The Cy Crumley Scrapbook
ET&WNC Railroad
Tour 10: Korean War Troop Train


     
 

Your host and narrator for this tour is Ken Riddle, close personal friend of Cy Crumley, legendary conductor of this great railroad. From 1906 until 1960, Cy worked on the ET&WNC as Brakeman and Conductor. This is his scrapbook of those years and his story.

 


Click on each photo to see a larger view.
 

Crew of 208
Date: 1954

Here is a nice shot of some of the boys at Bemberg sometime around 1954.  This is from the copy negative in Mr. Crumley's books from the early 1970s. Looks like the crew that day was Brownie Allison, Fred Helton, Loy Herrell, Mr. Crumley, Mack Luttrell, and Dee Whitson.

After Mr. Crumley retired, one of the guys who drank a lot came by Mr. Crumley's house on Buffalo Street.  He borrowed $50 from Mr. Crumley. Mr. Herrell (who had NO sense of humor AT ALL) got wind of it and came over to his house and just gave him down the road about it.  "Don't you know he is just going to get drunk with it, Cy?" Mr. Crumley chuckled and said, "Well, hell, Loy, if he's a-gonna get drunk lets let him have a good-un!!"

That tells you a lot about Mr. Crumley right there.


 
Elizabethton National
Guard
Date: 1950

In September 1950, the National Guard in Elizabethton unit left on a troop train for the Korean War.  They left on the ET&WNC, right out of downtown Elizabethton.  Here is a shot of the head end with Mr. Crumley and Fred Helton on the 206.  On the rear was the 205 pushing.  The series of photos below are several shots of the troop train.

 

 

205 Pushing
Date: 1950

Photo of engine 205 pushing the troop train.

 

  .

Downtown
Elizabethton
Date: 1950

Elizabethton is abuzz in September 1950 awaiting the Troop Train.


 

Arrival of
the Train
Date: 1950

The Troop Train arrives in Downtown to a large crowd.


 

  .

Passenger Cars
Date: 1950

View of passenger cars awaiting troops.  



  .

View of Troop Train
Date: 1950

Second view of passenger cars.


  .

Kitchen Car
Date: 1950

Troop kitchen car.


 

Ready to Depart
Date: 1950
The Train readies to depart Elizabethton with young men heading to Korea.


 

Heading Out
Date: 1950
The Troop Train pulling out of Elizabethton heading for Johnson City.

 

 

 

Heading Into Johnson City
Date: 1950
D. B. Marion got a color slide of the troop train coming under the King Springs Road overpass.  Fred Helton is just opening up that big whistle to blow for the Alabama Street Crossing--see the steam coming out!

 


 

208 at Clinchfield
Date: 1956
Here is a shot I really don't understand.  The 208 is down at the Clinchfield depot in Johnson City, next to a Clinchfield passenger train.  That is a 1955 Chevy on the left in the photo, and Clinchfield didn't have any passenger trains after 1954.  Maybe some kind of excursion?

 

 

208 Goes to the Southern
Date: 1967
Phillip Snyder sent me this shot of the 208 in the Birmingham steam shop of the Southern Railway after she and 207 were traded for the two diesels.


 

Cy with Admirer
Date: 1964

Here is Mr. Crumley and an admirer from 1964. The engine is the 207, one of the last two steamers the ET&WNC had. You will notice that by now they have chopped the top off the Legion Street shop and the narrow gauge rails are gone.   After his wife Edith died in 1960, Mr. Crumley had women from Johnson City to Boone chasing him around. He was such a popular man during his passenger train years these ladies were just chomping at the bit to interest him. Rumor had it that Cy's good old retirement check drew some of the attention! Mr. Crumley stayed single, preferring to hang out with his family and friends.



Continue to the Next Page in this tour.
Back to the Previous Page

Feel free to copy and use these photos.

BUT—AND I MEAN IT—
IF YOU PUBLISH THEM YOU BE SURE AND PUT
MR. CY CRUMLEY’S NAME ON IT!

Kenneth Riddle
Johnson City, Tennessee
November 2005