Tennesee Adventures - Trains and Flooding

Each spring I head down to Columbia, TN for a big Live Steam train meet. This meet can draw 40-70 locomotives from around the country each year. This year Bill, Al and I rode down in the the new truck (so roomy!) with my new locomotive, along with fellow member Joel. We usually run Joel's big steam locomotive and put in 12 to 14 hours of running during the three-day event. The meet is hosted by the Mid-South Live Steamers and they give rides to two or three thousand kids and adults that weekend.

The spring 2009 Mid-South meet was cut short by the major flooding that occurred Friday 1-May-09, washing the track out in several places. Wednesday and Thursday were not bad, just some rain at times and people were able to run. But the big 'haul the public' activity and the potluck did not occur.

Here's what it looked like Friday afternoon:

(Picture credited to Greg Gloss from the MSLS website)

Fast moving water almost at knee-depth in the bays. Note the creek water at the bottom of the bridge at right.

Heavy rains (4-6 inches) came down in two hours, flash flooding the drainage creek and affecting maybe 150' of track (my guess). After the rains let up, the MSLS officers inspected the track and finding the washouts announced the cancellation of the rest of the meet due to safety concerns. There were five marooned trains at the top of the hill at Sudberry Station that had to come down for loadout but to do so the damaged mainline parts had to be re-ballasted first. It was like another Saturday at the SLLS track after that! Out came the hopper cars full of rock, shovels, track tools and tamping put the mainline and most of the track back in service in just a couple hours. I'm happy to report that SLLS was well represented and was generous with expertise and muscle during the trackside repairs. Tim and Alan W. (fellow live steamer and and Nashville CSX engineer) rescued a lot of tool boxes, buckets and things that were floating away in the bays when the water really started to flood. Many guys owe them for saving their stuff in the moving water while they just watched from the pavilion while standing on top of the picnic tables.

A familiar scene to SLLS'ers. (Picture credited to Dwight Blackburn from the MSLS website) Bill, Denis, Al and Joel (obscured) tamping ballast.

Click on the http://www.midsouthlivesteamers.org/ Photos, 2009 spring button for more pictures.

Not all was a loss, Tim ran between the rains and many guys ran Wednesday and Thursday. Joel and I got to run a little. I think he only took one load of passengers before the wet rails got too slippery Friday. Herb ran his boxcab switcher, I don't think he had a chance to steam his loco. I ran the crab three times and it performed well. Bill and I kept experimenting and continued to learn how this loco wants to be fired and run. On Saturday we loaded out early at 1pm it was doing great (fire, water + steam) when I shut it down. Henry and his brother Conrad came down, I'm not sure they even got a ride....