Southern #1002 (CTC #4), reborn and still going strong.

[E.M. Bell]

Its usually against my very nature to put internal combustion ahead of external combustion when it comes to motive power and pictures, but in this case, I will make an exception.

When I was but a wee lad, growing up in Lawrenceburg, KY, there where two solid fixtures in my young railfan life..the Southern depot downtown (and the nice folks who put up with me hanging around almost every day after school) and Southern Railway SW-1 #1002.  The 1002, even at that time, was about the oldest thing on the active SR (and then NS) roster, kept around only to serve the LL branch and the Wild Turkey Distillery. The LL branch had a large bridge (Cedar Brook viaduct) that was in bad shape, and was much to old and lightly built to handle anything larger than the "02" Two or Three time a week, the local crew would park the big engine, fire up the SW1 and make the slow trip out to Wild Turkey to spot a car. The "big" local power was changed out every week, but the 1002 was almost always there, parked on the branch, ready for the next trip.

When the distillery stopped shipping by rail, the NS stored the 02 in the Louisville round house for a couple of years  When the East end of the LL branch (Lexington to Versailles Ky) was sold to the G&O to be operated as the Lexington and Ohio (for whom I worked as an engineer) the 02 was shipped to us and we stored it for the NS, while using one of her sisters, the 1007, as part of our power. The 1002 saw service "unofficially" on the LXOH for only a couple of days in 2001, but remained NS property.

In 2003, the G&O sold our railroad to R.J. Corman, and the 1002 was moved to the 84 lumber spur in Versailles, still owned by the NS, but still in storage on the RJC.  A year or so after the RJC bought the LXOH, the 1002 pretty much disappeared for awhile, only to be spotted a while later in RJC paint and reporting marks working a Corman customer in Berea KY The story I have been told is that NS pretty much lost track of the engine, and RJC somehow "snagged" it, painted it and used it as their own...go figure...

In June of 2008, I got a heads up from a buddy that he had spotted a SW-1, in Corman colors, being towed South in a special train on the CNO&TP. Turns out the NS had found out what had happened to the engine (I like to think I played a part in that..but that's another story) and had taken it back.

Now, to the happy ending. The NS sold the 1002 to the Gulf & Ohio in Knoxville. The G&O took the time and expense to restore her back to her original paint scheme as Chattanooga Traction Company #4. and they have been using her as power on the Three Rivers Rambler passenger operation ever since.

On Saturday October 9th, Carmon and myself spent the day in Knoxville shooting the W&L 203 steamer, and more importantly to me, the CTC #4 (although she will always be the 1002 to me)  We got a bunch of good stuff with the steam engine, but the little SW1 of my childhood took top priority. It was great to see her run, looking good in that tuxedo paint.. She was built in April of 1947, but for a 63 year old engine that has seen a hard life, she seems to be doing well!

Check out this link for all of my CTC#4 pics from Knoxville..  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/ctc4

[butch]

You've been having too much fun.  Great post!

[Kentucky & Indiana Terminal RR]

Great story on an equally great engine, nice work.