Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway aka NC&StL, NC&Stl.L, ncstl,  
     
 

 
 

 

 

# 576 Today

Nashville Steam Preservation Society is taking steps to preserve and restore 576.

 

The 50th anniversary of 576 sitting there in the park has come and gone... will she stay there another 50 years ? Or be scrapped long before than due to deterioration from the weather?

#576 was given to the City of Nashville by the NC&StL as a reminder of the importance of steam. As it turned out, this made #576 the only surviving NC&StL steam engine.

#576 has been on display since 1953 in Centennial Park, slowly watching the years go past. The engine, though a mechanical marvel, has done service largely as a piece of playground equipment. #576 is a perfect engine for restoration - large enough and flexible enough to pull a big enough train to make a profit on more restrictive trackage, while still being small enough to operate with economy. However, it still sits as a piece of playground equipment.

 

Unfortunately, these signs have gone unheeded.

Even the City Parks have ignores their own signs. They have not helped maintain the engine. Volunteers paint the engine when they can, paying out of their own pockets. Asbestos and lube oil hang off of the engine and leak on to the ground.



The condition of the engine is deplorable.

Vandals have taken their toll over the years. Parts have been stolen off of the engine. Every original piece of glass on the engine has been shattered. The cab is littered with the detritus of parties, beer cans and cigarette buts. Inspection panels are missing. Floors are almost rusted through. Decay is everywhere.


In keeping with our charter, the NCPS wants to restore #576 to operating condition. By operating the engine, income for future maintenance can be assured. Every day that passes the chances of restoring this engine successfully grow worse. Every smashed valve or part, every stolen element lessens the chance. IF the engine is to be saved, it must be rescued from the neglect and negligence it is currently suffering.

With your help, #576 can be restored to vibrant powerful life. Without your help, #576 will share the fate of the other J3's. Cut up by the scrappers torch, some decades later than the others. Your donation, your membership, and your volunteer efforts will prevent this grisly fate. Please help us preserve this vital piece of Nashville's, Tennessee's, and the NC&StL's history.

 
 

NC&StL Preservation Society, Inc. is in no way affiliated with the NC&StL Railway or any of it's successors.
As a non-profit entity, NCPS presents these pages to the public purely for educational and historic interest.


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