"April 9th, 1943"
It's a cool and wet Friday morning in Southwestern Indiana along the Southern Railway's St. Louis Division. Several miles northwest of Huntingburg, Ind., the 4501, the first 2-8-2 "Mikado" ordered by and built for the road, is seen heading southeast towards Huntingburg with only a caboose in tow. The engine is coming from Princeton, Ind., and is making its first run after undergoing some minor repairs to the running gear that required the engine be taken out of service for a day. Upon arriving in Huntingburg, the engine will pick up a "reefer" train from the French Lick Branch. The reefer train, which originated in Michigan City, Ind., had traveled overnight on the Monon Railroad and was transferred to the Southern Railway in West Baden Springs, where the Monon and Southern connected via their respected French Lick branch lines. After receiving the train, the "o-1" as it's known positions the caboose on the end of the train and turns around on the wye in town to run around to the front of the train. The train will make its way west to East St. Louis, Illinois. While the 4501 will be serviced and given its next assignment, continuing to do it's part in the war effort, the train will be transferred to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, commonly referred to as the Cotton Belt, and head south being pulled by one of the road's "in-house" built 4-8-4 "Northern's." The train will eventually arrive in Houston, Texas, where the goods will be made into field rations and shipped to Northern Africa in preparation of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, on July 9th of that year.
In actuality, it's April 7th, 2018, and Southern 4501 is on the former Central of Georgia Chattanooga Division, now used by the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway, and is heading south with the Summerville Steam Special. The caboose, which was cosmetically restored earlier in March, is travelling with the train on this occasion to be dropped off and used as a display piece in Summerville for the centennial celebration of the towns depot.
