Southern 2716: Appalachian Mountain Spectacular (No Narration)

In May of 1982, Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 Kanawha #2716, disguised as "Southern" 2716, pulled a series of special excursions in Virginia's western coal fields. Mainline Motion Pictures was there to capture the historic trips on video. Out of circulation for years, this nearly 40-year-old film has been uploaded in its entirety for your enjoyment!

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

RIP Bill Purdie, Frank Collins, Bill Payne, Paul Brock, Albert Dinkins Jr, and recently Wallace Haywood and Doug Karhan. Your experience with the NS steam program will never be forgotten.

[@SRRC245]

Who else just fell in love with the Lionel one!!!!

[@Idkjustgothere]

Me!

[@6709ify]

I just got one! I love it!

[@GTRailFanProductions]

48:30. Probably the best/scariest wheelslip I've ever seen. That was insane.

[@LRF152]

Can really hear that booster working!

[@RDG179]

Check out the Brit Loco called “Blue Peter” for scary slip of the Drivers

[@southwestvirginiarailfan729]

I live in Norton where that is. Its a pretty steep grade. Its the old Interstate railroad. I believe its up to 3%.

[@dwkcamman611]

Yep I agree, one of the most intense wheel slips I've ever seen too.

[@8HumblePie]

“A Beauty a Bonnie and a Joy Forever.” Long Live Steam!

[@Idkjustgothere]

Great to see 2716 in her southern railroad scheme :D

[@justahillbilly7777]

Thank you guys for putting this up. There's not a whole lot of videos of 2716 like this and it's certainly appreciated.

[@justahillbilly7777]

Also notice the open airs in the consist. Don't see that anymore after that accident in 1986. Well, at least not on mainline excursions.

[@nicholasmedovich3949]

Actually it was 86 with the 611 at the dismal swamp.

[@justahillbilly7777]

@@nicholasmedovich3949 Apologies for the rather extreme response time, but thankee for the correction, my comment has been edited accordingly.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

@@justahillbilly7777 Queen and Crescent Club and Missionary Ridge were two of the 3 cars scrapped in that derailment.

[@justahillbilly7777]

@@nicholasmedovich6729 Sadly. Would've been nice if they had just been put into museums after receiving enough repairs to get 'em in decent structural and cosmetic shape.

[@Shortline819]

Cant wait to see her back! Along with 587 as well!

[@brianfalzon6739]

Maybe a doubleheader with 587 and 2716 can be a dream to come too!

[@peterrosenquist]

25:30 and the 2716 was at Natural Tunnel? SWEET!

[@TNRailProductions_01]

Great video! I have loads of family that live up there in Southwest Va. I myself live down near Knoxville Tennessee so it was nice to see the shots from Downtown Knoxville. But the best shots were along NS’s Appalachian District.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

1:57 3:00 5:46 7:12 10:15 13:59 14:44 18:53 19:22 20:58 21:47 25:32 27:21 28:42 29:44 30:17 30:50 35:36 36:53 41:39 43:34 44:06 53:37 54:05 55:27 57:22 58:07 58:52 1:09:20 1:19:44 1:19:58 1:20:30 1:20:55 1:24:48 1:26:00 1:28:33 Best 3 chime from a Kanawha ever. Hands down. Even if not original

[@viktordubowskii695]

I can't believe how much the booster engine helped. It was so useful, that with out it, he never would've made it up the grade.

[@OldIronVideo]

Whats a boster engine

[@viktordubowskii695]

@@OldIronVideo 2716 on the trailing truck, which supports the firebox one of the axles is powered by a steam driven piston engine connected through a gear driven system. There is a idler gear pinion gear which engages and disengages.

[@justahillbilly7777]

@@OldIronVideo en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booster_engine

[@VirtualRailfanProductions]

It would have been interesting to see 2716 and 611 run together on an excursion

[@williambryant5946]

The southern longbell three chime whistle sounds so much better than IC three chime. To me anyway. Great video. Wish there was steam excursions on NS still nowadays. 👍

[@WETrains]

This is awesome rare footage. I just visited Natural Tunnel today!

[@jltrain-zgamingrailfan202x3]

Thanks!

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

25:32 MSTS 3 Chime whistle

[@TNRailProductions_01]

That whistle sounds like Dollywood Express Crosby three chime

[@1chuck96]

Too bad the optics were so bad back in the day, but look forward to see her after restoration.

[@patrickd.3681]

That sign at 54:38. I wonder if that shopping plaza is still there.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

Parts of this were in a simular film called Silver Steam.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

This must've been one of her final trips on the Southern before her firebox problems developed.

[@brettpiening1608]

I guess 2716 had many slips in the old days. Climbing up mountains and slipping a lot.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

31:33 I think that’s Doug Karhan and i think Ronald Norman in the cab. I know Bill Purdie was at the throttle in those years

[@amyreynolds3619]

I hope they save the Southern railway parts that Southern railway put on the locomotive. That is part of the locomotive history too.

[@railsandracing]

This was great! Thanks for uploading it. Is the video with her pulling the freight from her break-in run? To my ear, she was using a Southern Longbell 3 Chime on her break-in run, and an IC 3 Chime in excursion service.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

Her IC 3 chime sounds very sad but beautifully mellowed sounding. Just that tone.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

I found out the 765 trip in 1982 from Knoxville actually had i think Bill Payne or Doug Karhan and Bill Purdie at the throttle.

