Allegheny & Erie 1300 (H-6 Mallet 2-6-6-2) and 1500 (T-1 Texas 2-10-4) on a heavy freight from Andrews to Sylva North Carolina on the Murphy branch of the Allegheny and Erie
Photographed April 27th 1957
Both Locomotives were purchased from the C&O after their retirement and are some of the last remnants of steam in the Appalachian mountains.
A&E 1300 was converted to burn oil after acquisition from the C&O, but was retired in 1973 due to the oil crisis. The locomotive still exists today and is on display at a railroad park outside of Asheville, North Carolina.
A&E 1500 ran until late 1964 when the locomotive derailed outside of Thornton, West Virginia due to a rock slide causing the engine to fall into the river. There were many attempts to raise enough money to rescue the locomotive as it was one of the last of the C&O T-1's unfortunately in 1966 the locomotive was scrapped on site.
Today there is a plaque on US 50 marking the location of the wreck commemorating those who have lost their lives in railroad accidents
