Steamorama!

Three venerable operating steam locomotives and a celebration of two historic anniversaries made November 2, 1969, one epic day to remember in the history of Anniston, Alabama.

Lending an international flavor to the event was the presence of the famed British steam locomotive, the "Flying Scotsman," lined up at Anniston with two of her American cousins, steam locomotives 4501 and 750.

Locomotive 4501 enroute from Birmingham to Anniston with a trainload of railfans.

In addition to saluting the visit of the "Flying Scotsman," in Anniston as part of a five-week exhibition tour of the eastern United States, the day helped commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the State of Alabama and the 75th anniversary of the organization of the Southern Railway Company.

Parent line of the Southern Railway System that now serves 13 states and the District of Columbia, Southern Railway Company was organized in Richmond, Va., on June 18, 1894, with the purchase of the assets and lines of the bankrupt Richmond & Danville Railroad. From this pioneer system emerged what was to become one of the major rail systems in the nation.

All roads (including railroads) converged on Southern's Anniston piggyback terminal that sunny November Sunday as former Southern steam locomotive 4501, now owned by Paul Merriman of Chattanooga, president of the Tennessee Valley Railway Historical Society chapter, brought a trainload of railfans up from Birmingham, a trip sponsored by the Heart of Dixie chapter, NRHS.

From Atlanta, Ga., came locomotive 750, owned by the Atlanta chapter, NRHS, bringing another trainload of railfans from the Atlanta area. Both American steamers chugged into place beside the "Flying Scotsman" which had also arrived from Atlanta on its way to Houston, Texas.

The "Flying Scotsman" crosses Wells Viaduct (north of Toccoa, Ga.) enroute to Atlanta.

The history of the "Flying Scotsman" is as colorful as the circumstances surrounding her visit to this country. Constructed in Doncaster, England, in 1922 for the Great Northern Railway of Britain, this 4-6-2 Gresley A-3 Pacific entered the service of the London and North England Railway in January, 1923, following a merger between the Great Northern and the LNER. In 1928 she was used on the first non-stop daily service from Kings Cross Station in London to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she traveled over two million miles in her forty-year service span.

Mr. Claytor (left) and Mr. Pegler unveil a plaque commemorating the Anniston "Steamorama." The plaque reads, "It was here on November 2. 1969, the year of its 75th Anniversary; that Southern Railway sponsored a great gathering of steam. ...Operating under their own power, three steam trains met here and revived for a brief period the emotions and memories of the most romantic era of American Railroading. The Age of Steam. ..." The plaque will be permanently located in the station at Anniston.

Holder of the achievement of being the first British steam locomotive to exceed 100 miles per hour for a sustained length of time, the "Flying Scotsman" was finally retired in January, 1963, destined for scrapping. Alan Fegler, 49-year-old Nottinghamshire millionaire businessman and rail enthusiast, saved the "Flying Scotsman" from the 'scrap heap, purchasing the locomotive for the equivalent of $8,000 (she had cost $24,000 to construct in 1922) .

Mr. Fegler spent $120,000 restoring the "Flying Scotsman" and used her on exhibition trips in England. The idea of bringing the locomotive to America at the head end of an exhibition train supported by British industrial exhibits was conceived, with space on the cars given over to displays of products manufactured by the industrial supporters.

The locomotive and its consist - two tenders, four exhibition cars, two sleeping cars, an "administration" car, a baggage-reception car, and an observation car were shipped by sea to Boston, Mass., where on October 12 the tour of the eastern United States got underway. Stopovers were made in major cities down the Atlantic seaboard with the exhibition tour winding up in Houston, Texas, on November 15.

Program participants at the Anniston "Steamorama" are (from left): W. Clyde Pippin, mayor of the City of Anniston; W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Southern president; Alan Pegler, owner of the "Flying Scotsman"; Mrs. William W. McTyeire, Jr., chairman of the Alabama Sesquicentennial Commission; and Representative William Nichols, U.S. Congressman from Alabama's Fourth District.

