Southern Steam in the 1970s

The Southern Steam program was the largest excursion program outside of the Union Pacific in the 60s and 1970s. Some of the first films we shot were in 1969, and in 1970 we made one of our first train trips without the parents to Charleston, SC for the 1970 NRHS convention in September. First we drove to Spartanburg, SC where we followed Southern 2-8-2 number 4501 with a convention train that had originated in Washington, DC. We followed this train most of the day, but left it in Branchville, SC, where we headed out the line toward Augusta, GA. We then followed Southern 2-8-0 #722 on a convention train that had originated in Atlanta. We followed this until sundown in the outskirts of Charleston.

We then had a day where 5 engines were on display plus there were rides with the Best Friend of Charleston replica. The next day was one of the biggest of the convention as an excursion train went down the Seaboard from Charleston to Savannah, Georgia. This was a doubleheader trip with 722 leading 4501 both directions. We got a lot of nice shots, including quite a bit of pacing in Greg’s 1969 Pontiac Le Mans.

The final day of the Convention had both the train to Spartanburg, and one to Augusta heading out of town. But, the train to Augusta was doubleheaded with 630 and 722. This pair of 2-8-0s came back to the Southern from the East Tennessee & West North Carolina railroad around 1967. So here they were teamed up and running together as far as Branchville. There the 722 took its train on toward Augusta, while 630 turned and with 4-5 coaches returned to Charleston. It did a runby along the way, and meet 4501 which was headed west. This was the only chance to get 630, so we got a few shots, and followed 4501 westward for most of the rest of the day, before driving home to Ohio.

Next is a July 4th weekend, 1972 “Peach Special” from Atlanta to Macon, Georgia with Savannah & Atlanta 4-6-2 number 750. This was a one day chase, but we got some nice views, even though this segment is not very long. What a nice engine this was!

There are also numerous trips on the Southern out of Cincinnati to Lexington, KY in 1972, 1974, and 1975. There are also some scenes from Cincinnati to about Sardinia on the Norfolk and Western line towards Portsmouth in 1974.

Another big convention was held in Roanoke, VA in 1977, and featured Southern 2-8-2 4501, and leased former Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 number 610. The engines ran solo trips but the highlight was the pair doubleheading up Blue Ridge Grade to Lynchburg.

If all this wasn’t enough we end with footage of ex-C&O 2-8-4 number 2716 which was leased in 1982 by the NS Steam program. This is a short segment and while it is not in the 1970s was without sound like all the other material, so it was included (Sound camera on 2716 malfunctioned on that trip).

There is a wealth of historic footage here from a bygone era, and its hard to believe this is 50 years old.