Cotton Belt 819: Pillar of Pine Bluff 

For those who are wondering who was also in the video? it's me, BunnyBoi 2005, but you can just call me Angel. Voicing was a pain in the neck for me, but at least it's here.

I live in PineBluff and my family has a lot of history on the railroad, from the cotton belt days up to now. My late grandfather has some of his things from the railroad on display in the PineBluff railroad museum. As a kid I loved the 819, now I’m 23 and would love to see it moving on the tracks again, after all I’ve only seen it in the museum.

Out of all the preserved 4-8-4's this one is by far the most underrated and most unheard of.

Very nice tribute to my favorite steam locomotive. As a Pine Bluff native and with my grandfather and several other family members working for the Cotton Belt, I got to ride behind her on one of the short excursions in the late 80s early 90s to Fordyce, AR. It is sad to see that she won't be brought back to life but I did hear a rumor (you'll have to check with the CBHS people) is that Union Pacific did offer to bring her back to life recently but it would have to be housed in Cheyenne with the rest of the steam fleet and the City of Pine Bluff rejected it. Not sure how true it is, what I do know is, the State Representative, who wrote the bill is a close friend of mine and owns a model railroad hobby shop in central AR where he also saved a Missouri Pacific depot from being torn down. He told me Union Pacific currently owns the building the AR RR Museum sits in and the attempt of making it the State Locomotive wouldn't cost the tax payers any money but also help prevent future Union Pacific management to require the CBHS to relocate which would require the 819 to be either moved or scrapped. It's basically an extra layer of protection for the 819.

819 always stood out to me. Something about her design just makes her unique compared to all the other Northern type locomotives. Image if UP did allow foreign steam to run on their trackage, 819 would still be running to this day.

Cotton Belt engine 819 is an impressive 4-8-4 type locomotive that has had an interesting career operating in revenue and excursion service, the 819 is the sole surviving SSW 4-8-4 engine and the last steam engine built for the SSW railroad. I am glad that engine 819 was preserved and had a brief excursion service career as I always enjoy learning about the history of American railroads and especially the steam era/ steam locomotives.

13:10 I just realized, you used the soundtrack from my all-time favorite movie here 🥰

Happy birthday to SSW 819.From Being Built and Being Retired to Excursion Service and Being Restored

Amazing video Train Guru! The 819 is one of my favorites despite never seeing it in person, But I like it because for 1 it had a rather short excursion career on the Cotton Belt, But also because it's birthday is in February the same month as mine. It's sad that Union Pacific won't allow any foreign steam on their rails, But at the same time I can understand why. Keep up the good work!

This was really good! Probably now my second favorite video you’ve done!

Let’s go! A way to celebrate 819’s birthday! 🥳🎉

I admire you interest in the Locomotive.

Yes! My my favorite steam engine of all time!

Great document 👍 It's a massive shame 819 ain't returning to steam

Very well , I don't understand why union Pacific was so stubborn about letting her run on it's line after it's mergers, makes no sense

Nice job

Why did the war Production board deny construction of new diesels

Nice! I have a suggestion for a next video

819 last run was in 93 because the CBRHS could no longer afford the the liability insurance and operating cost. 819 last steam up was in 95 and the merger happened in September of 1996. 819 was invited to double head with the Union Pacific 3985 to Monroe, La but that never happened because it got tore down for its 2nd rebuild. Union Pacific never had a policy against foreign steam they never said no. 819 is getting a cosmetic restoration done her. My name is Joel commenting under my friends account, i volunteer at the Arkansas Railroad Museum and I Get my source of information from my friends who are 819 crew members and one them fired part time on the 3985 back in the 90s.

This is actually very disheartening because we have the same problem down here in Georgia, the only large steam engine we had running was 290 and it last saw steam in 1992 and has never run again due to they're being nowhere for it to run and no railroad willing to let it run. Its ashame because ed and company SHOULD make exceptions for steam thats from railroads they merged with

This engine cameos in end of the line if I recall right

That was so good I didn't now that 819 restoration was Canceled but we can All hope that won day the 819 will steam again

is she getting steamed.

I can hear music from Wall-E (One of my favorite Pixar movies)

I didn’t know people expected 819 to participate in the 2002 NRHS convention. Where did you hear that?

Guru, can you pit time marks where angel's voice is recorded? If so, I will sub.

Facts. 1. Union Pacific doesn't have a policy against foreign Steam. 2. Last year of operation was in 1993. 3. Stop running because the CBRHS could not afford the liability insurance and operating cost. 4 last steam up in 1995. 5. Was invited to double head with UP 3985 to Monroe, LA the double header never happened because it got torn down for its 2nd rebuild. 6. September - 1996 SP and UP Merger. 7. Official State Steam Locomotive of Arkansas. 8. Getting a Comestic Restoration. Opinion 819 will run again someday until that happens. We need volunteers, funding, able to cover operating cost, liability insurance, and a great relationship with Union Pacific.

What if SSW 819 met SP 4449

soon the 819 won't be screwin around soon and get tired of the all this rotting and access the 5th demotion to get revenge on union pacific. (no i am not stupid, people do not even know what is a joke due to memes devolving so much.)

One of the worst things Union Pacific (my favorite railroad) has done☹️. They let 1522 deviate from their rule, but I don’t know why the don’t allow it for 819 nor never allowed it for 819. Other worst thing I know they’ve done is foil CNW’s plans to buy SD80MAC’s. NS never spared any SD80MACs they inherited from Conrail, but UP would have spared an SD80MAC if the my had any.

So does anybody here want to do a little heist? Maybe smuggling something across UP trackage? ….. Yeah…