Anniston's festivities got underway shortly after noontime when the three steam locomotives, with their trains, were lined up on adjoining tracks at the piggyback terminal. From the speakers stand, set up on the rear platform. of. a Southern office car Anniston Mayor .W. Clyde Pippin welcomed the visiting British locomotive, its crew and guests, and saluted Southern Railway and the State of Alabama on their anniversaries.

Addressing the overflowing crowd, w. Graham Claytor, Jr., Southern's president, recalled the establishment of the early railroads in Alabama and noted, "The great State of Alabama, the City of Anniston, and the railroads that finally became the Southern Railway System have all grown up together."

He also called attention to the contribution steam locomotives everywhere had made to railroading and why it was fitting they were on hand for the celebration.

Locomotive 750 steams toward the Anniston "Steamorama.

"People often ask me why a modern railroad with a modern image market so much of old-fashioned steam engines," he said. "My answer is that there is nothing incompatible or improper about honoring the past while aggressively seeking new and better ways to serve the future. On the contrary, it is the sound way and the Southern way to growth and progress for all."

Other guests on the platform who also spoke briefly included Mrs. William W. McTyeire, Jr., chairman of the Alabama Sesquicentennial Commission and Alabama Governor Brewer's personal representative to the event; Representative William Nichols, U.S. congressman from Alabama's Fourth District; and Alan Pegler, owner of the "Flying Scotsman."

The short ceremonies concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by Mr. Claytor and Mr. Pegler and a rousing salute from the whistles of each of the three locomotives. The skirling of a bagpipe and the dancing of a highland fling by a group of British hostesses from the "Flying Scotsman" brought a colorful close to the official program.

The three steam stars line up at Anniston's piggyback terminal. From left: the "Flying Scotsman," locomotive 750 and locomotive 4501.

Immediately after the ceremonies, the huge crowd turned to inspecting, photographing and climbing in and around the three steam locomotives. Stamp collectors among the railfans received an extra souvenir for the day. A temporary postal substation was set up at the display site to cancel Alabama sesquicentennial stamps on specially imprinted envelopes that were distributed to train riders and local visitors. For collectors, the cancelled envelopes constituted a "first day" cover. At a large tent on the terminal grounds barbecue and other good things to eat were served to the invited guests.

Pipe-Major Robert Crabb supplied the music as hostesses from the "Flying Scotsman" entertained with a highland fling.

On public display for the first time was Southern's new Exhibit Car which was located adjacent to the parked steam locomotives. The Exhibit Car serves as a traveling display of Southern's history and progress.

Lighted transparencies, color photographs and scale models of freight cars illustrate various aspects of the railway's progress. Working models portray the railway's Long Distance Xerography transmission of documents and its hot box detector network. Dioramas give a.' three-dimensional view of the welded rail laying process and of a rail-highway transfer. There is also a direct link with Southern's control center at Atlanta so that visitors can test the microwave communications network and real-time information processing by asking for the location of any freight car on Southern's lines.

What a Day!

Three sound-and-slide presentations also highlight Southern's story. "Trains From Yesterday" chronicles the development of the Southern Railway System and its predecessor lines over more than a century . "Technology-the Quiet Revolution" reviews the shaping of a modern, customer-oriented transportation system through technological progress, equipment design, and new communications and information processing techniques. "Strengthening the Modern South" tells of Southern's efforts to promote industrial and agricultural development in its territory.

Aerial view of Anniston piggyback terminal as the crowd was gathering for the ceremonies.

Anniston's day to renumber finally came to an end as the three steam locomotives got up steam for departure-the 4501 back to Birmingham, the 750 back to Atlanta, and the "Flying Scotsman" on to the next stop in its exhibition odyssey. As the last whistle died away, one man stood looking down the tracks at the still hanging plume of smoke in the distance, turned, and said to no one in particular, "It was like a day spent with old friends-good to see them again and sad to see them go." .