Graham County Railroad\GCRR #1925 is a Standard Gauge 3 Truck Shay steam locomotive built in February 1925 for the Graham County Railroad. She currently resides at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina.
History[]
1925 was built in February 1925 by the Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio. She would handle lumber traffic out of the Snowbird Mountains on the 12.6 mile mainline. In 1948, GCRR logging operations were discontinued, freight operations continued between Robbinsville & Topton, North Carolina, where interchange was made with Southern Railway. In 1966, the Graham County Railroad began operating tourist trains under the name Bear Creek Scenic Railroad. Excursions were initially lead by Graham County 1926, with the 1925 handling the remaining freight work. The track was in poor condition at this point, and reports say there was a derailment every 3 days.
In late 1968, while handling a mixed freight, the locomotive lost it's air brakes, turning over on her engineer's side. The locomotive damaged her cab and water tank. In order to repair the 1925, the cab and tanks were taken off of the 1926. With the loss of the 1926, the railroad acquired another Shay, #1923, to keep excursions on the Bear Creek Scenic going. However, by August 14, 1970, as freight traffic continued to dwindle, freight service on the Graham County would cease.
In 1973, Burlington Industries bough the line, and began operating freight again with a GE 70-Ton Diesel, while 1925 would take over excursion runs for the Bear Creek Scenic Railroad. This would ultimately be short-lived, and excursions would cease following a flood in March 1975. The 1925 would have the honor of handling the very last revenue freight in May that same year. The line would reopen for operations yet again in 1982, but the Bear Creek Scenic Railroad would not return, and 1925 would be kept in storage. The line would last just another year before shutting down in 1983, for good this time.
In 1987, the GCRR tracks were taken up, and the following year, the 1925 would be donated to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina. She would remain in storage at the museum until 1998, when the locomotive would be restored to operating condition for service on the museum's on-site train ride, supplementing Buffalo Creek & Gauley #4. During her time operating for the NCTM, the 1925 became an ambassador of sorts for the museum. In 1999, She would travel to the 1999 Railfair '99 in Sacramento, taking part in "The Great Shay Race" against Mount Emily Lumber No. 1, where she would become the fastest Shay locomotive ever recorded, topping out at 18 MPH. In 2003, the locomotive would travel to home turf, when it visited the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City, NC, for a series of excursions and freight photo charters.
By 2005, a need for boiler work would ultimately lead the North Carolina Transportation Museum to retire the locomotive, and place it on static display. There were initially no plans to return the locomotive to operating condition. However, following the passing of Jim Wrinn, editor of Trains Magazine in March 2022, the decision was made to raise funds the evaluate the locomotive for a possible return to operation. The 1925 was Jim's favorite locomotive, having grown up in Western North Carolina, and having seen the locomotive in operation as a boy. Jim also assisted in the initial restoration and operation of the locomotive at the museum. As of 2023, the evaluation process is ongoing.
Trivia[]
- This is one of 2 surviving GCRR Shays.
- The only other Shay from the Graham County Railroad that still survives today is #1926, which is in storage at the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass, WV.
- In 1970, Engine No. 1925 was the penultimate steam locomotive in service in the United States. so Charles Kuralt covered the locomotive's last run on his television series "On the Road".
Gallery[]
