NC&StL 576

Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway 576 is a 4-8-4 "Dixie" (Northern) type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in August 1942 for the NC&StL (Better known as the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway) as a member of the J-3 class. Designed with some of the latest locomotive technological features of the time, the J3 class was used to handle heavy freight and express trains to aid the American war effort during World War II.[1]

Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway 576
NCSt&L 576 on display in Centennial Park
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderAmerican Locomotive Company (ALCO)
Build dateAugust 1942
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-8-4
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.70 in (1,778 mm)
Length86.31 ft
Axle load57,000 lb (26,000 kilograms; 26 metric tons)
Adhesive weight228,000 lb (103,000 kg)
Loco weight400,500 lb (181,700 kg)
Tender weight285,000 lb (129,000 kg)
Total weight685,500 lb (310,900 kg)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity16 t (16 long tons; 18 short tons)
Water cap15,000 US gal (57,000 l; 12,000 imp gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		77.30 sq ft (7.2 m2)
Boiler pressure250 psi (1.72 MPa)
CylindersTwo
Cylinder size25 in × 30 in (635 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort56,920 lbf (253.2 kN)
Factor of adh.4.01
Career
Operators
Class
  • NCSt&L J3-57
Number in class7 of 20
Numbers
  • NCSt&L 576
Nicknames
  • "Yellow Jackets"
  • "The Stripe"
  • "Gliders"
LocaleTennessee
RetiredSeptember 2nd, 1952
Restored2019–ongoing
Current owner
DispositionUndergoing restoration to operating condition, based in Nashville, Tennessee
Locomotive 576 while being painted prior to the first Open House hosted by the Nashville Steam Preservation Society to promote and fundraise for the restoration of the locomotive to service.
The 576 looks alive for guests at the first open house with special lighting and effects.

Faced with dwindling traffic and the onset of dieselization, all of the NC&StL J3's were withdrawn from service and scrapped by September 2, 1952 with the exception of the 576. In September 1953, the locomotive was donated to the City of Nashville, TN and placed on display in Centennial Park in Nashville as the sole surviving steam locomotive of the NC&StL Railway. Today, the locomotive is undergoing restoration to operating condition for use in excursion service.

Service history

Referred to as "Dixies" by their crews as opposed to "Northerns", the "up to date" J3 class locomotives were utilized heavily in handling of critical war-time material, armament and troop train movements during the rabid buildup and mobilization of the American war effort during World War II. The first 10 of the J3 class engines were built with nose cones and skirting to give a semi streamlined appearance, similar to engines such as the N&W J class and the Canadian Pacific Royal Hudsons. The skirting was a bright yellow, and the engines were quickly nicknamed by the crews as “yellow jackets”. The second batch, also of 10, were built with nose cones, but without the skirting. The skirting and cones were later removed on all 20 due to ease of maintenance, but were renicknamed “stripes” because of their small yellow stripe along the side of the engine. All of the J3 class engines were taken out of service by 1953. [2]

Display

Locomotive 576 was chosen in 1953 for preservation and subsequently donated to the City of Nashville, Tennessee for display in Centennial Park. To keep the locomotive and tender safe from the elements, a shelter was constructed over the engine in 2004 after 50+ years of being without cover.

Restoration

A restoration to operational status as an excursion locomotive is underway by the Nashville Steam Preservation Society (N.S.P.S).[3] In October 2018, news was announced the N.S.P.S. had successfully raised the necessary $500,000 to relocate and transport the locomotive out of the park and into a nearby restoration facility. On January 13, 2019, the locomotive was moved out of Centennial Park and on to the Nashville and Western trackage, where it was prepared to move from the line to CSX and beyond to the Nashville and Eastern Railroad where it would be restored to operation.[4][5] The engine made a final public appearance at Nashville's Union Station Hotel on March 9, 2019 and is currently undergoing its rebuild to operating condition.[6]

References
  1. http://www.nashvillesteam.org/history/
  2. http://www.nashvillesteam.org/history/
  3. http://www.nashvillesteam.org/history/
  4. http://www.nashvillesteam.org/2018/10/nsps-steam-reaches-initial-fundraising-goal/
  5. http://www.nashvillesteam.org/2018/12/no-576-to-leave-centennial-park-on-january-13th/
  6. https://www.nashvillesteam.org/news/
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