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Miscellaneous

Plans Call for Steam to Ride the Norfolk Southern Rails Again, Through Display and Excursion Program with TVRM

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Norfolk Southern Corp. is in negotiations with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum with regard to the operation of a limited schedule of steam locomotive event appearances and passenger excursions beginning later this year. “21st Century Steam” would highlight milestones in rail history and provide an opportunity for audiences to learn about today’s safe and service-oriented freight railroads. The program would feature three venerable coal-powered steam locomotives: — Southern Railway 4501: Built in 1911 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, 4501 served Southern Railway in freight service in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana, before being sold to a short line railroad.

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History

Bridge piers offer a link to Civil War

EMERSON, Ga. – In order to complete the Western & Atlantic Railroad, engineers had to overcome a number of natural obstacles. That resulted in a 1,447-foot-long tunnel through Chetoogeta Mountain and a bridge over the Etowah River south of Cartersville. The bridge over the Etowah River was completed in 1847, about three years before the Atlanta-to-Chattanooga rail line opened. The bridge’s stone pillars are all that remain of the once-formidable structure. During the Civil War, James J. Andrews, who led a group of Union soldiers with the intent of destroying the Western & Atlantic Railroad, identified the bridge as a

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History

Marking the anniversary of the Andrews Raid

KENNESAW, Ga. – North Georgia saw its fair share of battles during the Civil War, but “the most extraordinary and astounding adventure of the war,” as one Civil War-era newspaper put it, typically doesn’t garner more than a few words in most history books. The Andrews Raid, also known as The Great Locomotive Chase, took place 148 years ago today. Led by James J. Andrews, a group of Union spies planned to steal a train locomotive and destroy the Western & Atlantic Railroad, a vital link between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn. The route of the Andrews Raid can be easily

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History

Small locomotive highlights area’s railroad roots

MARIETTA, Ga. – The little locomotive sitting in a fenced in area under a canopy is dwarfed by the locomotives that pass by no more than 50 feet away. Locomotive No. 81421 was built in 1916 by Marietta’s own Glover Machine works. The 2-6-0 narrow gauge steam engine operated as Coulbourn Brothers No. 4 starting the following year. In 1921, the locomotive returned to Glover Machine Works. Glover Machine Works dates to the early 1890s and was an important steam locomotive builder, although it was less known than many of the other, larger builders. The company built 200 locomotives between

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History

Terminal Station harkens back to city’s railroad past

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – During the Civil War, the railroad was vital to Chattanooga, bringing supplies to the troops stationed in the city and also transporting reinforcements to nearby destinations. In April 1862, Chattanooga was the destination of the failed Andrews Raid — a Union raid aimed at destroying the Western & Atlantic Railroad that served the city. Over the years, a number of major railroads served the city, including the Cincinnati Southern Railway, which on March 5, 1880, operated a southbound that departed Cincinnati bound for Chattanooga that was nicknamed Chattanooga Choo Choo, or so the story goes. During its

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Commuter Rail

Wamp: DOT Awards $14.2M for High-Speed Magnetic Levitation

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award $14.2 million to accelerate an environmental impact statement for a high-speed magnetic levitation, or maglev, train between Atlanta, Chattanooga and Nashville. The majority of the grant will be used for the studies required in the National Environmental Policy Act identifying the corridor routes and the station locations for this proposed project. “This funding is a game changer for the prospect of high-speed rail in the southeast and dramatically increases our chances of success in the years ahead. A high-speed rail connection between Atlanta, Chattanooga