This railroad/locomotive photograph series is winding down–I’ll post the last photo in the series tomorrow. I’m finishing it up with a couple of streamlined diesel locomotives. The reflections on todays photo were severe–bright light streaming through windows directly in front of the highly polished curved bodywork.
I’ve enjoyed making this photographic series. I’ve tried to present history of the subject in each photo so even if you don’t appreciate my artistic efforts you may have picked up a few tidbits of some “southern” railroad history. :-)
Southern Railway #6900— The locomotive was built by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1951. Originally numbered 2923, the E-8 was the first of seventeen units ordered by the Southern Railway. The E-8 had two 567-B 12-cylinder prime movers, developing a total of 2,250 horsepower. The Southern used the E-8s to pull passenger trains, including the Southerner, Crescent, Tennesseean and Royal Palm. They were first painted green with imitation aluminum striping, changing to black in the late 1950s. In 1972, Southern President W. Graham Claytor had all E-8s painted green and aluminum to reflect history and pride of the railroad, and renumbered 2923 to 6900. The 6900 ended its career on the Southern pulling the Southern Crescent from Washington, DC to Atlanta, GA. After Southern Railway ceased passenger service in 1979, the 6900 was donated to the N.C. Transportation History Corporation (NCTHC) the next year. Norfolk Southern Corporation restored the exterior of the locomotive in 1995 at Chattanooga, TN.
Stay-tuned, tomorrows post will be of a record holding locomotive.