Came across this while looking at a clip on York 17; enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xacUGV68DFs

I think this has been discussed before, but if you watch the lower right of the frame at 12:50 you'll see Bill Purdie smoking a pipe as the wheels are turned at B'ham. Maybe some other SR Steam folks can be identified too. T&P 610 is in the background and 4501 is partially seen, too, in the closeup of the lathe!

I was sent a copy of this VHS tape by Chad O'Connor when I was president of a group interested in building replicas of GENERAL and TEXAS back in the mid-1980's. We spoke on several occasions and met with one of his engineers at Kennesaw to look over the GENERAL before we got the construction estimate. Bill was on our board. Interesting times...

Thanks for posting this. I used to say that these are probably the most famous steaming locomotives in the US which almost nobody has ever seen. Many train fans will admit that they've always wanted to see these, but they're in a place where you really have to wanna go the distance to look them over (I saw them for the first time last September during a cross-country sightseeing road trip my wife and I went on) and most Americans have only seen them on TV. They don't do all that great a job of telling the story of the build while you're there. There's a good book they sell in the gift shop on the build, but that was it. These replicas are more impressive in real life, any of us could spend the better part of a day just looking at the details they put into them...

Wow, I forgot all about that proposed project until I just read that.

I have to agree that this place, Promontory, should be on the MUST SEE list of any U.S. Railfan. I was fortunate enough to visit there several years ago with my Family (they put up with my railroad desires quite well, especially since I was working for Union Pacific at the time) and was totally impressed with the quality of workmanship on the replicas. (too bad the mosquitos almost carried us away) I have a MUST SEE list of my own - Big Shanty, GA and the General were on my list and we visited there a couple of years after Promontory.

I know, I know, it's been discussed before why this hasn't been done, but darn it, that railroad needs to be extended, and really proper replica passenger cars built for those locomotives to pull. . .yeah, just dreaming, I know. . .

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images ... d-ives.jpg

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/thumbnai ... ,-1870.jpg

Only included because it's an interesting lithograph I hadn't seen before; Ron Travis may be interested, too:

http://explorepahistory.com/displayimag ... Id=1-2-392

Stumbled across another Currier & Ives image I hadn't seen before, this one is Lookout Mountain. Which railroad would that have been, and under what flag does it run today, if it runs at all?

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/1x706 ... 5-1180.jpg

My guess would be Nashville and Chattanooga, later NC&StL, now CSX. Their route historically ran along the River into Chattanooga, and still does for the most part.

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Same here, same here. I look at that print, and I just have this longing to walk into it (with appropriate period clothing), and take a stroll down to the tracks, past the school and church (do have to watch your step with all the large animals that were in streets and on roads then!), and buy a ticket for that train, followed by a ride on a new railroad across a new land. . ."Good day, Mr. Pullman, my, your Palace Cars are most pleasant, such a wonderful fulfillment of the promise of this beautiful and amazing iron highway. . ."