L&A 509

Bob Yarger · **Posted:** Mon Jun 07, 2004 3:54 pm

Louisiana & Arkansas 509, painted for the Tennessee Central, apparently on display at a depot in Cookesville, Tennessee. A much-traveled engine over the years.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=60474
ryarger@rypn.org

Dick · **Posted:** Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:11 pm

> Louisiana & Arkansas 509, painted for
> the Tennessee Central, apparently on display
> at a depot in Cookesville, Tennessee. A
> much-traveled engine over the years.

Thanks for posting the link, Bob. It's good to see the old girl all spiffed up. The last time I saw her, she was wearing mostly red primer and I had just finished the sad task of hauling her (on her own wheels) from Brookville, IN to Valley Junction, Ohio, where she was to be loaded onto flatcars for the trip to TVRM.

Not that many months before, I had stood in her cab as steam was raised for the first (and only) time following the rebuild job on the boiler. It was a shame that she was leaving so soon after that milestone, but reality had set in concerning the costs involved in the rest of the effort to restore her to running condition. I'm glad to see that she's receiving good care.

rdg2124@verizon.net

James Hefner · **Posted:** Thu Jun 10, 2004 2:20 pm

> Louisiana & Arkansas 509, painted for
> the Tennessee Central, apparently on display
> at a depot in Cookesville, Tennessee. A
> much-traveled engine over the years.

When the City of Port Arthur requested a park engine from the Kansas City Southern, all of KCS's engines were scrapped.

So the KCS paid to obtain L&A's sister engine, number 503, and donated it to Port Arthur.

The engine began to look very depressing as a local citizen tried to raise funds for it's restoration. The Texas State Railroad tried to acquire it for restoration to service, but the same citizen (I believe) argued it should stay where it is at, and it did.

Finally, a couple of years ago she was cosmetically restored by the KCS and the City of Port Arthur. The picture below shows the results. Her bell was brought out from storage and rung to make the occasion. She is still out in the open, but looks nice; and being on a major throughfare, has been free from vandalism.

The church I attend is just a few blocks from this engine; we pass by it fairly frequently.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Steam Locomotives in SE Texas and SW Louisiana

james@survivingworldsteam.com