Well, I had lost contact with John Chambliss III, probably about the time his father JAC passed away back in 2010. Remember JAC (John A. Chambliss Jr.) was the son of John Chambliss Sr. of TAG 80 fame. JAC got his name/nickname from his initials. I had understood that John 3 had moved from Chattanooga to Cumming, GA to be near his daughter. I googled his name just last night and low and behold, he has passed away.
Many will remember John 3 for the outstanding TAG speech he gave at the Chattanooga Choo Choo back in 2007. When John was a young man, he was goofing off in college. JAC, tough loved him by pulling him out of college and making him go to work on the TAG track gang. It didn't take John long to see the value of a college education. John told me about his first days on the job, the blisters on soft hands and the chemical burns on his forearms from the creosote on the crossties.
?I used to correspond by US Mail with JAC. He was a true renaissance man. A writer of songs and poetry. He sent me a poem he had written about tough loving John 3. It was about cleaning out John's old room and finding a boy-scout belt buckle under John's bed. JAC also sent me a song he had written about the illegitimate child of a TAG brakeman. It is a rather naughty so I never plan on sharing it. Both JAC and his father John Sr. argued cases in front of the US Supreme Court.?
I made John 3's acquaintance in a strange fashion. I was home very sick from work, I really have to be bad before I call in. It was midday and I was trying to sleep. The phone rang and a deep booming voice on the other side of the line declared "this is John Chambliss". Well in the moment, in my sleepy state, I was convinced that I was delusional. That I must be very sick indeed if in my delusion, I was getting a phone call from TAG's John Chambliss. And it also occurred to me that I must be studying TAG too hard if my delusion would lead me in that direction. Fortunately, I soon roused up and realized that I was talking to the grandson and after that we had a fine conversation.?
John 3, loaned TVRM a model of the TAG 80, presented to his grandfather, by EDM when the locomotive was originally dedicated back in 1969. John told me once he was hoping to get it back but evidently TVRM lost contact with him too because they still have it in their possession. I was privileged to have a close look at it once, in the office of the late and much admired George Walker.?
One of the more enjoyable aspects of being a pretend historian focusing on TAG and CofG, is the people I have gotten to know along the way. Sadly I have lost more than just John and JAC and Mr. Walker to eternity. Today I am feeling rather sentimental, thinking of old railfan friends who I'll not see again in this life.??
Warren? ?
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Re: Photo Archive | Chattooga County Historical Society | Page 8
From the same website... I might be mistaken, but that looks like the inside of an RPO.??
On Tue, Apr 11, 2023 at 4:44?PM Warren Stephens < wdstephens@...> wrote: This is the original Scooter paint scheme. For most of their working life the sported a simplified scheme.
Warren
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63rd Atlanta Model Train Show - THIS Saturday, August 26, 2023
See you at the show! Please cross-post and share. ------------------------------------------------------
63rd Atlanta Model Train Show?
This Saturday, August 26, 2023 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Gas South Convention Center (Formerly the Infinite Energy Forum) 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097
Over 300 Tables of Model Trains and Railroad Collectibles For Sale ! Large Operating Layouts ! Atlanta's OLDEST and LARGEST MODEL TRAIN and RAILROADIANA SHOW ! Admission $10
New parking deck - $5 for up to?12 hours, credit/debit card only
Admission discount card
?
For Dealer Contracts and Show Information contact: Charlie Miller 3106 N. Rochester Street Arlington, VA 22213
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Well it sold for $31.00. Genuine TAG slides often sell for well over $100.00 so if it is a dupe, he is in the hole for only about $25.00 or so.?
On a side note, it was in this era - 1963 - that TAG picked up a dedicated piggyback customer. I have never been able to figure out the particulars of this but it is why they bought their small fleet of flatcars. Those truck trailers in the background; are they there for Chattanooga Glass Company or are they some of these pig trailers???? It has been a while since I have been by the Gadsden yard, but the TAG piggyback ramp was still there the last time I was by. I am willing to bet that the Alton Park (Chattanooga) ramp is still there as well, just hidden in all the undergrowth.?
