Hello.
I think you all will apprieciate this. My late uncle worked for Southern Railway at the steam shops in Norris Yards when Southern ran their steam program out of Birmingham. I visited the shops many times.:thumb: In 1986 at 13 I got to ride free in the tool car with my uncle on a Chattanooga to Birmingham excursion. The Cinders were terrible when you looked out of the windows. N&W J 611 was pulling us. I will never forget it's unique muffled sounding whistle. I quess it was covered by the steamlined shroud. At Attalla we made a stop and my uncle said come with me. We walked to the cab he talked to the engineer and I got to ride on the tender behind the engineer and fireman.
The 611 had automatic stokers so I was out of the way and was able to watch the fireman and engineer at their work. What a ride. When the fire box was opened the light was blinding in daylight. The engineer had a small garden hose he would use to cool the floorplates under his and the fireman's feet. The water would quickly turn to steam. All the cinders were going over us at the cab at speed, chugging some would rain down on us. What sticks out in my mind about that ride from Attalla to Chattanooga is the livestock trackside. These cows and horses have seen hundreds of diesel frieghts and pay them no mind. When the 611 came through they headed to the hills as if some fire breathing iron beast was after them. At 13 this was a dream come true. At 32 I realize what a privilage that was, one to have an uncle like that and two to ride one of the greatest locomotives in history.
I have access to a large pile of iron pipes from the rebuild of 4501 and J 611. I can weld and do have some fabricating skills. Do you think this would make a neat layout table, a frame and legs made out of the boiler pipes of the J611 and Southern 4501?
I think you all will apprieciate this. My late uncle worked for Southern Railway at the steam shops in Norris Yards when Southern ran their steam program out of Birmingham. I visited the shops many times.:thumb: In 1986 at 13 I got to ride free in the tool car with my uncle on a Chattanooga to Birmingham excursion. The Cinders were terrible when you looked out of the windows. N&W J 611 was pulling us. I will never forget it's unique muffled sounding whistle. I quess it was covered by the steamlined shroud. At Attalla we made a stop and my uncle said come with me. We walked to the cab he talked to the engineer and I got to ride on the tender behind the engineer and fireman.
The 611 had automatic stokers so I was out of the way and was able to watch the fireman and engineer at their work. What a ride. When the fire box was opened the light was blinding in daylight. The engineer had a small garden hose he would use to cool the floorplates under his and the fireman's feet. The water would quickly turn to steam. All the cinders were going over us at the cab at speed, chugging some would rain down on us. What sticks out in my mind about that ride from Attalla to Chattanooga is the livestock trackside. These cows and horses have seen hundreds of diesel frieghts and pay them no mind. When the 611 came through they headed to the hills as if some fire breathing iron beast was after them. At 13 this was a dream come true. At 32 I realize what a privilage that was, one to have an uncle like that and two to ride one of the greatest locomotives in history.I have access to a large pile of iron pipes from the rebuild of 4501 and J 611. I can weld and do have some fabricating skills. Do you think this would make a neat layout table, a frame and legs made out of the boiler pipes of the J611 and Southern 4501?