October Sky

The steamer in October Sky is a nice one. I can tell you it is atleast a 2-8-0 and is numbered #4501. Is it a real N&W Steamer? What Railsystem did they use?

The 4501 is a 2-8-2 which was used for years on the Southern Ry fan excursions. I believe it orignally was a Southern RR engine which went to shortline Kentucky & Tennessee RR, then was bought back in the 60s by Southern for fan trips. It was painted green to look like their passenger engines did. Since the end of the Southern RR steam program I believe it is owned by some museum down in the mid south.

The 4501 was Southern's first Mikado, built in 1911. After retirement it was used on the Kentucky and Tennessee until bought by Paul Merriman of Chattanooga. It was brought to Chattanooga and overhauled and began excursion trips in 1964 in the green and gold livery of Southern's passenger steam locomotives.

It is now at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga.

ek2179

The engineer in the movie was O Winston Link

I heard that, and I was amazed!!

In the credits his character was listed as "Elderly Engineer"

*L* I like that...

The movie was filmed in the area between Knoxville and Harriman, Tennessee. Some of the scenes were filmed on the TVA line into their power plant at Harriman/Emery Gap. Others were filmed around Blair in the interchange yard between NS and the DOE K-25 plant line now used by Southern Appalachia Railway Museum. Other scenes were filmed on the NS mainline at Oliver Springs.