Volume 2 was recorded on June 14, 1980, behind one of the many “hired” locomotives to operate on the famed steam excursions of the Southern Railway: former Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 #2839.
The recordings on this CD were made on the first of a pair of round trip excursions along the former Southern St. Louis line between Huntingburg, Indiana, and Centralia, Illinois. Southern’s legendary Master Mechanic - Steam Bill Purdie once said of #2839 “I finally have a locomotive that can outrun the fans!” and the locomotive proved it on this trip. The locomotive conquered the grades on the line and racked up mile after mile of high speed running.
The days of the Southern Steam Specials are long gone, and #2839 has not run in decades, but the memories of those days gone by live on in the sounds recorded on that spring day in 1980.
Track Listing 1. Accelerating away from Huntingburg, Indiana 2. Climbing a short grade west of Huntingburg, Indiana 3. Highballing between Huntingburg and Oakland City, Indiana 4. Passing through Oakland City, Indiana, and accelerates west of town 5. Departing Mount Carmel, Illinois, climbs upgrade to Maud,and accelerates toward Bellmont 6. Westbound from Albion, Illinois 7. Passing through Fairfield, Illinois 8. Passing through Wayne City, Illinois 9. Passing through Bluford, Illinois 10. Passing through Mount Vernon, Illinois 11. Passing through Dix, Illinois 12. East of Oakland City, Indiana
