Rufus

**Rufus** is one of the locomotives that work on the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad.

* **Builder**: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
* **Build date**: July 1915
* **Serial Number**: 42305
* **Locomotive Class**: Baldwin 10-32-D class
* **Configuration**: 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler
* **Tractive Effort**: 28,128 lbs.
* **Arrived on the K&A**: January 1946
* **Previous Owner(s) and Number(s)**: Newport, Middle Creek & Cosby Railroad #3,Tennessee & North Carolina Railroad #3,Newport & Southern Railroad #3,United States Army Transportation Corps #3
* **Track Gauge**: Standard, 4' 8 1/2" inches
* **Retired**: July 1962
* **Recommissioned**: January 1995
* **Status**: Operational
* **Traffic**: Mixed
* **Age**: 104

## Biography

Built in July 1915, Rufus was originally built for a small Tennessee shortline called the Newport, Middle Creek & Cosby Railroad Company, which connected to the Knoxville, Sevierville & Eastern Railroad Company, the Southern Railway and the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad. Unfortunately, the NMC&C wasn't much of a successful company, due to the fact it didn't have much customers for freight traffic. Passenger services weren't an exception. Because of this, Rufus found himself to be the railroad's only motive power.

In 1927, the Newport, Middle Creek & Cosby Railroad was taken over by the Tennessee & North Carolina Railroad, who also took over the Knoxville, Sevierville & Eastern Railroad and renamed it the Smoky Mountain Railroad. The T&NC hoped to bring the failing NMC&C out of its gloomy state and turn it into a financial success. During this time, Rufus met many of the T&NC's locomotives. But things were about to change.

On October 16th, 1929, the stock market crashed. Thus beginning the downfail of the little shortline. As the 1930s rolled on, the lumber traffic began to dry up and by 1937, the T&NC filed for bankruptcy. Around that time, a local businessman, in hopes to bring employment to the local area. Convinced the T&NC to buy the NMC&C, in which they agreed. The new owner, Reginald McKensie, named the line, the Newport & Southern Railroad. For once in its life, the line began to turn a buck. Because of this, Rufus found himself overworked, resulting in Reginald McKensie to buy another locomotive, an elderly Rhode Island 4-6-0 from the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad named Wren, which came from the bankrupt Nashville & Atlantic Railroad Company and in 1940, managed to purchase a 44 ton diesel named Mikey straight from General Electric. Then a year later, the railroad would soon see a higher revenuer status.

On Decembet 7th, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War 2. The United States Army Transportation Corps began to set up training facilities for the troops assigned to the 792nd Railway Operating Battalion. So they came to both the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad and the Newport & Southern Railroad. With Mr. McKensie's permission, they took control of the Newport & Southern Railroad and Rufus, along with the railroad's other locomotives, were drafted into the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.' 792nd Railway Operating Battalion, training soliders destined for overseas deployment.

After the war, the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad took interest of the little shortline and managed to buy the line, making it its Newport Branch Line, making Mr. McKensie the manager of the branch line and Rufus once again the line's main motive power while Mikey was assigned to be a switcher at Cosby. Wren was retired from service in 1948 because she was too old. Luckily, she became a part of the railroad's heritage fleet. However as the 1950s rolled on, passenger services began to decline as people began to take their personal cars and the local buses. Luckily, the railroad still had a huge number of freight customers. But soon these too, began to drop like flies. By 1960, the branch line was facing financial difficulties.

In July 1962, Rufus was retired from service and was left on a siding next to the Cosby engine house in storage whilst Mikey handled the traffic.

In the late 1980s, a group of local rail enthusiasts purchased Rufus and began to restore him to service. His restoration was complete in late 1994 and in 1995, Rufus entered the K&A's Steam Program. Whilst still under the ownership of the enthusiasts, he is loaned to the K&A to pull trains. He currently runs the "Pigeon" local passenger service.

## Trivia

* During his service life, Rufus was assigned to the Newport Branch Line, but sometimes took charge of pulling the K&A's local passenger service, the "Pigeon" in case there wasn't an engine available.