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On Aug 18, 2023, at 11:32 PM, Warren Stephens <wdstephens@...> wrote:
? I don¡¯t doubt the seller¡¯s integrity but this is a common TAG duplicate that comes up from time to time. It could be the original but I have my strong doubts. TAG locomotives were not inky blue. Kodachrome didn¡¯t render blue very well in original slides. Look at an Ektachrome and you¡¯ll get a truer rendering of TAG blue. But then Ektachrome goes red if not stored well so Kodachrome always was favored. When you double the effect by duplicating with Kodachrome then it gets even darker blue. The locomotives are almost black. I have one of these duplicates. I personally wouldn¡¯t bid as if it were an original image. But for the sake of whoever gets it, I hope it is.?
Warren? On Aug 18, 2023, at 11:17 PM, blane_nandw@... wrote:
?Wheil I'm not the seller, this slide is currently up for sale and might be of interest to the group
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/225722647006?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=qag6IKy-TTm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=AF85dttjRlW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Best,
Blane
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I don¡¯t doubt the seller¡¯s integrity but this is a common TAG duplicate that comes up from time to time. It could be the original but I have my strong doubts. TAG locomotives were not inky blue. Kodachrome didn¡¯t render blue very well in original slides. Look at an Ektachrome and you¡¯ll get a truer rendering of TAG blue. But then Ektachrome goes red if not stored well so Kodachrome always was favored. When you double the effect by duplicating with Kodachrome then it gets even darker blue. The locomotives are almost black. I have one of these duplicates. I personally wouldn¡¯t bid as if it were an original image. But for the sake of whoever gets it, I hope it is.?
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On Aug 18, 2023, at 11:17 PM, blane_nandw@... wrote:
?Wheil I'm not the seller, this slide is currently up for sale and might be of interest to the group
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/225722647006?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=qag6IKy-TTm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=AF85dttjRlW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Best,
Blane
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Wheil I'm not the seller, this slide is currently up for sale and might be of interest to the group
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/225722647006?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=qag6IKy-TTm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=AF85dttjRlW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Best,
Blane
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63rd Atlanta Model Train Show - Saturday, August 26, 2023
Please cross-post and share. ------------------------------------------------------
63rd Atlanta Model Train Show?
Saturday, August 26, 2023 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Gas South Convention Center (Formerly the Infinite Energy Forum) 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097
Over 300 Tables of Model Trains and Railroad Collectibles For Sale ! Large Operating Layouts ! Atlanta's OLDEST and LARGEST MODEL TRAIN and RAILROADIANA SHOW ! Admission $10
New parking deck - $5 for up to?12 hours, credit/debit card only
Admission discount card
?
For Dealer Contracts and Show Information contact: Charlie Miller 3106 N. Rochester Street Arlington, VA 22213
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L&N employee magazine May, 1937
The TAG trail, generally always leads through the files or the publications of connecting railroads, because Southern Railway destroyed all TAG corporate records. Case in point, I just received this Louisville & Nashville employee magazine in the mail today. I found this article most interesting. Note that the author states that TAG is the only mainline railroad entering Gadsden. On the surface this would seem to be a slight to the L&Ns own route through Gadsden. I would at least consider it a secondary mainline, not unlike the CofG line through my hometown of Summerville, Georgia. As interesting as the NC&StL to Gadsden is, with it¡¯s Tennessee River ferry component, I guess it would not be mainline. The rickety Southern branch from Rome through Gadsden to Attalla is by no means main line. My wife¡¯s grandparents would put my dad-in-law and his sister on the Southern mixed train in Rome - by themselves - when they were small and send them to see kin in Attalla My father-in-law called the Southern mixed ¡°the Little Jonny¡± I have never heard it referred to by that name by Southern historians. Another thing that stands out in this article is the picture of the locomotive 301 Glistening with fresh paint - at this point new to TAG - and black as tar. Most photos of these 300 series engines are post WW2, near the end of their existence. They always sported white wheel rims and running boards and drive rods. When the engine was clean, this really popped. I don¡¯t recall ever seeing a 300 series engine jet black. I also note what appears to be a caboose in the background. Little is known about TAG caboose prior to 1938.
