Former Smokey mountain Railroad 2-6-0 Baldwin steam locomotive # 23, is seen
on display at the former Chattanooga Union Station, wich is now a popular
hotel in the city of Chattanooga Tennesee.
This locomotive is typical of North American shortline steam locomotives
from the late 1800's and early 1900's era. It looks like this locomotive
was modernized with a larger boiler at some time during the early 1900's.
The extended smokebox gives it away mechanically a a coal burner.
The wooden cowcatcher pilot, box headlight, baloon smokestack, and brightly
colored paint job however, are very unauthentic. This locomotive was at
some point after retirement, cosmetically backdated to look like an 1800's
era woodburning steam locomotive that appeared in Western Movies, or perhaps
in some sort of an American Civil War epic documentary.
Many retired North American steam locomotives were originally treated the
same way cosmetically in the 1950's and 1960's, upon donation to towns
that displayed them in local city parks. Some worked at Amusement Parks
looking like this back in the days. Luckilly, thee has been a recent movement
in preservation circles to Authentically preserve vintage equipment today.
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