Trion northbound. A steady, wind-blown rain streams off the two glossy black Southern Railway Locomotives as the TVRM's Summerville Special heads back north, across the bridge over the Chattooga River in Trion, Georgia.
When the TVRM doubleheads on these trips, the helper (leading) is typically the 2-8-0 Consolidation #630, as she is the lighter of the two locomotives. Built in 1904, by the American Locomotive Works, the 630 is a heavy freight hog with over 46,000 lbs of tractive effort. The road engine is the big Mikado #4501. She's slightly newer and somewhat heavier than 630. The 4501 is a 1911 Baldwin Product with just under 54,000 lbs of tractive effort. Both locomotives have undergone restorations within the past 7 years, with 630 coming back on line in 2011, and the 4501 seeing her first service of the 21st century in late 2014.