At any rate, I am away from my desktop and scanner. This is a cropped phone snap. In a week or two I¡¯ll have to go into the group homepage and clean out older files. We have a free group and therefore limited data storage. If there is anything on here you want, download it soon.
At some point I plan on either updating the group to paid or crafting a webpage and restore the TAG Society as online only. With my father-in-law and my folks getting older my free time for typesetting and doing all the things needed to get out a printed newsletter just aren¡¯t possible right now.
Warren
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I have tried to get a reasonable collection of pics/slides of steam engines formally owned by TAG, in service with other railroads. CV 21 is by far the most photographed with the Sydney & Louisburg 2-8-2s being a close second. Because of the fact that they served late by steam standards, Canadian railroads being a little slower to dieselize and the CV, holding the 21 in serviceable reserve after they dieselize. The CV 21 and the engines that went to Greenville & Northern and the Fordyse & Princeton were not modified that much but the 2-8-2s that went to Canada, to the S&L were. Do I have a favorite class of TAG steam engines? I do like these short lived - on TAG that is - 2-8-2s that went to Canada because they were the sure sign that TAG had been rebuilt to the point that larger locomotives could be accommodated over rebuilt bridges etc. I guess my favorite class of TAG steam was the 300 class especially the 306 and 307 which were equipped with trailing truck booster. The 305 was unique because it had a brakeman¡¯s doghouse on the tender.?
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On Aug 13, 2023, at 1:25 PM, Bill Delmar <bdelmar.list@...> wrote:
? I was a passenger on the 1961 NRHS excursion from Terminal Station in Atlanta to Newnan, where most folks got off to spend time in town. A few of us stayed on board for the trip to West Point to wye the train and return to Newnan. This trip was to celebrate the donation of the CV 21 to the NRHS. Due to issues with the tender, to my knowledge the 21 never steamed?again. On the return trip I stood in?the vestibule?right behind the tender. I learned later? that one of the others there was the CV President. Somewhere I have a few slides I took that day.
It would be interesting?to learn what occasion the 1960 photo is showing.
On Sun, Aug 13, 2023 at 12:22?AM john w coniglio < jwconiglio@...> wrote: Great find! Well worth scanning about 4feet wide and cleaning up the image before the stuff spreads. When did CV switch to diesels? Looks like an important happening. I have a note about an excursion in 1961, but nothing before that.
On Sat, Aug 12, 2023 at 10:19?PM arnoldeaves < aseaves@...> wrote:
Great find, Warren!? Wish we knew more, but this is still a fascinating ride on the Kodak time machine.
?
Arnold
?
?
I was looking through some old slides and I ran across an old Ektachrome with some mold or mildew issues. Not sure which. I could crop to just the engine, but the surroundings sort of make the shot. This was taken in February 1960 at West Point, Georgia. these folks don't look like railfans. Note many of the men are still wearing hats which remained a sign of railroad supervision long after 1960. This could be a special trip for railroad executives or shippers, I wish I knew the back story. The CV coach directly behind the engine is named Central Park, I wonder if it still exists. I can not make out anything on the trailing coach. Why am I posting this image to a TAG Railway board? CV 21 was formerly TAG 201, the last steam engine TAG ever bought new. It also is one of only two TAG steam engines known to still exist. It is at the Southeast Railway Museum, north of Atlanta.
?
Warren?
--
John W. Coniglio
Read my most recent books, available at
Life's too short to shoot cheap film
facebook
website:
??????????????
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I was a passenger on the 1961 NRHS excursion from Terminal Station in Atlanta to Newnan, where most folks got off to spend time in town. A few of us stayed on board for the trip to West Point to wye the train and return to Newnan. This trip was to celebrate the donation of the CV 21 to the NRHS. Due to issues with the tender, to my knowledge the 21 never steamed?again. On the return trip I stood in?the vestibule?right behind the tender. I learned later? that one of the others there was the CV President. Somewhere I have a few slides I took that day.
It would be interesting?to learn what occasion the 1960 photo is showing.
On Sun, Aug 13, 2023 at 12:22?AM john w coniglio < jwconiglio@...> wrote: Great find! Well worth scanning about 4feet wide and cleaning up the image before the stuff spreads. When did CV switch to diesels? Looks like an important happening. I have a note about an excursion in 1961, but nothing before that.
