THE 2101 STORY

Reading Railroad class T-1 4-8-4 number 2101 was one of the survivors of the Reading Rambles in the 1960s and, along with 2100, was sitting in a scrap yard in Baltimore. Promotor Ross Rowland bought the two engines and quickly restored 2101 into engine number 1 for the American Freedom Train which celebrated America's 200th birthday. The other engine 4449 could not meet clearances in the east so this engine would do most of the touring in the eastern U.S. where 4449 could not operate.

After looking at the history of this engine, we go to a transitional period and see footage of 2101 headed to be remade into a Chessie engine for the 1977 excursion season. Then we see the first Public relations and ferry move with the new paint scheme as the train headed for Baltimore. During 1977 we see several trips including a ride aboard the train from Cumberland over Sand Patch grade.

The 1978 footage is more extended with trips over Sand Patch and 17-mile grades, plus Huntington-Hinton on the New River Trains, as well as Cincinnati trips, and others. In November 1978 the engine ran a one-way trip with the coaches from Columbus, Ohio to Russell, Kentucky then on to Stevens Yard, in Silver Grove, Kentucky (east of Cincinnati). This would be the last time 2101 would be in steam, as it burned in a roundhouse fire during March of 1979.

We have perhaps the last sound movie footage of this engine, as we chased it some from Columbus, and then from Russell to nearly Stevens Yard. We also have some still images of the aftermath of the fire in March.

The burning of 2101 led to the resurrection of C&O 614 which would replace 2101 on trips in 1980 and 1981. 2101 now is at the B&O museum in Baltimore. You will enjoy some great action footage of this important locomotive that made history for America and on the Chessie system in the late 1970's.

74 Minutes $29.95.