Miniature Steam Train at Knoxville Zoo

Newriver400 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:47 am

Termite7 wrote:

Your assertion about my assertion is incorreect.

But you seldom admit to being wrong about anything...do you?

T7

Well, I would if I were, and I am. The dining and obs lounge was combined and rather small for a dual purpose room. The stateroom that was removed was for the MacCombers' maid and valet (they were married). So my recollection about the purpose of the partition is wrong, but it was there for the additional stateroom.

C&O cars were rebuilt by the C&O. But you seldom admit to being wrong about anything...do you?

Best,
Mike

Chris_Astle · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:29 pm

Newriver400 wrote:

The 1650 is a great car with a lot of potential. It is indeed a shame that it sits in the condition it is in.

The office car was not in such bad shape when it was purchased and though it needed work, I would not say that they overpaid based on things at the time. Subsequent work has been substandard to say the least. Car has a neat configuration insofar as office cars go, with the dining room adjacent to the observation lounge. They were at one time separated by a wall that no longer exists.

I have a picture of coach 1650, as it was about to be boarded for a westbound trip, from the 23rd St. Station in Newport News, on November 5, 1972. I will try to upload it.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

Quote:

Locomotive #128, which rolled over sometime during the Knoxville Worlds Fair

Do you have any details of that event? What happened and why? Was the park train part of the Fair exhibit?

dinodanthetrainman · **Joined:** Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:46 pm **Posts:** 2

I remember a bigger diesel at the Knoxville Zoo in later years. Does anyone else remember it, have a photo, or know what happened to it?

Bartman-TN · **Joined:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:45 pm **Posts:** 332

The last NS steam trip by OS was fall 1991. They had a contract to run two days that weekend but ran only 1 day, really angering the railroad.

I moved to Knoxville in January 1992 after a number of years in the railroad industry, and was told by OS that they didn't really want me as a member because "there was really nothing I could do for them." A number of younger members and those with industry experience were being run off at the time. There was a great deal of discussion about the equipment and running trips again, but any decisions had to be the idea of the few seniors members who controlled all of the offices.

OS did acquire the rail and a few other items from the zoo, and then hid it out on someone's property/farm (I can't recall the name right now). They seemed good at getting stuff, but then had no idea about maintaining anything or knowing what to do with it. Over the years, they have had offers for some of the equipment, but never wanted to sell it because of the grand ideas for an operating railroad museum in downtown Knoxville. The Southern steamer was an exception, but I recall quite a bit of political and business pressure being put on them to make the deal possible.

Randy Hees · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:36 pm

I am seeing criticism and argument and little information. If this continues I will lock and or delete the thread...

Your always friendly moderator... Randy

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:12 pm

Randy Hees wrote:

I am seeing criticism and argument and little information. If this continues I will lock and or delete the thread...

Your always friendly moderator... Randy

Yet most of the arguing took place 4 years ago. ;)

JohnnyWinkler · **Joined:** Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:32 pm **Posts:** 85

Norfolk Southern recently reconfigured city yard around the Southern station and ripped out the old switches and tracks into the station. The Old Smoky equipment is now landlocked. There is no way to even put the one former switch back in with the redesigned track configuration.

JohnnyWinkler · **Joined:** Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:32 pm **Posts:** 85

Here is a link to a facebook photo of the former west end passenger leads at the Knoxville station that were on this side of the newly paved crossings.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

dinodanthetrainman · **Joined:** Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:46 pm **Posts:** 2

That is sad, I wish they had worked something out. There are so many better ways that that could have played out.