The Mid-South Flyer Spring 2017 A Publication of the Mid-South Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc Spring Meeting Boyhood memories of a special steam engine Back in the day, most young boys developed a fascination for trains from playing with their first toy train set, or in more recent times, from watching Thomas the Tank Engine on TV. But in the case of MidSouth member Warren Jones, a childhood infatuation for a certain steam engine ignited a life-long love for trains, and steam engines in particular. That special steam engine was Gainesville Midland #301, a 2-8-0 Consolidation-type locomotive built in 1920 by Baldwin Locomotive Works. No. 301 was a familiar sight Gainesville Midland #301 around Warren’s childhood home in Gainesville, Georgia, where the railroad literally ran through his back yard. Warren recounts growing up in a railroad family and his love affair with the Gainesville Midland in an article ap- pearing in Good Old Days Magazine. He will reprise his story with personal anecdotes and photographs at the next meeting of the MidSouth Chapter on Saturday, April 22, at 2 PM in the historic Leeds Depot. The following article excerpts provide a preview of Warren’s presentation. “The year was 1952 in Gainesville, Georgia. I was ten years old, and the location was a small Southern Railroad section house with the Gainesville Midland Railroad New Holland branch forming the boundary of the back yard, a short stone’s throw from the house. The house faced the Southern double track mainline, a long stone’s throw away. On the west side there was Chestnut Street, a dirt road that ran north and south crossing both the Midland and the Southern. Across the backyard we could see the busy Swift’s poultry processing plant on the other side of the track and watch the Midland as it sometimes stopped at the switch on the way to New Holland to leave cars of coal and other supplies for the plant on the side track. “Living between two railroads provided a lot of train action for youngsters to watch and it claimed a great deal of my attention. The family had immigrated to this location from Banks County near Lula, Georgia. I was two years old at the time of the move. My father’s first job with the Southern was at the Lula coal chute. His second job was work- ing out of the Southern Depot in Gainesville on track maintenance from Toccoa to Atlanta. After discovering that a thirteen mile commute from Banks County to Gainesville was not very practical, we moved into “temporary” quarters in the section house until a house could be purchased. “Temporary” stretched into the fall of 1955, eleven years. Con- venience was the dominant factor. The Southern Depot was just a short walk down the tracks. Fortunately this eleven year period of close-up railroad action included not only the Midland steam, but also the last of Southern steam. “I am glad to have lived in such close proximity and shared the fascination and emotions that these remarkable machines elicited. I watched the operation of the Midland engine number 301 from the edge of our backyard, a mere few feet away. The Midland was a struggling low budget short line railroad. I remember watching the 301 and its string of boxcars approaching our backyard and noticing the striking side to side wobble of the engine and cars as they moved up the grade toward me over the uneven track. “The Midland had seven engines in its inventory. The 301 was one of the smaller ones and the only one I ever saw pass our house. According to the 2001 National Railway Calendar, it was one of the doubleheaders used to make up one of the last steam runs for the Midland on September 19, 1959 down the mainline from Gainesville to Athens. Only one of the seven engines was scrapped. Midland engines are on permanent display in towns along the mainline. The interesting exception is the 301, on display in Freedom Park in Charlotte, North Carolina” (seen below). Editor’s Corner The Mid-South Flyer Spring 2017 Greetings, and welcome to the Spring edition of The The Mid‐South Flyer is published quarterly Mid-South Flyer! This issue features the return of by the Mid‐South Chapter of the Railway & one of the newsletter’s earliest contributors, with his Locomotive Historical Society (R&LHS), Inc. remembrances of what it was like for a young rail fan growing up The R&LHS is a non‐profit educational or‐ along the Southern Railway’s busy main line between Birmingham and ganization dedicated to the study and pres‐ ervation of railroad history. National and Bessemer. Lyle Key’s conversational writing style brings his childhood chapter dues are $50 and include subscrip‐ memories to life, and makes you wish you’d been