50 years ago, the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway purchased three ALCO S2 locomotives from the D&RGW and retired steam on the K&T including K&T #12 aka Southern 4501. Only K&T ALCO S2 #102 has survived to see the half-century mark on the K&T and is the only locomotive to achieve such a record on the K&T.

She was built in 1944 and will soon be celebrating her 69th birthday in May. She mostly spends her senior years peacefully sleeping in the back of the K&T diesel locomotive shops, but we'll soon be waking her from her slumber to pull the Big South Fork Scenic Railway passenger train on May 18 for K&T Railfan Day. It's the only time of year that the BSFSRY does photo runbys plus other special events and is one of the rare times that the old ALCO pulls the passenger train.

My question is how does one celebrate such a milestone? How would you like to see #102's 50th Anniversary celebrated? We might incorporate your ideas into K&T Railfan Day.[i][/i]

You can't really say 50 years on the K&T when it's not the K&T anymore; 50 years on this line I suppose. Nit picking, I know.

If they dieselized in 1963 leading to Merriman's purchase of #14 (ex-4501) in early 1964, I'm curious about the photo in the Morgan book showing #10 switching #12. The caption is worded to sound like it's a switching move related to the sale. Was there a period after the arrival of the diesels that steam was still in use or were the fires dropped and that was that?

The caption says in part:
K&T 12, sold to Paul Merriman for $5000, FOB Stearns, Ky., is switched by No. 10, smallest of the three Mikes active at the time of the line's dieselization.


Steve

PS:
$5,000 (1964) is about $37,000 (2012) - Merriman purchase
$8,225 (1948) is about $78,000 (2012) - K&T purchase
$23,182 (1911) is about $565,000 (2012) - New

As the BLH ads from the sixties suggest, a used Baldwin is a great value!
http://yardlimit.railfan.net/baldwindie ... 1968-2.jpg

Steve, the K&T is very much alive and still switches 1200 cars of freight per year and #102's blue card in her cab still shows her owner as the K&T Railway so I can indeed correctly make the claim regarding it being the locomotive's 50 year anniversary. The Big South Fork Scenic is the passenger operation that runs over the K&T although both concerns are now owned by the not-for-profit McCreary Co. Heritage Foundation.

Dr. Merriman rebuilt #12/4501in the Stearns Shops before it and #10 were moved to TVRM so there was some overlap of time when both steam and diesel were on the property.

#14 (ex-Union RR #77) is the locomotive currently undergoing restoration in the steam shop in Stearns.

Bill Johnson

[quote="filmteknik"]You can't really say 50 years on the K&T when it's not the K&T anymore; 50 years on this line I suppose. Nit picking, I know.

If they dieselized in 1963 leading to Merriman's purchase of #14 (ex-4501) in early 1964, I'm curious about the photo in the Morgan book showing #10 switching #12. The caption is worded to sound like it's a switching move related to the sale. Was there a period after the arrival of the diesels that steam was still in use or were the fires dropped and that was that?

The caption says in part:
[i]K&T 12, sold to Paul Merriman for $5000, FOB Stearns, Ky., is switched by No. 10, smallest of the three Mikes active at the time of the line's dieselization.
[/i]

Steve

PS:
$5,000 (1964) is about $37,000 (2012) - Merriman purchase
$8,225 (1948) is about $78,000 (2012) - K&T purchase
$23,182 (1911) is about $565,000 (2012) - New

As the BLH ads from the sixties suggest, a used Baldwin is a great value!
http://yardlimit.railfan.net/baldwindie ... 1968-2.jpg[/quote]

Ah...I did not realize. Thanks.

Steve

Lasers lots of lasers.

For historical reference, here is 101 being shoved out of the engine house by 104. Looking at my 1982-1983 instamatic negatives, I see there is a better shot of 101 but I don't know where the print is.

I had driven up there from Chattanooga and talked with the President of the railroad who said we (TVRM) could have their wheel lathe if we would come and get it. At the time, we couldn't afford to hire a truck and we never got it. Any idea what happened to it?

Adam, these pictures are wonderful! Do you have any objection to me posting them on the K&T Facebook page with credit?

#102 is presently sitting on that very same track in the back of the engine house.

I don't know where the wheel lathe went to. I remember it sitting in the shop many years ago. It sure would be nice if it was still sitting there.

Thanks for sharing a nice.piece of K&T history!

Bill Johnson

No problem. If you send me your e-mail address via PM, I can send you larger files. Maybe you can clean them up with photo shop or something like that.

Heres a video of #102 when still in regular service as the locomotive usually on the BSFSRY excursion train. This is back when she still had the homemade steam whistle installed on the airline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrSw5fLDqpI

You start getting good examples of that "alco sound" around the 10:30 mark.

As for celebrating her anniversary during Railfan Days, Bill theres a few things you can do:

-Find guys that worked at K&T during the railroads diesel period so they can share their experinces with #102 with the visitors.

-Find somebody to make you up a K&T cake and hold a pseudo "birthday party" for the engine in the shops (who doesn't love cake).

-Hold some photo sessions with #102 shuttling some hopper cars around the yard if you can get your hands on a few.

-Hold a "banner" photoshoot where 102 breaks through a celebration banner and hold a short ceremony for the engine during the event.

Thats what I can come up with off the top of my head.

[quote="boilerwash"]Heres a video of #102 when still in regular service as the locomotive usually on the BSFSRY excursion train. This is back when she still had the homemade steam whistle installed on the airline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrSw5fLDqpI

You start getting good examples of that "alco sound" around the 10:30 mark.

As for celebrating her anniversary during Railfan Days, Bill theres a few things you can do:

-Find guys that worked at K&T during the railroads diesel period so they can share their experinces with #102 with the visitors.

-Find somebody to make you up a K&T cake and hold a pseudo "birthday party" for the engine in the shops (who doesn't love cake).

-Hold some photo sessions with #102 shuttling some hopper cars around the yard if you can get your hands on a few.

-Hold a "banner" photoshoot where 102 breaks through a celebration banner and hold a short ceremony for the engine during the event.

Thats what I can come up with off the top of my head.[/quote]

Matt,

Thanks so much for sharing the video. We need to post the link in the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway Facebook Page. Also, great suggestions and I'll pass them along to management. We're already working on some of the retired K&T/Stearns Coal & Lumber Co. employees to see if we can have one or two of them attend but so many of the old timers have moved on. We're scheduling the ceremony at 6 pm and we might be able to make most of your ideas work. Someone also suggested "christening" her second fifty years by breaking a Mason Jar of moonshine on her pilot.