NASG Convention goers...
April 2012 marks the 150th Anniversary of "The Great Locomotive Chase". Thanks to the 1956 Disney movie staring Fess Parker, this Civil War historical railroad event has always held a soft spot in my heart. Convention attendees can visit many of the actual sites, as the "Chase" events took place between Big Shanty (today's Kennesaw) and Chattanooga.
The 4-4-0 "General" (Rogers
1856) is on display in the former Big Shanty, now Kennesaw, a scant few feet from where the "Chase" actually began. The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History is a beautiful contemporary museum and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian. The museum displays the "General" in a special room and contains a fine pictorial history of the "Chase" and locations. It also is home to another lesser known piece of southern steam locomotive history. The Golver Machine Works was transported (as it last sat) from its original building and set up again inside the museum. It is a wonderful recreation complete with tools and locomotives under assembly. Very interesting!
The other star of the "Chase", the 4-4-0 "Texas" (Cooke 1856), is enshrined within the Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum in Grants Park. Again, plenty of "Chase" history here as well as the traditional Civil War history and pictorials. It's just off I-20 east of downtown Atlanta
& I-75 (your route north to Chattanooga).
I have several books on the Andrews Raiders and the "Chase", however, Trains Magazine did an outstanding job of covering this event in a 12 page story in their April issue. It includes a fine map of the actual sites and photos of what is there to be seen today. I highly recommend that you get a copy if you are interested in "The Great Locomotive Chase" and the Andrew's Raiders history.
Convention goers arriving in Atlanta will parallel the route of the "Chase" on their drive to Chattanooga. Many sites are easy to get to and there are several near and in Chattanooga itself. The old Big Shanty (a section of Kennesaw) is a neat little RR town in it own right with the CSX mainline making a sweeping "S" curve past the old station on the grade north.
Both the museum in Kennesaw and the TVRM in Chattanooga are offering special events and presentations in honor of the 150th Anniversary.
Bob Hogan