On Sat, Aug 12, 2023 at 10:19?PM arnoldeaves < aseaves@...> wrote:
Great find, Warren!? Wish we knew more, but this is still a fascinating ride on the Kodak time machine.
?
Arnold
?
?
I was looking through some old slides and I ran across an old Ektachrome with some mold or mildew issues. Not sure which. I could crop to just the engine, but the surroundings sort of make the shot. This was taken in February 1960 at West Point, Georgia. these folks don't look like railfans. Note many of the men are still wearing hats which remained a sign of railroad supervision long after 1960. This could be a special trip for railroad executives or shippers, I wish I knew the back story. The CV coach directly behind the engine is named Central Park, I wonder if it still exists. I can not make out anything on the trailing coach. Why am I posting this image to a TAG Railway board? CV 21 was formerly TAG 201, the last steam engine TAG ever bought new. It also is one of only two TAG steam engines known to still exist. It is at the Southeast Railway Museum, north of Atlanta.
?
Warren?
--
John W. Coniglio
Read my most recent books, available at
Life's too short to shoot cheap film
facebook
website:
??????????????
|
Great find! Well worth scanning about 4feet wide and cleaning up the image before the stuff spreads. When did CV switch to diesels? Looks like an important happening. I have a note about an excursion in 1961, but nothing before that.
On Sat, Aug 12, 2023 at 10:19?PM arnoldeaves < aseaves@...> wrote:
Great find, Warren!? Wish we knew more, but this is still a fascinating ride on the Kodak time machine.
?
Arnold
?
?
I was looking through some old slides and I ran across an old Ektachrome with some mold or mildew issues. Not sure which. I could crop to just the engine, but the surroundings sort of make the shot. This was taken in February 1960 at West Point, Georgia. these folks don't look like railfans. Note many of the men are still wearing hats which remained a sign of railroad supervision long after 1960. This could be a special trip for railroad executives or shippers, I wish I knew the back story. The CV coach directly behind the engine is named Central Park, I wonder if it still exists. I can not make out anything on the trailing coach. Why am I posting this image to a TAG Railway board? CV 21 was formerly TAG 201, the last steam engine TAG ever bought new. It also is one of only two TAG steam engines known to still exist. It is at the Southeast Railway Museum, north of Atlanta.
?
Warren?
-- John W. Coniglio
Read my most recent books, available at
Life's too short to shoot cheap film
facebook
website:
??????????????
|
Great find, Warren!? Wish we knew more, but this is still a fascinating ride on the Kodak time machine.
?
Arnold
On 08/12/2023 8:14 PM EDT Warren Stephens <wdstephens@...> wrote:
?
?
I was looking through some old slides and I ran across an old Ektachrome with some mold or mildew issues. Not sure which. I could crop to just the engine, but the surroundings sort of make the shot. This was taken in February 1960 at West Point, Georgia. these folks don't look like railfans. Note many of the men are still wearing hats which remained a sign of railroad supervision long after 1960. This could be a special trip for railroad executives or shippers, I wish I knew the back story. The CV coach directly behind the engine is named Central Park, I wonder if it still exists. I can not make out anything on the trailing coach. Why am I posting this image to a TAG Railway board? CV 21 was formerly TAG 201, the last steam engine TAG ever bought new. It also is one of only two TAG steam engines known to still exist. It is at the Southeast Railway Museum, north of Atlanta.
?
Warren?
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I was looking through some old slides and I ran across an old Ektachrome with some mold or mildew issues. Not sure which. I could crop to just the engine, but the surroundings sort of make the shot. This was taken in February 1960 at West Point, Georgia. these folks don't look like railfans. Note many of the men are still wearing hats which remained a sign of railroad supervision long after 1960. This could be a special trip for railroad executives or shippers, I wish I knew the back story. The CV coach directly behind the engine is named Central Park, I wonder if it still exists. I can not make out anything on the trailing coach. Why am I posting this image to a TAG Railway board? CV 21 was formerly TAG 201, the last steam engine TAG ever bought new. It also is one of only two TAG steam engines known to still exist. It is at the Southeast Railway Museum, north of Atlanta.
