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Trains of the Southeast with A&WP 290(4/12/03)
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copyright April 12, 2003
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This page is dedicated to Atlanta and West Point Railroad Heavy Pacific 4-6-2 steam engine number 290. Built at Lima works in 1926 along with her sister engine W of Ala engine 190, she was in passenger service as part of the "Southern Crescent" for years around Atlanta, Ga, Montgomery, New Orleans and a number of smaller cities along the route she took.
A&WP 290 was saved from destruction when Mayor Hartisfield of Atlanta and other railroad buffs and fans organized a group to save her and to obtain funds to preserve her. She spent time for a while at Lakewood Park in Atlanta and was moved by the Army Core of Engineers from Lakewood as a practice project for the enginers to Duluth, Ga where she was a part of the Southern Railway Museum there. She later became a part of the now defunct excursion New Georgia Railroad and was refurbished back into running condition after a fairly lenghty process. She was bright an shiny and began to run to Stone Mountain from downtown Atlanta on excursion trips. She als began to run around the Atlanta Loop as a dinner train.
An innagural trip to Macon, Ga was an exciting time for those that rode her as well as spectators along the way seeing a large steam engine coming through their towns after many years without such a common view. She also made voyages to Golden Isles/ Brunswick, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama. In 1990 she made a trip to Jacksonville, Fl to promote a United Way campaign there. These trips were filmed for selling in VHS format by Trackside Video of Georgia.
While she was still running she was a part of the well viewed film "Fried Green Tomatoes" being fimmed near Juliette, Ga South of Atlanta.
When some negative factors again came into play and funding became scarce, 290 was removed from service again and New Georgia Railroad stopped their service.
Soon she was back at the museum in Duluth, Ga North of Atlanta off I-85. The museum kept her in maintenance status and could not run her due to costs and efforstr equired to keep her in running condition as well as factors negatively effecting excursion steam trips in the raliroad industry. Tracks for such excursions became non-available due to financial and practical issues.
Presenty (2003) she is being worked on again at the museum and is becoming much closer to being ready for static display at the museum. I personnaly viewed her in her shed last year. A long time supporter andworker at the museum told me that she is the only remaining heavy pacific in her class East of the Mississippi that can still be placed in running condition. It is not out of the question that with proper funding, work and favorable conditions that she could run once again.
My grandfather Q.E. Martin ran behind her for many years as a US Railway Mail employee until 1948 when he retired. He sorted the mail when the train was running dropping off the mail, at various points and collecting mail while moving along the route. He also carreid federal reserve serilized leather money bags between cities like Atlanta and New Oerleans.
He had to keep his watch railroad pocket watch constanltly checked for accuracy since the timing of the locations along the routes was critical. Ole Casey Jones was trying to make up time when he crashed and died in Mississippi.
Please see the web address below to see the A&WP 290 engine and other museum pieces and information. The museum seeks volunteer help and tax deductible donations to support the engines and their work there. They are expanding a lot, but have budget issues to contend with which ave always been tough for them. At present the museum is getting more recognition in the area and appears to have a bright future. I am a member (from long distance in Florida) of The Atlanta Chapter of NRHS which is affiliated to a degree with the museum. Enjoy the info here on this new site which will be expanded with various links, photos and other items.
Ed Martin
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