THE MEMPHIS BUFF
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 9
NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
SEPTEMBER 2008
End of the Line for the Tennessee Midland Lil Orphan Amtrak (Car) Canon City & Royal Gorge Railroad
Memphis Chapter Officers President – David Chase
dchase@memphisredbirds.com
Vice President – Bruce Smedley National Director – Bill Strong
williambstrong@bellsouth.net
Secretary – Oliver Doughtie
doughtio@bellsouth.net
Treasurer – Thomas Doherty
TRDoherty@aol.com
Librarian – Mike Pendergrass Publication Editor – Tom Parker
tscottparker@gmail.com
Last Month’s Meeting We had fourteen attendees at the August meeting. Bill Strong presented an update regarding Central Station and the status of the sinkhole. Apparently, the current holdup is related to Sprint moving some fiber optic cable to allow for the work on the culvert to continue. To give an idea of what the workers are dealing with, Bill brought a section of the cable cover to show the group. In other announcements, CAGY Industries, Inc. has been purchased by the Genessee and Wyoming Railroad for approximately $97 million.CAGY is the parent company of three short line railroads, Columbus & Greenville Railway in Mississippi; Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway in Georgia and Tennessee; and Luxapalila Valley Railroad in Mississippi and Alabama. Bruce Smedley and Mike Pendergrass presented “The Last Days of Steam in the Southeast” which focused on the Pocahontas Roads: C&O, N&W, Virginian and the Clinchfield. We viewed a Norfolk and Western promotional video from 1943 entitled “Modern Coal Burning Steam Locomotives.” The video began with the fabrication of various trucks, rods and boiler parts that create a steam locomotive and then followed J Type Northern N&W 602 through Virginia and West Virginia from Roanoke to Cincinnati, with speeds up to 100 MPH. The video then reviewed the maintenance procedures followed at the Roanoke shops to keep the locomotives in service, including inspections, sanding, coal and lubrication. We then moved on to the C&O, which mainly utilized 4-8-4 Greenbriers, which were built by Lima between 1935 and 1948, and 2-6-6-6 Alleghany locomotives, which were also built by Lima and featured 67” drivers with a total weight of 771,000 lbs. The final segment of the presentation consisted of Mike presenting a video on the Clinchfield entitled “Thunder of Steam in the Blue Ridge.” The video focused on footage of the Clinchfield Challenger’s moving freight through the Blue Ridge mountains.
This Month's Meeting The September meeting's program will be a multi-media presentation by David Johnston, “GM&O: The Rebel Route and The Alton Route”. He will give the same presentation at the GM&O Historical Society's meeting in Union City next month.
BUFF ONLINE: www.buff.illinoiscentral.net User Name:Member Password: Buff (Capital “M” & “B”) Cover Photo: View of CSXT's Cordova Branch looking west from the Mullins Station Road Crossing on July 11, 2008. The track has been pulled up using a small bulldozer equipped with fork lift type tines. Tom Parker photo
End of the Line for the Tennessee Midland By Tom Parker leased it to its susidiary, the NC&STL. The NC&StL was merged into the L&N which in turn was merged into the CSXT. The line between Cordova and Jackson, TN was abandoned in 1967. Over the last several months contractors have been busy pulling up what remains.
A rare color shot of the NC&StL's "City of Memphis" eastbound at Aulon Junction (Aulon Tower is out of sight behind the train) sometime in the mid 1950's. Photo was probably taken from the Poplar Street grade crossing before Poplar Street was elevated. From the collection of David Johnston, photographer unknown
A Brief History The Corodva Branch began as part of the Tennesse Midland, which was chartered in 1886 with the intention of running from Memphis to the Tennessee/Virginia line, where it would make connections with lines reaching the
Atlantic seaboard. The Tennesse Midland never got any further than the Tennessee River. In 1892 it was sold to the Paducah, Tennessee and Alabama Railroad. In 1895 the PT&A went bankrupt and the line was acquired by the L&N who
SBD MP15T #1216 pulls the Cordova local westbound past Aulon tower om April 15, 1987. The train has already completed its 15 mile run out to Cordova. (David Johnston Photo)
The Aulon Tower (Red Dot) is bounded on the east by the Illinois Central, on the south by the Cordova Branch (NC&StL) and on the west by the L&N. (T. Parker photo)
Aulon Tower The Cordova Branch begins at Aulon. The NC&StL track crosses the IC at Aulon and the track continues westward to downtown Memphis. In 1906 the L&N built a connection between their tracks at Leewood and the NC&StL's track at Aulon to gain access to Union Station. This former NC&StL trackage is now used by the CSXT to connect with the UP and BNSF.
