With Apologies for the late notice...
The volunteer staff at the Southeastern Railway
Museum will load and truck Stone Mountain RR locomotive #104, also
known as General II and relocate it to the museum's
facility in Duluth Ga starting Tuesday morning. This
follows the August 2007 agreement by the Stone Mountain Historical
Association to donate the locomotive to SRM subject to SRM
relocating it.
Originally built in 1919 engine No. 104 for the
Red River & Gulf Railroad, the locomotive moved to Gulf Sand
& Gravel Co. in 1950 to become Comite Southern No. 1.
The
Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad acquired the engine in 1961. It
became known as "General II" when it was rebuilt and cosmetically
altered to resemble the "General," the locomotive made famous by the
Andrews Raid and locomotive chase through northwest Georgia during
the Civil War.
"General II" was the last steam locomotive
operating under its own power at the Stone Mountain railway. It
stopped making regular runs in 1986, when the need for costly boiler
work relegated the engine to making only cosmetic appearances. In
1991, Stone Mountain placed the locomotive, which had developed
other mechanical issues, on static display.
The Southeastern
Railway Museum plans to move the locomotive from Stone Mountain to
the museum's facility in Duluth. There, it will cosmetically restore
the locomotive and place it on display, a reminder of the days when
it puffed along at Stone Mountain.
Locomotive technical
details:
Class 4-4-0 under the Whyte classification system for
locomotives
Driving wheel diameter - 60 inches
Tractive effort
13,800 lbs using a boiler pressure of 180 psi & Walschaerts
valve gear.The Southeastern Railway Museum is grateful to announce
the donation of "General II," Stone Mountain Railroad's locomotive
No. 104.
The museum is grateful to the Stone Mountain
Memorial Association (the state authority responsible that owns
Stone Mountain Park) for the donation of this historic piece of
Georgia's rail history.
About the museum:
The Southeastern Railway Museum has
been in operation since 1970 and is "Georgia's Official
Transportation History Museum". The museum has over 80 other
pieces of retired railway rolling stock including vintage steam and
diesel locomotives, passenger coaches, private business cars, a
World War II army troop kitchen, wooden freight cars, railway post
office car and maintenance of way equipment. Transit history is
represented with a cross section of busses and trolleys from the
early 1900's through the mid 1980's. The museum is also home to
MARTA's historic bus fleet which includes busses from many of the
predecessor systems to MARTA. Many other items from Georgia's
transportation history are also presented on the museum's 35-acre
site.
April through
December the museum is open Thursday - Saturday from 10am - 5pm.
The museum is located at 3595 Buford Hwy in Duluth.
Directions: From I-85 northbound, exit at Pleasant Hill
Road. Turn left (west), pass Gwinnett Place Mall, and continue
approx. 3 miles to Buford Highway (US 23). Turn right (north)
on Buford Highway. Travel approx. ¼ mile to Peachtree Road,
turn left, cross railroad tracks, then turn right into museum
entrance.
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