NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Restoration of Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis No. 576 reached a milestone Tuesday with the reinstallation of the 4-8-4’s wheels and trucks.
“This was a very crucial phase in the restoration,” Nashville Steam Preservation Society President Shane Meador said in a press release. “The amount of work we’ve completed on the historic wheels will keep engine 576 rolling for the next 20 to 30 years.” Work included inspecting and repairing the internal bearing boxes, replacing all eight driver tires, replacing three sets of wheels, and completely rebuilding the engine and trailing trucks.
The eight driving wheels were refurbished at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, while local sponsors John Bouchard and Sons, Precision Machine, Volunteer Welding Supply, World Testing Inc., and Lincoln Electric Co. contributed products, tools and services. NSPS sponsors Clark Crane, LLC, executed the lift and reinstallation of the wheels.
“We’ve now entered the reassembly phase of the restoration,” Meador said. “It will start to look like a locomotive again.” The organization hopes to complete a hydrostatic test of the boiler by the end of the year with steam tests to follow in 2024. “It’s been 70 years since No. 576 entered retirement in Centennial Park, and after nearly five years of hard work, we can’t wait to experience her encore performance.”
The society has raised more than $2.1 million for the project, which now more than 60% complete. The “Last Mile Campaign” to raise the final $350,000 for mechanical restoration began in March and is continuing through the end of the year [see “Nashville Steam launches matching campaign …,” Trains News Wire, March 1, 2023]. Upcoming fundraisers include a pair of events on Sept. 16, including a rail excursion in partnership with the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. For more information, visit the Nashville Steam website.
Will it get its feed water heater back? The area behind the smoke box door looks like that is what it is begging for…
Can’t see CSX letting them run the Dixie on it’s lines. Why should they. CSX doesn’t want to run it’s own trains much less someone else’s train. Even if they would consider letting them run, they would want the group to carry $100 Billion in insurance coverage.
Maybe NS will be more conciliatory… If not there is always Tennessee Central Museum tracks or the Tennessee Valley Railroad….. As far as insurance, that is what Lloyds of London is for…. inexpensive event, personal or corporate liability insurance…
The road to revival for a Middle Tennessee attraction is entering the last mile of an extensive overhaul funded entirely by grants and donations. Long live NSPS! Long live Music City!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Will CSK let it run wild and free at least once?
CSX!
It looks like the 81 year old steam giant (“Yellow Jacket” or “The Stripe”) has another glorious lifetime ahead.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis 576 is a 4-8-4 “Dixie” (Northern) type steam locomotive built in August 1942 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, for the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (NC&StL) as a member of the J3 class. Designed with some of the latest locomotive technological features of the time, the J3s were used to haul heavy freight and troop trains to aid the American war effort during World War II.
Faced with dwindling traffic and the onset of dieselization, all of the J3s were retired from revenue service and scrapped by September 2, 1952, with the exception of No. 576, which was donated to the City of Nashville, Tennessee, and put on display at the Centennial Park as the sole surviving steam locomotive of the NC&StL Railway.
The No. 576 locomotive is currently being restored to operating condition by the Nashville Steam Preservation Society (NSPS) for use in excursion service on the shortline Nashville and Eastern Railroad. The restoration work is expected to be completed by late 2024 or early 2025.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün