Power type Steam Build date February 1904 | Serial number 28446 Configuration 2-8-0 | |
Builder American Locomotive Company (Richmond Works) Gauge 4 ft 8 ⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||
Southern Railway 630 (commonly referred to as Southern 630) is a 2-8-0 Consolidation type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the Richmond Works of the American Locomotive Company for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 Consolidation class.
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History
The locomotive was put into local and branch line service in Knoxville, Tennessee by Southern Railway and moved to Asheville, North Carolina to run on the Murphy Branch until it was retired from revenue freight service in 1952. In November of that year, 630 was purchased along with sister engine 722, by the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) and were both renumbered to 207 and 208 respectively.
In December 1967, Ks-1 sisters were traded back to the Southern for use in their steam excursion program and reverted to their former identities in return for a pair of former Central of Georgia Alco RS3s. 630 and 722 pulled many excursion trains for Southern until replaced by larger steam engines to pull the longer and heavier excursion trains in 1978 and 1980.
After that, Southern loaned 630 and 722 to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee to run their Missionary Ridge Local. In the mid 1980s, 722 was taken out of service for its boiler ticket certificate and was moved by Southern's sucessor Norfolk Southern (NS) from TVRM to Asheville, NC to be on display at the city in 1992. In November 1989, 630 was taken out of service and put in storage awaiting for an extensive overhaul.
1999-present
In March 1999, Norfolk Southern donated 630 to TVRM and entered their restoration shop (now Soule Shops) for a thorough ten year restoration starting in December 2001. The locomotive returned to regular service in March 2011 and participated in the 21st Century Steam program instituted by Norfolk Southern. However, in December 2015, Norfolk Southern had concluded their steam program and 630 continue regular operations hauling passenger trains at TVRM.