| Soythern Railway No. 193 – the run-though train with the Southern Pacific between Birmingham and Houston – was cresting the 5-mile-long grade at Richburg Hill, south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Today™s train was a bit unusual because it had three big Espee General Electric units – U30C 7903 with U33C’s 8669 and 8729 – and they were all running backwards. The Southern was well-known for running its own locomotives long-hood forward, but this was a really rare sight. The sound of those big U-boats working uphill was 120 cars, long before they showed up, was amazing! |