Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 9 2 E Color
by Joseph C Hinson
Title
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 9 2 E Color
Artist
Joseph C Hinson
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photography
Description
GSMR 2-8-0 #1702 steams it up coming out of Bryson City, North Carolina.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s No. 1702 was built in 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally built for use by the United States Army Corps. of Engineers, the locomotive was stationed for training purposes at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
After being declared surplus in 1946, 1702 was sold to the Warren & Saline River Railroad in Warren, Arkansas; this is where the locomotive was converted from burning coal to oil. The locomotive worked as the main motive power for the Warren & Saline River Railroad until the railroad dieselized in 1961. 1702 was then purchased in 1964 by the Reader Railroad of Reader, Arkansas
The Reader eventually restored the 1702 and changed the look of the locomotive which had until this point had more of a utilitarian look, not one for beauty. In the 60s, she was dressed up as Louiseville & Nashville #1702 for a movie starring Natalie Wood and the young Robert Redford.
The Reader Railroad continued to modify the appearance of the locomotive, eventually giving it a new cab and a used tender from a Rock Island 2-8-2 No. 2662. 1702 operated on the last regularly scheduled mixed train in the United States until December 2, 1972. The locomotive was then sent into storage, where it remained until it was purchased by the Fremont & Elkhorn Valley Railroad in 1985.
The locomotive was then purchased by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 1991 where she went into regular passenger train service until 2004 when mechanical issues sideined the steam engine. Ten years later, the railroad brought her out and began a restoration project that ended with her return to service two years later.
Uploaded
September 9th, 2018
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