Warren?
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Re: New book with TAG content
Warren, I have one of the books on order. It should be here around Thanksgiving.
Mark McAllister
On Sat, Jun 10, 2023 at 6:08?PM Warren Stephens < wdstephens@...> wrote: Morning Sun is bringing out a new all color book. ¡°Shortlines in Color, Kentucky and Tennessee.¡± It will be available around November. TA&G and Chattanooga Traction Company are supposedly represented. Morning Sun has released two prior books with TA&G content. Morning Sun books are spendy but the color photo reproduction is second to none.
I wonder if TA&G would be a better fit in a shortline book about Georgia and/or Alabama. In reality TA&G was headquartered in Chattanooga but had no mainline north of the Tennessee/Georgia state line. Only yard tracks and trackage rights. If anyone gets their hands on one, please let us know what sort of TA&G pics are included. Ol
Warren
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Re: New book with TAG content
Thanks for the heads up, Warren! I'll certainly be on the lookout.
Arnold Eaves
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On 06/10/2023 6:08 PM EDT Warren Stephens <wdstephens@...> wrote:
Morning Sun is bringing out a new all color book. ¡°Shortlines in Color, Kentucky and Tennessee.¡± It will be available around November. TA&G and Chattanooga Traction Company are supposedly represented. Morning Sun has released two prior books with TA&G content. Morning Sun books are spendy but the color photo reproduction is second to none.
I wonder if TA&G would be a better fit in a shortline book about Georgia and/or Alabama. In reality TA&G was headquartered in Chattanooga but had no mainline north of the Tennessee/Georgia state line. Only yard tracks and trackage rights. If anyone gets their hands on one, please let us know what sort of TA&G pics are included. Ol
Warren
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New book with TAG content
Morning Sun is bringing out a new all color book. ¡°Shortlines in Color, Kentucky and Tennessee.¡± It will be available around November. TA&G and Chattanooga Traction Company are supposedly represented. Morning Sun has released two prior books with TA&G content. Morning Sun books are spendy but the color photo reproduction is second to none.
I wonder if TA&G would be a better fit in a shortline book about Georgia and/or Alabama. In reality TA&G was headquartered in Chattanooga but had no mainline north of the Tennessee/Georgia state line. Only yard tracks and trackage rights. If anyone gets their hands on one, please let us know what sort of TA&G pics are included. Ol
Warren
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Re: TA&G excursion on C&C dates & details needed
Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I just ran across my ticket stub for this excursion. I was searching here to recall the equipment and the route.?
The ticket stub reads as follows:
CGRHS/TA&G HS
Joint Spring Meeting
21 May 2005
Boarding 8:30AM EDT
Departure 9:00AM EDT
Trion, GA
John Simpson
Excursion Admission
Turkey Sandwich
$45.00
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Warren, didn't NWSL make some self contained power trucks? I believe they were available in different lengths and wheel spacing. Sideframes were available separately. If you use those, you just have to fabricate a underframe.
Regards,
Tom Holley
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Warren, I think the first thing that comes to mind is to find a way to fit a smaller (shorter) motor for it. Otherwise, I¡¯m sure someone with the appropriate skill set could make it a more reasonable looking ¡°stand in¡±. As you said, it beats the price of brass! ? I¡¯m glad you posted this. I was unaware that the T.A.&G. or the other two roads you mentioned, operated such equipment¡.although it shouldn¡¯t be a surprise. A lot of the short lines in the south operated some sort of duddlebug/rail bus equipment in those days.
Thanks,
On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 5:40 PM, Warren Stephens <wdstephens@...> wrote: I just forwarded an eBay listing of a Brill Model 55 shell in HO. It is not nearly as detailed as the brass versions but then those go for truly stupid money. You need a particular trolley model to use for the undercarriage. The brass versions are beautiful and frankly it would take a great deal of work to make this one reasonably prototypical. But it is a far less expensive proportion than brass. What do you all think. Can a reasonably close TAG Scooter be crafted from this shell????
Warren
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Warren Stephens
Tom Holley