Locomotives - Atlanta, Birmingham And Atlantic Railroad Bee Line 4-6-0 Type Engine Number 1501

by J Craig Thorpe

Title

Locomotives - Atlanta, Birmingham And Atlantic Railroad Bee Line 4-6-0 Type Engine Number 1501

Artist

J Craig Thorpe

Medium

Painting - Oil On Watercolor Paper

Description

"The Lord put the mountains between Birmingham and the sea, and the man who tries to bring them together undertakes heroic work." On September 6, 1908, such a railroad line was completed, and soon thereafter, Harry M. Atkinson, president of the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad (AB&A), spoke these dramatic words at the dedication of his new railway. Piercing the mountains of eastern Alabama, the AB&A's workers created a link that eventually connected Birmingham and the Midwest to Georgia and Florida. The route was one of the last main rail lines constructed in the United States, thus it is comparatively well engineered. Despite the mountainous stretch in the middle of the route, all curves were held to a maximum of just six degrees. This translated into a mere restriction of 40 miles per hour for freight trains negotiating bends, even those chiseled into the jagged walls of the Appalachian Mountains. Traffic on this route increased in 1926 when the system was reorganized and taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. In 1967, that line merged with another railway to become the Seaboard Coast Line. Today, the original AB&A is part of CSX Transportation. Presently it is heavily used by CSX's diesel-powered freight trains, continuing to be a vital link between the Midwest and the South. The "Bee Line," as it was once touted, is handsomely commemorated by this artwork, which depicts the 4-6-0 type engine, No. 1501, at Birmingham Station's arched train shed.

Please note the "Fine Art America" watermark will not appear on the painting or any print reproduction.

Artwork Copyright © 1994 Wind River Studios Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the Copyright. WRSH Stock Number XB14856

Uploaded

April 19th, 2022

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