IRON MOUNTAIN PLANS FOR WINTER RAIL OPERATION

JACKSON -- The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Company's newest locomotive, the "R.T. Hughes, will enable the railroad to expand operations into the winter months.

The 80-ton, twin-engine diesel locomotive, which will begin regular runs late this fall, also will be used as a backup for the railroad's popular Number Five steam locomotive.

The diesel locomotive was moved Wednesday from Crystal City to Delta, before making the northern trek to Jackson Friday.

The Jackson railway company purchased the locomotive in July at a Crystal City equipment auction. It's named for R. T. Hughes, a retired veteran locomotive engineer with the St. Louis-Southwestern (Cotton Belt) Railroad at Scott City.

Hughes has been the Iron Mountain Railroad's senior steam locomotive engineer since the railroad's inception several years ago.

In the past, the Iron Mountain only operated from April to the end of October.

But Mary Strong, operation's manager, said the R.T. Hughes will enable the railroad to make the Jackson to Gordonville and Delta runs throughout the year.

"We're very excited about the arrival of the locomotive," Strong said. "We're going to use it for our expanded winter-time operations. Its first scheduled run is in November, and we have other runs scheduled in February and March."

Strong said it's expensive and inconvenient to operate the railroad's steam locomotive in freezing weather. The water must be drained from the locomotive's boiler and tender each time the fire in the fire box is extinguished.

But the new diesel-powered locomotive, Engine 911, will resolve that problem, she said.

Strong said the R.T. Hughes will pull the Iron Mountain's passenger coaches on special excursions this winter to raise money for the restoration of another steam locomotive, Number 300, now on display at the Iron Mountain Railroad depot.

Danny Davis, the railroad's master mechanic, was aboard Engine 911 when it was moved from Crystal City to Jackson. He said the locomotive is in "pretty good shape" considering its age.

Davis said the locomotive was built in 1951 in Rochelle, Ill. by the Alco, Lima-Hamilton, Baldwin locomotive works, and delivered to a Crystal City manufacturing plant in December 1952. He said the locomotive was used to switch railroad freight cars inside the plant.

"It never traveled over 3 mph, and was stored every night in a building," he said.

Strong said the Friends of Steam Railroading purchased the locomotive for $7,500. Friends is a non-profit organization made up of area railroad and history enthusiasts. It was organized several years ago to preserve the equipment, legend, and lore of railroading, especially steam railroading.

"Our mechanical people went up to inspect the locomotive and determined it was in good condition, and ideal for our railroad's needs." said Strong.

"We approached the Friends of Steam Railroading with a proposal that they purchase the locomotive for the steam railroad, and they agreed."

Strong said that once the locomotive was bought, the next challenge was to get it from Crystal City to Jackson.

"At first, we planned to remove the two diesel engines and have the locomotive towed in a freight train," she said. "But problems came up trying to get a crane up there to remove the diesel engines.

Strong decided to contact Bill Belongy, Burlington Northern Railroad train master at the railroad's Cape Girardeau office. Her husband, Ronnie Strong, works for BN's River Division.

The Burlington Northern agreed to transport the locomotive from Crystal City to Chaffee at no cost to the Iron Mountain Railroad.

Because the engine was operational, Strong said the railroad officials decided to bring the locomotive to Chaffee under its own power.

Strong said Davis and other Iron Mountain Railroad mechanical people made several trips to Crystal City to prep 911 for the trip. In addition, the BN's mechanical department also went over the locomotive to make sure it could make the journey.

With a 20 mph speed restriction and several stops en route to check wheel bearings, brief stops in Cape Girardeau, Chaffee and Delta, the engine finally arrived in Jackson Friday after a three-day trip.

A part of the preparations for the winter operations, Strong said the Friends of Steam Railroading is raising funds to buy propane-fueled heaters to mount in the passenger coaches for the winter trips.

"Thanks to the outstanding assistance from the Burlington Northern Railroad, we can take the money that would have been used to pay for moving the diesel locomotive and apply it on our coach-heating project," she said. "We hope to have the heaters installed in the coaches soon."

Strong said the diesel locomotive and expanded winter operations will mean more passengers and additional revenue for the tourist railroad. "It should put us on an even better financial footing," she said.

Strong said the railroad's passenger boardings this year are up 25 percent over last year.

"We're very optimistic that with the diesel locomotive, plus the heating of our passenger coaches, and the start-up of expanded winter operations, it's really looking good for the Iron Mountain Railroad," she said.