running Chattanooga - Knoxville directly, but big engines did make it to Knoxville via Harriman Junction. 765, 2716, 1218 and 2101 all made it there over the years.

Anyone know where
> I can find a history of the freedom train's
> travels?

No, but when you find it, let me know. It's sorely needed.

JAC

A web site with information on BOTH American Freedom Trains (the original 1947-49 Diesel powered train and the 1975-76 steam powered one) can be found at www.freedomtrain.org

The web site covers the cities visited.

The official hardbound book "All Aboard America" covers it all including a map of the journey and of course many photos. This long out of print book sometimes turns up at train shows (ie Greenberg type shows).

Regards,
Jim Robinson


American Freedom Train web site