Cordova Depot The Cordova Depot is located some eleven miles east of Aulon and just a couple of miles from the end of the end of the Cordova Branch. The depot was built in 1895 and at served at various times as the Cordova Library and the home of the Memphis Trans-
The "B" Street grade crossing has been removed and the rail and timbers are piled on the right of way behind the Cordova Depot. Machinery used in the removal of the crossing is parked on the same spot as was the observation car in the photo to the right. (T. Parker photo)
During the Mid-1980's Memphis Transportation Museum hosted several excursions and equipment displays on the Cordova Line and at the wooden Cordova Depot. This September 1986 shows the Cordova Local pulling MTM's GP7 diesel loco and 4 passenger cars past the Cordova Depot. The MTM equipment would be spotted on the spur track in the foreground. (Steve Forrest photo - David Johnston collection)
portation Museum. It is now privately owned although the
land on which it sits is still owned by the CSXT.
This eastward facing view shows the southwest corner of the Cordova depot. MTM's equipment can bee seen parked on the spur track east of the depot in this September 1986 photo. (David Johnston photo)
A bulldozer sits at Mullins Station Road near where photo at right was taken. The dozer is equipped with tines to lift the rail away from the ties. (T. Parker photo)
On its usual assignment, SBD MP15T #1216 pulls the Cordova Local eastbound past the Shelby County Jail, near Shelby Farms & Mullins Station Road on August 26, 1987. (David Johnston photo)
Tools of Destruction The method being used to remove the rail is simple and straight forward if not a little labor intensive. Using small bulldozers equipped with fork lift tines, the rail is lifted up and separated from the ties. Laborers come along behind the bulldozer, unbolt the rails and stack them to be picked up later.
Rail is now is stacked up at the point on Highland where the picture to the right was taken. (T. Parker photo)
The crew that stacks up the rail and ties is having some equipment problems near the intersection of Macon and Cordova Park Roads. (T Parker photo)
SBD MP15T #1216 pulls the Cordova Local eastbound across Highland Street on August 26, 1987 (David Johnston photo)
The Future Recently, preliminary agreement was reached between CSXT and non-profit Memphis Community Connector, Inc., for the group to acquire rights to the portion of the right of way from Shelby Farms to Aulon for five million dollars. The property
would immediately be turned over to the county for development of a park containing a multi use trail. The non-profit group hopes to acquire the eastern portion of the right of way at a later date, but for now it intends to concentrate on completing the purchase and development of the western portion.
Lil Orphan Amtrak (Car) by Tom Parker, photos by T.Parker unless otherwise noted
The Orphan
There's a piece of track about 800 feet west of Germantown Parkway that was left in place by the crews salvaging the Cordova Branch. An abandoned passenger sits on what was a siding, a car that no one seems to want. Built by Pullman-Standard in 1949, it was originally numbered RF&P 812. It was part of a 25 car order placed joimtly by the ACL, PRR and RF&P to replace cars that had been destroyed in wrecks. The interiors featured 54 reclining seats, a continous center flourescent lighting strip in the ceiling and flourescent baggage rack lights running the length of the cars. One of the cars in the order, ACL 247, was built without the corrugated sides and was painted in IC colors for use on the City of Miami. End of the Line for the End of the Line. The top photo was taken in June, 2002 of the end of the Cordova Branch at the power substation on Lenow Rd. The bottom photo shows how it looked in July, 2008 (T.Parker photos)
All except one of the cars made their way to Amtrak. RF&P 812 was re-numbered
Floor plan and side elevation of RF&P 812 - Courtesy Bob Coolidge
AMTK 5542. Eventually AMTK 5542 nee RF&P 812, with the interior stripped out, was acquired by the Memphis Transportation Museum. It was never refurbished and was used mainly for storage. The Memphis Transportation Museum's stored their roster of some 15 passenger cars, a GP-7 locomotive, a steam locomotive and a caboose at Memphis Defense Depot. When the decision was made in 1997 to close the Depot, the MTM was forced to find alternative sites for their equipment. Some, including the steam engine, ended up in Collierville where they remain today. Others were stored on the Columbus and Greenville at Columbus, MS and an at least one (the orphan) was stored at CSXT's Leewood Yard in
One of the Orphan's sisters, PRR 4044 (foreground) is shown here on the Pennsylvania's "General " at Chicago (Englewood), IL on November 13, 1966. This car was part of the same 25 car order as our orphan. Photo by Bob Coolidge and used with permission (http://bcoolidge.com)
Originally ACL 239, then SCL and AMTK 5461, another one of the orphan's sisters serves as part of the “Tennessean� restaurant in Collierville, TN. (http://www.tennesseanrestaurant.com/1658560.html)
Memphis. Some of the cars at Columbus were sold and others were vandalized and stripped of parts and are now subject to a lawsuit (MTM vs CAGY Industries). Eventually the CSXT decided that they needed space at Leewood so RF&P 812 and several CSXT maintenance of way cars were moved to the siding in Cordova. When CSXT ceased operations on the line, the cars were stranded. Due to the deteriorated condition of the track and bridges, CSXT decided to have the cars scrapped and cut up in place. The MTM agreed and gave permission to have their car cut up at the same time. Several sections were cut out of the car as can be seen from the photo at the right, but for some reason the salvage crew walked away and left the car sitting on the siding.
