SOU 722

Southern 722, painted green and gold as part of the Southern steam program, rolls over the Savannah River bridge in Augusta, Georgia. Date approximate.

A lucky railfan was “shootiag the rods” on Southern Railway 2-8-0 722 at Meridian, Mississippi. The locomotive and its train were on a ferry trip from New Orleans to Birmingham, and they were going to spend the night in Meridian. Lubricating the rods was a regular task at most stops during the Southern’s steam program, and members of the sponsoring organizations were sometimes called upon to help out with this task. Obviously, I wasn't dressed for the occasion!

The 1973 convention of the National Railway Historical Society was held in New Orleans, and the convention excursion train ran to Pascagoula, Mississippi and back over the Louisville & Nashville using Southern Railway equipment. Here is the train heading out of New Orleans over the Southern Railway at Marconi Drive behind 2-8-0 722, water car W.T 51, 2-8-2 4501 and W.T. 50 with 18 cars: sleeper 2422 LAKE PEARL</I>, combine 726, coaches 1087, 1081, and 1086, commissary car CofG 405, coaches 3659, 1067, 1068, 1037, 1036 and 1034, commissary car 4061, coaches 1038, 1039, 1046, 1069 <I>MISSIONARY RIDGE</I> and observation car 1056 <i>LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN</I>.

The 1973 convention of the National Railway Historical Society was held in New Orleans, and the convention excursion train ran to Pascagoula, Mississippi and back over the Louisville & Nashville using Southern Railway equipment. Here is the train heading out of New Orleans over the Southern Railway at Marconi Drive behind 2-8-0 722, water car W.T 51, 2-8-2 4501 and W.T. 50 with 18 cars: sleeper 2422 LAKE PEARL</I>, combine 726, coaches 1087, 1081, and 1086, commissary car CofG 405, coaches 3659, 1067, 1068, 1037, 1036 and 1034, commissary car 4061, coaches 1038, 1039, 1046, 1069 <I>MISSIONARY RIDGE</I> and observation car 1056 <i>LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN</I>.

Jim Selzer (with the hard hat) and Mike Palmieri were helping out on Southern 2-8-0 722 outside the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal engine house. The 722 and 2-8-2 4501 had arrived the day before on a special train from Alexandria, Virginia for the annual convention of the National Railway Historical Society which was being held in New Orleans, and the next day they would power the convention excursion train over the Louisville & Nashville to Pascagoula, Mississippi and back. One Monday 2 September (Labor Day) each engine powered a mini-excursion to Slidell and back, and the two engines headed back north with the convention special on Tuesday 3 September.

722 headlight in the Swain County Heritage Museum

The first Southern Railway steam excursion train into New Orleans was the <I>WALTER DOVE HOMECOMING SPECIAL</I>, which arrived at Union Passenger Terminal on Sunday 28 March 1971 behind 2-8-0 722. (Mr. Dove had been the Southern’s General Road Foreman of Engines and was retiring from a 52-year career with the railroad.) The train had pulled straight into the station, so here on 30 March Mr. Bill Purdie – the Southern’s Master Mechanic-Steam – was looking down from the cab of the locomotive as NOUPT SW8 number 1 was preparing to turn it on the wye. The 722 subsequently ran a couple of excursions from New Orleans to Hattiesburg and back before heading for home on 10 April.

Southern 722 & 4501 doublehead an excursion out of Birmingham.

The 1973 national convention of the National Railway Historical Society was held in New Orleans, and the main event was this steam excursion over the Louisville & Nashville to Pascagoula, Mississippi and back. The train included 2-8-0 722 with water tender WT 51, 2-8-2 4501 with the WT 50, and 18 cars: sleeper 2422 <I>LAKE PEARL</I>, combine 726, coaches 1087, 1081 and 1086, commissary car CG 405, coaches 3659, 1067, 1068, 1037, 1036 and 1034, commissary car 4061, coaches 1038, 1039, 1046, 1069 <I> MISSIONARY RIDGE</I> and 1056 <I> LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN</I>.</P>Here - under dismal skies - was the westbound run (southbound by the L&N timetable) making the second of two photo run-bys on the Bay St. Louis trestle. Only one run-by was planned, but two of the passengers - SCL president Prime Osborne and Southern Railway president Graham Claytor - saw how much fun all of the photographers were having and decided to do this one more time! This bridge was fairly new, having been opened for traffic on 2 August 1967.

Southern Railway 2-8-0 722 was being steam-cleaned at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. This was the locomotive's first visit to New Orleans, and it was the first year of Southern steam excursions out of the city.

Rolling into East Chat.

Rolling into East Chat.

From the cab of 722, a passing over the L&N main.

Missionary Ridge tunnel from the cab of Southern 722.

Working at a boiler pressure of 175psi.

At TVRM

From the cab of 722, a passing Southern local.

Missionary Ridge tunnel from the cab of Southern 722.

Rolling into East Chat.

Southern 722 again facing eastbound, most likely turned on the wye at Elsmere.

Southern 722 facing eastbound at Greenbank station

Southern 722 in the Marshallton engine house.

SOU 722 (2-8-0) blt 1904, engineer at TVRM, Chattanooga, Tenn., June 1984 (exact date unknown)

SOU 722 (2-8-0) blt 1904, and tender at TVRM, Chattanooga, Tenn., June 1984 (exact date unknown)

SOU 722 (2-8-0) blt 1904, on the turntable at TVRM, Chattanooga, Tenn., June 1984 (exact date unknown)