Southern Railway's "Engine Eagles"
by Rob Hoffer

Above. Southern Railway cast eagle mounted on a stationary boiler. Click image for a larger version.

Above. Gold-painted "Engine Eagle" from a private collection. Below.Bronze-painted "Engine Eagle" from a private collection. Click on images for larger versions.

Above. "Sam" the "Engine Eagle" in his new home. Below. Another view of "Sam" the "Engine Eagle" at his new home. Click on images for larger versions.

Below. "Engine Eagles" at the gate of the Transportation Museum of North Carolina. Click image for a larger version.

It was in the early 1970's during on a long layover in Monroe Va. when an "old head" asked me if I'd like to go with him to stretch the legs. As we walked through the community, he pointed out some of the sights including an "engine eagle". He told me it had once been mounted on the smoke box of the Monroe yard engine.  He went on to say when the Southern Railway retired their steam engines in the early 1950's a railroader brought it home as a souvenir and had it mounted on a post in his yard. My "tour guide" went on to say, he once offered the owner a "princely sum" for it, but the offer was turned was down flat.  

I began to wonder about the history of the eagles used to decorate Southern Railway steam locomotives. It seems they were originally produced for the Heine Boiler Co.'s stationary boilers (used throughout the SR system).  Eagles can be seen in old photographs atop boilers right over a large steam gauge - see the first image at upper right.  At some point many of the eagles must have gotten bored and somehow "flew away" from their stationary boilers only to perch on the smokebox of nearby steam locomotives. Period photos often show Southern Railway steam locomotives proudly decorated with eagles or Masonic symbols, "candle sticks", deer antlers or other accouterments. The first row of photos at the bottom of the page show various locomotives with their eagles mounted on the front.

Today, "engine eagles" can be found in museums and private collections throughout the USA. A pair of them can be seen, one on either side of the gate, to the Transportation Museum of North Carolina - see the image at lower right. They were also prominently displayed on the smokebox of several steam locomotives used on the Southern Steam Excursion Program including the 610, 750 and 2716 (and possibly others). At least one serious collector, has a couple of them in his private collection - see the second and third images at right.. His goal is to protect and preserve history, not to wheel and deal so neither was for sale. I respect this philosophy, but full disclosure, it only made me want one for my own collection even more.

When the Norfolk Southern (successor to the Southern Railway) abruptly ended their steam program in 1987, they disposed of unwanted items through an auction held at the Birmingham Shops.  I read the listing of things to cross the auction block and noticed a "brass eagle" in the advertisement.  There was no picture or detailed description, but I knew some of those used by the Steam Program were painted gold, and these were often confused for brass by some railfans. As I read and re-read the ad, I convinced myself that perhaps this might have been one of them!  With high hopes and a tank full of gas, Nancy and I set off for Alabama!  As it turned out, it was a very nice brass eagle, but its small size made it better suited for the top of a flagpole instead of the smokebox of a steam locomotive. It was a very long, quiet drive home.
 
About 10 years later (1990's) we were at a rail memorabilia show in Atlanta Georgia.  I arrived only a few minutes after the doors opened, but I was already too late.  No sooner had my hand been stamped, I turned around to watch a guy fork over a bunch of cash for an "engine eagle" sitting on the floor next to him.
 
In the early 2000's another one turned up the "Gaithersburg Show."  Affixed to the base was a plaque reading: "Gift of Southern Railway". This marking was used in the 1950's when obsolete hardware (like bells, whistles and so on) was donated by the company. This "engine eagle" also had a fairly high price tag attached to it. I had hoped the seller would take a little less for it towards the end of the show, so I decided to wait. One of the few "cardinal rules of collecting" I set down for myself over the years is: "the best time to buy it is when you see it". Ignoring this rule was a disaster! While I waited for the show to wind down, another collector swooped in, bought the eagle, and I never saw that bird again.
 
As a form of entertainment Nancy and I have been going to flea markets, estate sales, and various antique venues like shops, shows and auctions for many years.  Recently we attended a large antiques flea market where Nancy spotted it first!  The mismarked tag read: "Cast Iron Architectural Eagle circa 1910". I examined the heavy two-piece, cast iron eagle with a wingspan of about 32 inches. It was covered in old paint which may or may not have been original. I knew immediately it was coming home with us! After very little negotiating on my part, and much encouragement on Nancy's, a long sought-after "engine eagle" was loaded into the back of our car. Nancy named him "Sam" (after Uncle Sam), and we decided to leave him in "as found condition".
 
This quest started over half century ago with an old railroader telling me about the "engine eagle" in Monroe Va. Sharing information while protecting and preserving our history (as well as the love of the hunt) are the cornerstones of our hobby. The question at this point is: what will we look for next?  No worries. There are plenty of other artifacts yet to be discovered. There is enough for every collector to find something special.
 
So, what happened to the "engine eagle" from Monroe Va?  From what I understand, decades after being saved from the scrappers, the family donated it to the Transportation Museum in Spencer N.C. in memory of all those who worked in Southern Railway's Monroe Yard. There it remains today.

Above. Historical images of Southern Railway (or subsidiaries) "Engine Eagles" on steam engines. Below. Modern images of "Engine Eagles" on steam engines used on Southern Railway steam excursions. Click on images for larger versions; use your browser's "back" button to return.
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