Orphan & M/W cars June, 28, 2002
The Orphan on July 28, 2008
Today ownership of the car is uncertain. The MTM abandoned the car and gave CSXT authority to scrap the car “without recourse�. It appears that the railroad just as soon forget that the car exists.
The interior of the car as it appears today. Note several sections have been cut out of the side. The question is: Why wasn't the car cut up as planned?
River as it journeys from the Colorado high country to the Mississippi River. At the base of the Gorge are the railroad and the famous suspended bridge.
Canon City & Royal Gorge Railroad By Tom Doherty
When one thinks of Tourist Railroads, Rail fanning, and Colorado a slight modification to an old saying comes to mind; “So many railroads; so little time”. On a recent trip I had three days in Colorado and the decision had to be made which trains to ride. One needs to consider in the driving times between cities when making ride decisions. My two choices were the Durango & Silverton (DSNGRR) and the Canon City and Royal Gorge Route (CCRG). I’ve tried to ride the DSNGRR several times and unfortunately something happened to prevent it. With that decision made the rest of the planning was easy; I’d be arriving in Denver so the CCRG would be the first ride and the next day would be the DSNGRR.
The CCRG is a privately owned company and also owns the tracks from Canon City to Parkdale a total of 12 miles. It is approximately a 2 ½ hour ride and like many tourist roads it offers several classes of travel; everything from dome cars to open air gondolas without seats. They also offer something that is rare to find and that is cab rides. There are 2 cab seats on each train ride. You will need to book early if you want one of these, particularly during peak summer tourist season on the weekends. Before you book the open gondola car (the cheapest) you may want to think twice about it. I’ll repeat there are no seats. There is a hand rail in the center of the car to hold onto. This railroad operates year round, whether it is sunny, raining or snowing. If you do ride the gondola you’ll get to meet Mother Nature up close and personal. This car is the first one behind the engines so you’ll get the noise and exhaust fumes in addition to whatever weather you may be traveling in. On this middle of the week ride there weren’t any hearty souls in this car.
Canon City, CO has a few claims to fame the foremost of which is its’ home to the main Colorado Penitentiary both during statehood and the Territorial Prison prior to that. It was (and is) the gateway to Royal Gorge. If you’ve been there you know there is a large park and suspension bridge over the Gorge. What many people don’t realize is the park and bridge are owned and operated by the City of Canon City and has been a main tourist attraction for many years. The Royal Gorge was formed by the Arkansas
Engineer's View
The consist was an F7A on the lead followed by an SD45 then the various passenger cars for all classes of service. Bringing up the rear is another F7A with its nose pointing towards the rear. There are a total of 15 passenger cars in the consist. The train does not operate in a push-pull configuration (thus the engine on the rear) and at Parkdale there isn’t the ability to do a run around. Outbound it is a ruling grade 1 1/2% uphill with one portion at 2%. This explains the extra power needed outbound. On the inbound once you get rolling the train coasts most of the way back to Canon City. This is a curvy route with the exception of the first few miles out of the station. On many tourist roads the ride can leave something to be desired with respect to smoothness. This train was a notable exception.The ride was very smooth and comfortable. The railroad does its’ own maintenance work on the tracks. This comfort level may be a result of the UP having trackage rights. The depot opens at 8 am but the train is spotted in front around 7:30 am. Once I got my ticket and signed the cab ride wavier I was told when and where to meet the engineer about 15 minutes prior to departure. In the interim you’re free to roam the grounds and take pictures. I met the engineer (Bob) a little early and we went out to the engine. Bob mentioned that with the higher fuel prices the engines are shut down once the train is spotted to save on fuel costs from an idling engine. Since Bob had to start both the F7 and the SD45 we boarded via the forward platform on the SD45. Bob first went into the SD45 and fired off the engine then we entered the engine compartment of the F7 via the rear door and started it up. We made our way forward through the engine compartment to the cab and enjoyed the engineer’s view.
