RJ Corman Group Donates "Old Smokey" to Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation
Another big donation for the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation was announced today. The RJ Corman Railroad Group, a premier railroad company founded in 1973 by the late RJ Corman, and owner of 14 short lines, according to their website, announced the donation of the RJ Corman's steam locomotive, affectionately called "Old Smokey."
Ed Quinn, President and CEO of RJ Corman Railroad Group, released a statement on the company's website to announce the donation.
"Old Smokey" was built in 1986, and is a part of the world famous Chinese QJ class of 2-10-2 "Santa Fe" type, and worked until 2005. 3 QJ steam locomotives were exported to the United States by the Railroad Development Corporation, according to Mr. Quinn's announcement, including Old Smokey. In 2007, the late RJ Corman purchased her for nostalgic reasons, and was quoted as saying "How do you know where you're going if you don't know where you've been?"
The QJ design, as the late Mr. Corman explained, was based on an American dating back to the 1920's. According to Railography, an online database for rail related topics around the world, inspiration also came from the German 2-10-0 Kriegslok class captured by the Soviet Union during World War II. 4,174 of the successful class were built, much later than most steam locomotives around the world, and were one of the last classes of steam locomotives built in China.
Despite their versatility, the QJ's were eventually replaced by diesel locomotives, beginning in the 1990's, with the last being withdrawn in 2005. The prototype QJ's, Q1 0001 and 0004 are preserved in the Beijing Railway Museum, along with QJ 101. QJ 1337 is also preserved and on public display at the Shenyang Railway Museum, there are other examples preserved but at currently in Chinese National Railway sheds and not available to the public.
For Rail Enthusiasts in the US, the best way to see these legendary Chinese steam locomotives in action are closer than one might think. According to Steam Locomotive.com, another online rail database, the Iowa Interstate Railroad, whose mission is "to satisfy our customers by providing safe, quality transportation services," owns two QJ locomotives. QJ 6988 and QJ 7081 are owned and operated by the Iowa Interstate Railroad, though only No. 6988 is operating.
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| The Iowa Interstate QJ's pictured in 2006 triple heading with Milwaukee Road 261 at the back. By Sean Lamb (User:Slambo) - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1191724 |
6988 and 7081 came over with Old Smokey, purchased by Iowa Interstate's parent company Railroad Development Group, according to a 2018 article by Trains Magazine's Jim Wrinn.
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| A front view of 6988, sowing some of the American modifications made to the QJ, such as the bell. "Old Smokey" was also given a bell. Source: By Feddacheenee - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16786037 |
Old Smokey made her inaugural run on May 24, 2008, (and renumbered 2008 from 7040, according to Trains Magazine) and was used for "group tours and for operation during special occasions," according to Mr. Quinn's statement. Mr. Quinn said the donation was bittersweet, but that the RJ Corman Railroad Group is "excited to make [Old Smokey] accessible to as many people as possible for education and inspiration."
A video of Old Smokey's Inaugural Run in 2008. Source: spiderJ76.
The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation, a nonprofit most famous for restoring C&O 2716 and also for rescuing Nickel Plate 587 during the ITM's eviction, will take ownership of the engine in April, according to Mr. Quinn's announcement. Also being donated is a giant glass structure that the RJ Corman Railroad Group used to house the engine.
The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation released a similar announcement on their website, including a photo of the giant glass structure being donated. Chris Campbell, President of KSHC, was quoted as saying:
"We are thrilled to continue the partnership that we have formed with R. J. Corman, and these recent donations are a welcomed addition to our project in Estill County. Both the steam locomotive and the glass building that once housed it will be key features in our developing community campus in Irvine. We are grateful to Ed Quinn and all the fantastic people in Nicholasville for the support of our endeavor, and we look forward to incorporating the legacy of Rick Corman and his company into the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center.”
A video of Old Smokey's last run, in 2013. Source: RedekerRailVideo.
Ed Quinn was also quoted, saying “Donating Old Smokey is one way we can give back to the community and continue to share Rick Corman’s vision and legacy. We see this as a way to honor the giving spirit Rick instilled in this company from the beginning.” Details, according to the KSHC's statement, will be made public when available.
The donation is logical. The late Mr. Corman was a Kentucky native, born in Nicholasville Kentucky, according to the RJ Corman Railroad Groups website. "Old Smokey" was once one of only two operating steam locomotives in Kentucky, though she has not run since 2013, according to RedekerRailVideo, who recorded her last public run. With Old Smokey being donated to the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation, members of the RJ Railroad Group and fans of the QJ's can rest assured knowing she's going to into good hands.
The links for both announcements will be in the sources below. You can also read Trains Magazine's article on the donation here.
Are you excited about the donation? Do you have any stories with "Old Smokey?" Let us know in the comments section on Blogger, Facebook, or Twitter.
Update
4/21/2021
Removed photo that was taken down by original owner. Fixed typo.
Sources:
"Corman Donates Chinese Steam Locomotive to Kentucky Steam." Trains Magazine. 11 March, 2020.
"History." RJ Corman Railroad Group. www.rjcorman.com/about/history
"Mission Values Commitment." Iowa Interstate Railroad.
"R. J. Corman Makes Big Donations." Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation. 11 March, 2020.
"QJ Class 2-10-2." Railography. www.railography.co.uk/info/cn_steam/profiles/qj.htm
Quinn, Ed. "R. J. Corman's Classic Steam Locomtoive, 'Old Smokey,' has a New Home." RJ Corman Railroad Group. 11 March, 2020.
Wrinn, Jim. "Iowa Interstate to Steam in 2019." Trains Magazine. 30 November, 2018.
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