Railroads of Meridian

8 POSTWAR METAMORPHOSIS

99 8 POSTWAR METAMORPHOSIS • Steam Finale During my senior year in high school (1950–51), I was immersed in recording the diminishing presence of steam locomotives in Meridian. Unfortunately, the GM&O dropped its fires so quickly that I was never able to photograph one of its steam-powered trains in action. But there were still opportunities on the otherthreeroads(SR,IC,andM&BR).Iwasextremely fortunate that the cold weather of the fall and winter of that school year gave me my only opportunity to record local steamers with billowing smoke plumes. Indeed, my rarest steam locomotive photo was taken on a frigid day when I casually dropped by the SR/ IC yard for a quick inspection and saw, to my astonishment , a Birmingham train about to leave behind one of Southern’s largest engines, a simple articulated 2-8-8-2. I had seen photos of these mountain engines operating in their usual territory between Birmingham, Atlanta, Knoxville, and Asheville, but I never expected to see one on the relatively flat lines of the AGS. In subsequent years I discussed this rarity with Frank ArdreyandotherSouthernobservers,andnonecould recall such a movement. I finally concluded that this could have been just an unusual substitute engine for the normal 2-8-2 or a shakedown run for the articulated giant fresh from an overhaul at the Finley shops in Birmingham. But the real reason will always remain a mystery. I have marveled many times on the odds that a high school photo shooter would be able to take a decent action photo of this once-in-history operation! To make the story even more unlikely, the original negative was lost. Thus the image shown here was salvaged only recently from two early prints, both of which were of marginal quality. One was too light but did show good shadow detail, while the other was too dark but gave good highlights. When they were combineddigitally ,theresultingcompositeimagewasjust as I remembered the original. Not surprisingly, my most interesting and intimate experiences of steam were on theM&B, a typical short line that lagged behind the big roads in getting its first diesel and therefore gave me time to record more steam action than on the other lines. Its roster of four engines, ranging from a 2-6-0 and a 2-8-0 to a 4-6-2, were used on a rotating basis, with one always in the shops. Fortunately, the road’s daytime turn was easily accessible, involving an early-morning departure 100 above: Rails are covered by a dusting of snow in January 1950 as heavy Mikado No. 6624 (Richmond 1926) gets up to speed on the twin-tracked AGS main line about 4 miles east of the city. J. Parker Lamb. facing top: In August 1949 Meridian & Bigbee River 2-8-0 No. 991 is in the last stages of its final overhaul at the road’s shops, located immediately south of Meridian’s business district. It would labor for only two more years before being retired. J. Parker Lamb. facing bottom: During its last months of service in 1950, M&BR 2-8-0 No. 116 lugs an inbound train toward the Meridian yard. After its retirement, this engine was given to the city in 1952 for display in a park dedicated to famous country music singer Jimmie Rodgers. J. Parker Lamb. 101 102 R AILROADS OF MERIDIAN Former M&O 4-6-0 No. 377 (Baldwin 1907) was one of the last GM&O steamers used as relief power in Meridian. Although I saw it in work train service, I was never able to get a photo, but Frank Ardrey was lucky enough to find it waiting at the station in 1946. David S. Price collection. andamidafternoonreturn,followedbyaquicktripto the transfer yard to drop cars. A highlight of my M&B experiences involved observations of the shop crews at work. They were led by Master Mechanic Frank Parke,wholivedinthesameneighborhoodasmyparents . He also knew of my dad’s auto repair garage, so when I told him I fully understood the need for safety in shop areas, he allowed me to watch from a close vantage point. Such an informal arrangement would not have been possible on the city’s three trunk lines, which operated under more formal requirements for access. Of course, it was impossible for me to know that, over a half century later, the knowledge gained from those early observations would play a part in my book about the historical development of American steam locomotives. My most lasting impressions of the M&B steam engine work involved the final shopping...