Tennessee Valley Railroad 610

Tennessee Valley Railroad 610
TVRM No. 610 at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Serial number 75503 Build date March 1952
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0  • UIC 1′D h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 56 in (1.422 m) Loco weight 163,000 lb (74,000 kg) Fuel type Coal Boiler pressure 220 psi (1.52 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts
Career Operators United States Army Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Class USATC S160 Class Numbers USA 610 TVRM 610 Retired 1972 (revenue service) December 2010 (1st excursion service) Restored 1990 Current owner Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Disposition On static display, awaiting restoration, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Tennessee Valley Railroad No. 610 is a coal-burning S160 Class 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation for the U.S. Army in March 1952. It is one of the last steam locomotives built for service in the United States and the last new steam locomotive acquired by the U.S. Army. As of 2021, No. 610 is out of service awaiting a major overhaul and whether or not it will run again is still yet to be determined.

History

No. 610 was one of eight steam locomotives for use on the Army railroad and was used to train soldiers in railroad operation in maintenance. It also was used for transport on the 31-mile long Fort Eustis Military Railroad to an interchange with the U.S. railroad at a junction in at Lee Hall, Virginia.

When the Fort Eustis Military Railroad decommissioned steam operations in 1972, No. 610 was obtained by the Wiregrass Heritage Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in Dothan, Alabama. In 1978, it was donated to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Following its 1990 restoration, which noticeably changed its cosmetic appearance, it was allowed by the Norfolk Southern to operate on their trackage as part of their steam program. No. 610 served as pulling power on the TVRM's excursions until it was taken out of service for its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandated 1,472-day inspection in December 2010.

In 2018, following the completion of the restoration of Southern Railway 630 in 2011 and Southern Railway 4501 in 2014, No. 610 was moved to the facilities' Soule Shops, where it currently awaits a major overhaul, although the restoration progress has currently been put on hold until further notice.

Popular culture

Over the years No. 610 has been in several movies and even a DVD.

• Long Black Train, 2003 Music video featuring country songwriter Josh Turner.
• Our Country, 2003 starring Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, etc.
• The Adventures of Ociee Nash 2003 starring Keith Carradine and Mare Winningham.
• Warm Springs 2005 starring Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon, Kathy Bates, Tim Blake Nelson, Jane Alexander and David Paymer.
• Leatherheads, 2008 starring George Clooney, Renée Zellweger and John Krasinski. No. 610 was dolled up as a Chicago and Northwestern Railway locomotive.
• The Lost Valentine, 2011 starring Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
• Water for Elephants, 2013 starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Hal Holbrook and Christoph Waltz. No. 610 was dolled up as a Southern Pacific Railroad locomotive.

See also

• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 1702

External links

• US Army 610 Steam Engine