97 at one time worked in my Dad’s home state of Alabama. She’s a beautiful locomotive, and deserves respect. This year she turns 100 years old.

How I long to hear that whistle and bell again! Not yet, but soon. I can't wait!

Excellent video!

i hate shooting here early in the morning, the sun is always behind the train...

I love this locomotive! #97! Reminds me of the song Wreck of Old #97 except I love this much better.

There's also a bell lever in the cab and an actuator on the bell as well. I'm lucky enough to have been at the throttle of this locomotive. :)

Wish 97 would run again!

No. 97 was built by Alco in 1923, but not sold to the Birmingham and Southeastern until 1926.

I absolutely love this video, it was one of the first I ever watched of the Valley Railroad. And 97 is one of my favorite engines.

soooo many memories of riding the VRR

Great look at the RR Joe! I liked it.

Excellent job! Great editing. Thanks for posting. That last scene reminds me of being a kid and walking down the old branch line near my house in the summertime!

97 was actually built in 1923.

@daltonauto actually, the locomotive's number wasn't 97, she was pulling mail train #97

I've been to this railroad before. :)

SP 6 chimes look and sound similar, but are much more melodic. Many long-bell 6 chimes such as the New Haven and the SP are similar, though. But who knows, I could be wrong - maybe it is an SP whistle, but in dire need of a tune-up.

Whistles are VERY unique if you know what to listen for, and NOTHING but an SP-6 sounds like an SP-6

Beautiful

joe, you and adam are like the best in steam videos. what is your secret to choosing the right spots and angles to shoot the equipment.

Yes, but her tender received very minor damage in the incident, and ran the next day.

Hope to see it soon

And ever since then it had a display near the entrance ever since she was in the shed

Any whistle can squeak. Some whistles are more prone to squeaking than others.

at 1:20 was the cylinder type thing the whistle because it looks like one plus it would be weird to have the whistle in the cab plus i saw it on the boiler already.

No... They leave the fire burning all night, 24/7, if the engine will be used the next day. Even when the engine is not in use. It's very common to do that on steam railroads during daily operation schedules. However, when they don't have trains the next day, they let the fire die out after the last train of the day. If you've ever seen before steam RRs put their engines to bed, you'll see the fireman shoveling coal so there will be a fire the next morning if there'll be trains the next day.

I think auston5001 means the 2-6-0,, old 97 ..

I'm sure she should be back by 2015 the latest

Joe- How did you get a cab ride?

That was ur first and last video of 97 because in 2010 it was in the shed for it's 1,472 day inspection by FRA

89 could doublehead with 97

foot pedal on the floor

I would know the difference.... but seriosly, they probably don't even have an SP whistle or even care to have one.

In the spring

@auston5001 sorry, that note to @daltonauto was supposed to go to you...

Actually some of the worst lighting is in the afternoon... The shot at Chester was actually taken in the mid-afternoon.

I think the new whistle on 3025 was 97's.

Ok, you're both HIGHLY uninformed about the Railroad and clearly don't know what you're talking about. First of all, @Gandalf0444 it was #97 that hit the garbage truck, and auston5001, just because a steam locomotive crashed, doesn't mean she'll go out of service. Hell, she didn't even crash. She hit a garbage truck out of her path but then went into emergency brake.