A couple of weeks before Christmas, I purchased a few small prints of railroad subjects in the Richmond Book Shop. Included was a photo of the famous Richmond Triple Crossing, which I posted here. These pictures of Southern 4501 were also among the prints that I bought. The prints were not dated and I do not have any information as to the photographer's identity.
The 2-8-2 Mikado class 4501 was built for the Southern Railway in 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. In 1948 Southern sold the locomotive to the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway where it served until it was retired in 1963. It was purchased by a rail-fan who restored the locomotive and made it available for use in Southern Railways steam excursion program. When the excursion program came to an end, the locomotive went to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum where it is on display.
For the complete story of Southern 4501, and lots of great photos, visit HawkinsRails web page.
Those photos were a great find. A visit to the local second hand shops for some old photos is on my list.
ReplyDeleteHope you find something interesting. Piles of old prints will eventually be a casualty of the digital age. Since few people are printing anymore, I suspect that in time, the vast majority of the photos being taken today will simply disappear, lost in a junk yard of obsolete computer gear.
ReplyDeleteYour suspicion is right ,I fear. In the next century people will be hard pressed to see prints of their past. Then some future techie will find a way to make beautiful prints from the remnants of our servers. And a new trend will be born - photographs you can hold in your hands.
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