[@trevorjosephmedia1550]

2716 will be back. Southern, C&O, one way or another, she’ll be back.

[@mylesspear]

Trevor Brown perhaps even L&N!

[@trevorjosephmedia1550]

Myles Spear That would be a cool scheme. Did l&n have any 2-8-4’s?

[@mylesspear]

Trevor Brown yep. KSHCO actually dressed up 2716 to look like one recently! :)

[@trevorjosephmedia1550]

Myles Spear When they restore her, do you know if she’ll be run as c&o or Southern?

[@mylesspear]

Trevor Brown I’m not sure. They’ll probably do c&o first and then In The future they’ll do southern and l&n.

[@railroadvelocipedeproducti2020]

I wish the #2716 could stay in it’s southern form because back then there was no such thing as southern 2-8-4 berksires.

[@tricky1546]

30:17 it sounds like tsrr 30 longbell 3 chime from np 5148 55:26 54:07

[@nicholasmedovich3949]

Wouldn’t it be cool of 2716 operated on the rathole between Junction City to Winfield?? And on its way to Chattanooga. Last locomotive to do this was I believe the 611.

[@evanpeach3145]

Man 38:20 listen to that Booster truck!

[@OldIronVideo]

Whats a boster truck

[@evanpeach3145]

A booster truck is a separate steam engine generally under the front truck of the tender or the trailing truck of a locomotive. Its used to give more tractive effort to start heavy trains or climb steep grades.

[@FanRailer]

That really is a wonderful example of the booster being used at around the 38 min mark. Just listening to it accelerate, the exhaust getting faster and faster until the engineer knocks the latch down to cut the booster out once train speed has hit ~10 mph; there are just no words to describe that feeling.

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

Also would like to see more main line motion pictures films soon.

[@amyreynolds3619]

I hope that they contact all the railroad publications so that the Southern, C&O, all 2-8-4 along publications to see her come out of the building under fire the first time.

[@railroadfannumberone3049]

Is There More With The 2716

[@mikeyhowell5449]

2716 was a sister engine 2789

[@AmericanRailfan-gb8oq]

Idk Why, but I think 2716 looks better in her C&O livery then her Southern Livery.

[@blackwatchaudio5630]

That's because C&O locomotives should always be in C&O livery. What would happen if N&W 611 were painted up in Milw Hiawatha colors? People would lose their shit and bitch about authenticity. But for some reason it was ok to paint 2716 like a Southern loco, even though that road owned nothing nearly as modern as this K-4.

[@GTRailFanProductions]

@@blackwatchaudio5630 we'll would you have rather had the loco sit and not be restored or wear a new livery and be operational? I think id rather see it run with a different livery. Plus the Southern paint scheme is pretty cool because southern never had any 2-8-4s so it was very unique to see 2-8-4 of southern heritage. Plus it looks pretty cool in Southern. I don't really care what way it's going to be presented in, I'm just happy it's going to be running.

[@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan]

I'm no expert but does anyone know the exact number of the auxiliary water tender behind 2716 that was used both by Texas and Pacific 610 and ex C&O 2716?

[@southwestvirginiarailfan729]

Can't tell you the number, but it came from and l&n 2-8-4.

[@maxwellsteam5810]

Water Tender 53

[@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan]

@@maxwellsteam5810whatever happened to that tender after being used by Texas and Pacific 610 C&O 2716 and on one occasion Norfolk and western 611 whatever happened to that tender after that?

[@SouthernerFloridain2006]

Will it have a Southern Hancock 3 chime or a C&O hooter? When it’s restored

[@yankinga]

The Southern 3-Chime whistles were shop-built. They were not Hancocks. Being a freight hog, she would've originally had a single note whistle. Just don't call it a "hooter" or the N&W fans will gang up on you. They think that they have the exclusive on that name. B&O freight engines had similar single bell whistles and I'm sure other roads did too.

[@andrewboyd8073]

Was she fitted with a Ps-4 Whistle for these trips?

[@rileysanesh5203]

After 2716 pulled passenger coaches and when she was done pulling passenger coaches why did she pull freight after that

[@JOEMAMA_534]

Low and behold the MSTS 3 chime

[@SuperFoxyRailwayProduction6702]

YEAH

[@JOEMAMA_534]

You guys need to put that kind of whistle back on her

[@rudycarlson8245]

What’s the progress on the 2716?

[@zenzyfurry1134]

Where is the original?

[@BackshopRailProductions]

Nothing smells better than coal smoke and hot steam oil!

[@thewestatlanticrailway]

48:30

[@nicholasmedovich6729]

Piggly wiggly logo at the norton shopping center

[@seangross5057]

Maybe if you can asked Roger Holmes and Greg Scholl if they could make a 4 part 2716 trilogy package for railfans with approval from Kentucky steam heritage corporation agreement with Chris Campbell how does that sound my br other Nicholas loves trains and I think that 2716 should come to the National railway historical society convention in Fort Lauderdale Florida for excursions in September because my brother can not go because of my father and my mother we do not have a safe place and my brother hates living in Gallatin it is a twilight zone for him and I need someone to watch him while he is at the convention if he needs his special medicine or if someone tries to kill him or kidnapped him for ransom to fund terrorist attacks on United States soil we gonna loose not only our leaders but our country ad well so make sure he will not get into trouble or being trafficked human traffickers from communist controlled countries under Maduro and Putin