Tennessee Valley Railroad 610
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Tennessee Valley Railroad #610 is a coal-burning 2-8-0 Consolidation built by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation for the U.S. Army in 1952. It is one of the last steam locomotives built for service in the United States, and the last new steam locomotive acquired by the U.S. Army.
610 was one of eight steam locomotives for use on the Army railroad and was used to train soldiers in railroad operation in maintenance. It also was used for transport on the 31 mile long Fort Eustis Military Railroad to an interchange with the U.S. railroad at a junction in at Lee Hall, Virginia.
Following its decommissioning in the 1960s, it was obtained by the Wiregrass Heritage Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in Dothan, Alabama. In 1978, it was donated to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, and following its 1991 restoration, it served as pulling power on the TVRM's excursions, and was also featured in country singer Josh Turner's music video for his hit song Long Black Train in 2003.
Following the completion of the restoration of Southern Railway 630 in 2011, 610 was moved to the facilities' Soule Shops, where it currently awaits an overhaul. When the overhaul is completed, TVRM #610 is to serve along Southern Railway 630 and Southern Railway 4501 in Norfolk Southern Railway's new "21st Century Steam" program, which was inaugurated on Labor Day weekend 2011.
Resources
- Cooper, Beth (September–October 2011). "The Locomotives of 21st Century Steam" (PDF). Biz NS 3 (5): p. 9. Retrieved June 17, 2013.