along to share his tions to the Society’s twice‐yearly magazine experiences. Railroad History and quarterly newsletter, and the chapter’s e‐newsletter, the Mid‐ Back for his second byline in a row, fellow MidSouth member Stan South Flyer. Membership applications for Burnett provides a complimentary perspective with his observations on R&LHS and the Mid‐South Chapter are avail‐ the last decade of private rail passenger train operations in and around able on the Internet at rlhs.org. Contribu‐ tions, article ideas and reader comments are the Birmingham District during the 1960s. Stan was very much “on the encouraged and may be emailed to: scene” as both a photographer and frequent passenger aboard many of the named (and not so glamorous) trains, and his first-hand account of Marvin Clemons, Editor their sad demise are sure to give you a taste of the “disappearing rail- Email: [email protected] road blues.” David Lester, Contributing Editor Email: [email protected] I hope you enjoy these nostalgic accounts of railroading “back in the day.” See you at the depot! John Stewart, Contributing Editor 2 Email: [email protected] Marvin Clemons, Editor Mid‐South Chapter Update Reported by James Lowery, President Membership Renewal If you have recently joined or renewed your membership in the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society and the Mid-South Chapter, we very much appreciate that and look forward to your participating in the Chapter during 2017. If you have not already renewed your membership, that time of the year has come around again! We would like to have you continue as an R&LHS and Mid-South member or to join if you are not already a member. Mid-South Chapter’s Support of Leeds’ Main Street Alabama Application The Mid-South Chapter is providing one of its rooms (front office room) at the Leeds Historic Depot as an office for the coordinator of Leeds’ “Main Street Alabama” application. The Mid-South Chapter Board of Directors is fully in support of this effort and hopes that it will be approved for implementation. Arthur Phillips is the Leeds “Main Street Alabama” Coordinator, and his having an office at the Depot will enable the public to see the other two rooms maintained by the Mid-South Chapter – the Agent’s Office and the Exhibit Room. If you come by the Depot and see Arthur in his office, introduce yourself, and offer to share your knowledge about the Depot with Arthur as he learns about it for sharing that information with the general public. Mid-South Chapter Day At… Thus far, the Mid-South Chapter has sponsored two events that are being called “Mid-South Chapter Day At…” These will be times when we encourage Mid-South members to attend an event held by another railroad-related organization. The first such event was a “Mid-South Chapter EVENING At the Alabama Theater” to view the silent film “The General” starring Buster Keaton. That was a fun evening for all the members who attended. The first “Mid-South Chapter DAY At…” was held April 9th at the Huntsville and Madison County Railroad in downtown Huntsville at their “Railfan Day 2017” event. The Huntsville and Madison County Railroad is run by the City of Huntsville through the HMCR Author- ity. The event was outstanding and showcased diesel locomotives Lowery receives operating instruction on the locomo‐ with the locomotives opened up and available for seeing the inside tive simulator from HMCR employee Bill Kaufman. workings and exploring the cabs and walkways. Mid-South Chap- (Donnie Strickland photo) ter people spotted among the attendees were Carl Ardrey, Alan Maples, Latasha Bettis, Donnie Strickland, James Lowery, and Peggy Lowery. If other Mid-South Chapter people were there, I apologize for missing seeing you. An added bonus at the event was being able to see up-close a piston waiting to be installed in one of the engines, and those pistons are BIG! Another highlight was a diesel locomotive simulator at which a person could try a hand at “running a diesel locomotive.” The photograph included here of the simulator shows yours truly “running a diesel locomotive.” During my run in the simulator, I was told that my train driving would have landed me in court – multiple times! I seemed especially adept at running through crossings blowing his whistle AFTER we got through the crossing! As HMCR employee Bill Kaufman said, “Explain that one to the judge!” I certainly came3 away from the experience with a great appreciation for the fact that running a diesel locomotive is way more complicated than jumping in a car and driving off! In Memoriam We sadly relate the passing of long‐time MidSouth Chapter member Robert “Bob” Smith on March 2, 2017.