We knew the 501 had recently arrived Waycross, and drove there in hopes of seeing it. When we heard Rice Yard on the radio giving direction to put "that old Coast Line unit" on Q455, we got pumped! Just seeing the unit was our goal, but catching it on a train was a bonus. The 501 was being moved to Jacksonville Fla where it would later be towed along with a couple CSX passenger cars with some VIP's aboard to Raleigh NC. The 501 arrived in Raleigh NC just two days later, on May 25, for its new owner, the NC Dept. of Transportation. The engine was purchased from the Glenn Monhart estate in Wisconsin for $200,000. This locomotive is currently on display at the North Caroline Department of Transportation in Spencer NC. You should check it out! |