Mikado Locomotive No. 4501
Encyclopedia
Southern Railway 4501 is a steam locomotive
built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
for the Southern Railway (US)
. The engine is a 2-8-2
locomotive, and was the very first of that wheel arrangement the railroad owned.
, then in Virginia
, Kentucky
and lastly in Indiana
. In 1948 the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway purchased the locomotive and renumbered it as their #12. When 12 was retired by the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway in 1963, a railfan
, Paul H. Merriman, bought the locomotive for The 4501 Corporation with $5,000 of his own money, and restored it for excursion use on the Southern Railway System.
The 4501 launched the Southern's steam excursion program, which ran for several decades until it was ended by Southern successor Norfolk Southern
in 1994. 4501 is currently owned by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
in Chattanooga, Tennessee
(which Merriman founded with Bob Soule), and was on static display. The locomotive last ran in 1998.
In 2008, the locomotive was stripped down for a complete boiler inspection, and Norfolk Southern in June 2010, announced they would run excursions with 4501, Southern Railway 630
, and U.S. Army 610.
4501 has been called "The Green Mikado" because, for the majority of its excursion career, it received the green paint with gold trim that was historically used only on Southern Railway's passenger locomotives. However, being a freight locomotive, 4501 was never painted green during its original operational life on the Southern.
's music video for the cover song "Hurt". About a minute into the video he is seen at the throttle of the locomotive.
The 4501 was also used as the locomotive in the 1999 movie October Sky
. Its role was as a coal hauling locomotive and was shown several times in the film. A short clip of famed rail photographer O. Winston Link
as the engineer was shown in the movie.
It also appears several times in the 1978 movie Summer of My German Soldier (TV film)
, set in Georgia during World War II.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
built in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
for the Southern Railway (US)
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
. The engine is a 2-8-2
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
locomotive, and was the very first of that wheel arrangement the railroad owned.
History
4501 worked on many different divisions of the Southern Railway system from 1911 to 1948; first in TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, then in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and lastly in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In 1948 the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway purchased the locomotive and renumbered it as their #12. When 12 was retired by the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway in 1963, a railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
, Paul H. Merriman, bought the locomotive for The 4501 Corporation with $5,000 of his own money, and restored it for excursion use on the Southern Railway System.
The 4501 launched the Southern's steam excursion program, which ran for several decades until it was ended by Southern successor Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
in 1994. 4501 is currently owned by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee.The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr...
in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
(which Merriman founded with Bob Soule), and was on static display. The locomotive last ran in 1998.
In 2008, the locomotive was stripped down for a complete boiler inspection, and Norfolk Southern in June 2010, announced they would run excursions with 4501, Southern Railway 630
Southern Railway 630
Southern Railway 630 is a steam locomotive built in 1904 by the American Locomotive Company for the Southern Railway. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation of Southern's Ks-1 class....
, and U.S. Army 610.
4501 has been called "The Green Mikado" because, for the majority of its excursion career, it received the green paint with gold trim that was historically used only on Southern Railway's passenger locomotives. However, being a freight locomotive, 4501 was never painted green during its original operational life on the Southern.
Pop Culture
The locomotive appeared in Johnny CashJohnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's music video for the cover song "Hurt". About a minute into the video he is seen at the throttle of the locomotive.
The 4501 was also used as the locomotive in the 1999 movie October Sky
October Sky
October Sky is a 1999 American biographical film directed by Joe Johnston, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Laura Dern. It is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 to take up rocketry against his father's wishes, and who...
. Its role was as a coal hauling locomotive and was shown several times in the film. A short clip of famed rail photographer O. Winston Link
O. Winston Link
Ogle Winston Link , known commonly as O. Winston Link, was an American photographer. He is best known for his black-and-white photography and sound recordings of the last days of steam locomotive railroading on the Norfolk & Western in the United States in the late 1950s...
as the engineer was shown in the movie.
It also appears several times in the 1978 movie Summer of My German Soldier (TV film)
Summer of My German Soldier (TV film)
Summer Of My German Soldier is a 1978 made-for-TV movie based on the novel of the same name written by Bette Greene. It stars Kristy McNichol as a Jewish-American girl and Bruce Davison as the German prisoner of war whom she befriends.-Plot:...
, set in Georgia during World War II.