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Thump, thump. Thump, thump. We were thrilled to hear that steady pulse after 74 years of silence!![]()
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In addition to firing up No. 576 last month, our crew started testing the various appliances that have been fully serviced and reinstalled on the locomotive. The original cross compound air compressor (the NC&StL J-3 class only had one) was completely rebuilt thanks to a grant from the Emery Rail Heritage Trust with work completed by FMW Solutions. The air compressor creates the air needed to operate the train’s braking system as well as the air powered appliances on the engine, like the power reverser. ![]()
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The air pump is one of the most notable sounds on a steam locomotive. Many have likened it to a heart beat, it’s easy to hear why!🫀🚂
We're still shaking the cinders out of our hair and dreaming of No. 576's first successful fire up in more than 74 years! To put that number into perspective, that is the longest time period between retirement and revival of any American mainline steam locomotive. ![]()
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While we are extremely proud of this major accomplishment, there is still much more work to be done. Help us finish the job by making a contribution at 👉www.nashvillesteam.org/donate. Your help will get No. 576 to the long anticipated encore performance that much sooner!
Ten years of grime and restoration dust exhaled in a few mighty blasts. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the engineer opens the throttle, here’s a glimpse with the cylinder covers off. This method of blowing out the cylinders serves as a type of steam cleaning and is the first steam to enter the steam chests since 1952.
