In 1962, Grover Robbins Jr., bought a 3-ft. gauge Porter 0-4-0T from the Tennessee Coal & Iron Div. of U.S. Steel Corp in Birmingham. In September, 1962, this locomotive had been converted to a 2-4-0 with its saddle tank removed and a crude 4-wheel home-made tender added. It was sitting in Gatlinburg, all painted up for Rebel Railroad. It dissappeared and nobody seems to know what ever happened to it.
Does anybody know what happened to it? where it is? etc.?

hankmorris@earthlink.net

> In 1962, Grover Robbins Jr., bought a 3-ft.
> gauge Porter 0-4-0T from the Tennessee Coal
> & Iron Div. of U.S. Steel Corp in
> Birmingham. In September, 1962, this
> locomotive had been converted to a 2-4-0
> with its saddle tank removed and a crude
> 4-wheel home-made tender added. It was
> sitting in Gatlinburg, all painted up for
> Rebel Railroad. It dissappeared and nobody
> seems to know what ever happened to it.
> Does anybody know what happened to it? where
> it is? etc.?

It was purchased by Kenneth Kelley for the steam threshing show in Pawnee, OK, where is it run at the annual show each May.

> It was purchased by Kenneth Kelley for the
> steam threshing show in Pawnee, OK, where is
> it run at the annual show each May.

I may be wrong, but I think Kenneth sold the engine sometime back to a Christian youth retreat some where in Eastern OK. I seem also to recall that they had listed it with Barnhart's several years ago after an unnamed boiler repair company from an unnamed small New England state worked on it,so it may not be there either. James Hefner, where are you?............

Jim;

I believe you are referring to #33 (Porter/7347/1943) at Camp Dry Gulch, Adair, OK. If so, I am afraid I can't be of any further help; I still have it listed at this location.

-God Bless;
James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> I may be wrong, but I think Kenneth sold the
> engine sometime back to a Christian youth
> retreat some where in Eastern OK. I seem
> also to recall that they had listed it with
> Barnhart's several years ago after an
> unnamed boiler repair company from an
> unnamed small New England state worked on
> it,so it may not be there either. James
> Hefner, where are you?............


Surviving World Steam Locomotives
james1@pernet.net

That engine is current sitting in the train shop at Tweetsie RR. We are doing a running gear job on it. The engine is owned by Willie George Ministries, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The engine was sold by Silver Dollar City in the 1980's. The engine is number 76. We have had some guys from Dollywood look at it and confirm that it is the one. As for the tender its a copy of TRR #12 tender tank, with EBT trucks. The engine will be in the TRR shops till this fall.

> In 1962, Grover Robbins Jr., bought a 3-ft.
> gauge Porter 0-4-0T from the Tennessee Coal
> & Iron Div. of U.S. Steel Corp in
> Birmingham. In September, 1962, this
> locomotive had been converted to a 2-4-0
> with its saddle tank removed and a crude
> 4-wheel home-made tender added. It was
> sitting in Gatlinburg, all painted up for
> Rebel Railroad. It dissappeared and nobody
> seems to know what ever happened to it.
> Does anybody know what happened to it? where
> it is? etc.?


tssmith@boone.net