Work preparing Nashville 4-8-4 to move speeds along NEWSWIRE

NASHVILLE — After months of anticipation, railroad historians and steam preservationists watched as Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway 4-8-4 No. 576 was carefully moved onto a temporary track this morning by moving crews from Mammoet, a Netherlands-based heavy lifting company. Work began Monday to prepare the historic locomotive for its relocation from Nashville’s Centennial Park to a site on the Nashville & Western Railroad, about two miles away.

The 4-8-4 was carefully pulled by a tow motor this morning just after 10:30. This is the first time the historic locomotive has been moved since it was placed on static display in 1953. The NC&StL Railway donated No. 576 to the city of Nashville after the road retired the engine.

During the past three days, employees from Mammoet, CSX Transportation, and members of the Nashville Steam Preservation Society have been making the necessary preparations for a move out of the park on Sunday, Jan. 13. Between now and Friday, No. 576 will be lifted onto a multi-axle, self-propelled trailer using jacks and gantries.

On Wednesday, NSPS Preservation Officer Joey Bryan tells Trains that No. 576 should be loaded onto the trailer by Friday and that the move to the Nashville & Western Railroad site will start at 7 a.m. on Sunday.

As of Thursday, the locomotive was fully loaded onto a trailer. Workers have yet to load the tender but expect it will go smoothly during the day Thursday and Friday.

The Sunday move will take the locomotive and tender down Nashville streets on two separate trailers. The route will go from Centennial Park via Park Plaza to Charlotte Avenue, east on Charlotte to 12th Avenue North, and north on 12th Avenue to the Nashville & Western Railroad yard where it will be placed on active rails. The affected streets will be closed to vehicular traffic during the move. No. 576 will remain at the yard where it will be prepared for another move over CSX in the next few months. The second move over CSX rails will take the locomotive to its new home at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum where it will be restored for eventual excursion service in the next few years.

The public is welcome to come watch the loading but must watch from behind the safety fencing. For those unable to attend the historic move on Sunday, Trains will live stream the event on Facebook video.

UPDATE: Status of locomotive and tender loading. 9:45 a.m. Central time. Jan. 10, 2019.