Tennessee Central Diesel Roster
The Tennessee Central had a long history of financial trouble. It was under court protection for the second time from 1912 to 1922, when it was bought at bankruptcy sale by a group of investors led by Paul Davis. Except for 1932 and 1933, the company was profitable until 1946. Another group of investors led by J. L. Armstrong bought the company that year. They returned the company to profitability in 1949. In 1952 the railroad borrowed $2.2 million from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to complete dieselization and buy 200 new coal hoppers. In 1954, the Tennessee Valley Authority opened it’s coal fired Kingston power plant in Harriman, Tennessee, and mostly used coal from mines along the Tennessee Central. Money loosing passenger service ended in 1955. In 1956, a second loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was secured for more diesels and coal hoppers. In 1957, the TVA began buying coal from other mines than the ones along the Tennessee Central. Loses returned, and