The Last Baldwin Steam Engine Returns

[Vladislav]

Even difficult to belive it was made by men and absolutely unbelivable it was restored

[Mike]

We have a 4 8 4 Baldwin Steamer, called a yellow jacket. It was used during WW2 to pull freight and troops. It was in our Centennial Park park for 67 years being trashed by human beings.  The Nashville Steam Society decided it was about time to get donations (BIG MONEY) from our taxpayers to restore this massive undertaking. The web-site is www.NASHVILLESTEAM.org and is being restored and should take, (per steam members) about 3 years. My dad used to take me to the park and show me how this engine was ran, dad was a Fireman on several locomotives with L & N RR (Louisville & Nashville Railroad) after he came home from Europe in 46 until 54. A photo (black and white) of course, was taken of me standing beside this massive machine when I was 4 years old in 1957. My biggest wish was for my late father to have lived long enough to see #576 being hauled out of the park and pulled on rails past the UNION STATION, (train station).   

[CaptainCrutch]

16 hours ago, Mike said:

We have a 4 8 4 Baldwin Steamer, called a yellow jacket. It was used during WW2 to pull freight and troops. It was in our Centennial Park park for 67 years being trashed by human beings.  The Nashville Steam Society decided it was about time to get donations (BIG MONEY) from our taxpayers to restore this massive undertaking. The web-site is www.NASHVILLESTEAM.org and is being restored and should take, (per steam members) about 3 years. My dad used to take me to the park and show me how this engine was ran, dad was a Fireman on several locomotives with L & N RR (Louisville & Nashville Railroad) after he came home from Europe in 46 until 54. A photo (black and white) of course, was taken of me standing beside this massive machine when I was 4 years old in 1957. My biggest wish was for my late father to have lived long enough to see #576 being hauled out of the park and pulled on rails past the UNION STATION, (train station).   

I’ve heard of this project, I believe I was talking a year or two ago to one of the guys working on that engine. It is incredible to see all the huge steamers take to the rails again! It was just a few years ago many thought that Strasburg’s 2-10-0 locomotive would be one of the biggest that could still run, now here we are with Berkshires and Big Boys and locomotives in between pulling trains again. I know there’s an old engine in a park in my town I’d love to see fired up at the old station…

In the meantime I suppose I have our Beast of the East to scratch that itch.

[Freightrain]

One engine I'd like to see is a cab forward.  My dad had one on his HO layout and I always thought it was the coolest thing.  It too had large air compressors that you could hear popping.  Ive watched some old movies about them on YouTube.

 

Btw, I still have my fathers engines and equipment from his railroad.  It was dismantled back in 1976.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Freightrain

[CaptainCrutch]

Well, we ran the locomotive up the line today. What a beast!

[Mike]

Would be nice to see an in cab view of it running and sound. Hint, Hint.

[CaptainCrutch]

19 hours ago, Mike said:

Would be nice to see an in cab view of it running and sound. Hint, Hint.

As nice as that would be, for these first few runs we’re letting the most experienced ones take over, until they can get a handle on it. This engine hasn’t run in almost 70 years, nobody alive has ever driven it, it’s like a new car you’ve got to get used to it.

Point being my time in the cab isn’t here quite yet. Maybe sometime next year…