When the Southern Railway retired its steam power on June 17, 1953, the bell from locomotive #6330 by some means disappeared. Upon completion of my painting, “Steam’s Final Hour,” I was quizzed by a number of people regarding the location of the bell, which I had no knowledge of until this summer. The last Southern steam powered train departed Oakdale, TN, so this is where I began my research. After perusing the Oakdale, TN Facebook page, there was the bell! There were also copies of the correspondence between the City of Oakdale and Southern Railway President, Harry DeButts, requesting the bell for the city. Included with this description are photos of the referenced articles and photo of the bell.
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