Starting up the F7A The prevailing speed on most sections of the railroad is 15 MPH however the trackage from the station area is 25 MPH. Once we got rolling Bob brought the train up to speed so the SD45 will go into series with the lead engine which makes the work load easier on the F7. The conductor gave us the clear signal and Bob reported to the dispatcher that engine 402 was departing Canon City as he notched the engine into notch1. As the train very slowly moved forward Bob kept watching the consist until the slack was completely stretched out then we started to increase speed up to 25 MPH. It’s interesting that the railroad owns the tracks however the UP retained the signaling rights and dispatching authority. During the run there are three signals that Bob acknowledged as green to the dispatcher and the dispatcher would restate the green signal. The dispatcher is located in Omaha, NE. Once you clear Canon City it very rapidly becomes rural country. Along this stretch of track there is a good chance you’ll see some wild life. The most common sightings are deer and rabbits; however coyotes, foxes and skunks have also been seen.
were clear. All the while there is commentary being given to the passengers explaining what they’re seeing and local history.
Approaching the lower end of Royal Gorge Once we neared the lower gorge area the train was slowed down. Surprisingly the noise level wasn’t too loud in the cab. As we approached the suspended bridge, and the city parks’ river level viewing area, Bob gave a couple of blasts of the horn. He mentioned river rafters will inadvertently take a break and sit on the tracks. For some reason the sign “Keep off the tracks” posted in this area, doesn’t seem to faze them. They usually have a hurried departure with the sound of the horn. This is the narrowest part of the gorge and there were several river rafters headed down stream. Entering the viewing (station) area it is treated as a station, bell ringing until we
Suspended Bridge
Once we reached Parkdale (end of the line), Bob acknowledged the Red signal and brought the train to a smooth stop. Passengers are not allowed to detrain here. Parkdale is a “wide spot” away from the river and there is UP activity on adjacent tracks. To allow folks to roam could be dangerous. The onboard commentary has already explained why we stopped and what would happen to return the train to Canon City. While Bob was shutting down both engines he directed me to climb down and feel free to roam outside and take pictures, just watch the adjacent tracks for trains; a privilege of riding Cab Class. Bob soon joined me and we headed toward the other end of the train for our return trip. One must remember this is rattlesnake country so once we reached the first passenger car we climbed aboard and walked through the train. As we journeyed through each car Bob was the hero and many kids wanted their picture taken with him. A true showman Bob was always happy to accommodate them. In one car everyone began to applaud him to which Bob was quick to utter, “Maybe you should wait to see if we make it back to Canon City.” The passenger makeup ranged from toddlers to senior citizens and everything inbetween. There were families out for an outing and solo rail fans out for a ride. From our walk through the train people seemed to be enjoying themselves very much. There is a dining car in the consist as well as another opportunity to buy those CCRG memorabilia items. As this was the first train of the day I didn’t see anybody enjoying the dining car. Once onboard the rear engine (which the con-
bell was ringing and appropriate horn blasts made for our “Station Stop”. After about two minutes it’s two blasts of the horn and we again start off; as always, slowly stretching out the slack. At all stops Bob would slowly bring the train to a halt so as not to rattle the passengers. Bob made his career starting with the C&NW and ending up with the UP. This is a part time retirement job he started about 10 years ago when the CCRG started. Dining Car ductor had started prior to our arrival) we got clearance from the dispatcher to return to Canon City. As before the slack was slowly stretched out before we gained speed. You could feel the experience Bob had as an engineer with the heavy Dining Carsmooth starts and stops. Nobody was knocked off balance by either activity. Once the train was rolling we had hardly any power applied letting gravity do the job; just enough power to control the train. On the way out we just rolled through the viewing area at the park. However on the return we made a scheduled station stop. As before when we approached the viewing platform (just past the suspended bridge)
Most of the equipment is painted in common DRGW colors of Orange, Silver, and Black however some of the dome cars came from cruise line operations in Alaska and haven’t been painted over yet. The passenger cars appeared to be well maintained both inside and out. The engine (402) started life with the C&NW. It was a treat to ride upfront in a “Covered Wagon”.
This was a fun ride. Since Canon City is about an hour SW of Colorado Springs, it’s easy to get to. So if your travels take you to South Central Colorado consider climbing aboard. Next month will be the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR. F7A “The Royal Gorge Route”
River Rafters
Awaiting departure from Canon City
Shay by CCRG Canon City Station
Entering Royal Gorge returning to Canon City. Suspension Bridge is at top of photo
CABOOSE
The Southern caboose on display at Collierville is actually a former N&W caboose. The caboose was built by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad in 1948 or 1949 as W&LE 249. Through mergers it became NKP749 and finally N&W 555749. (T. Parker photo) Meeting Schedule September 8, 2008 October 13, 2008 November 10, 2008 December 8, 2008 Meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month in the White Station Branch Library from 7-9 pm. 5094 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN (in front of Clark Tower)
Contact the Editor Tom Parker 3012 Wood Thrush Drive Memphis, TN 38134 tscottparker@gmail.com
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