Savannah and Atlanta 750, formerly Florida East Coast 80, is a 4-6-2 “Light Pacific” steam locomotive built in January 1910 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, originally for the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) as No.
From 1985 to 1989, the locomotive pulled excursion trains for the New Georgia Railroad around Atlanta, until it was retired, due to firebox issues.
80 to pull passenger trains on their mainline, mostly across their Overseas Railroad between Miami and Key West, Florida.
In 1935, however, the Labor Day Hurricane destroyed many of the Overseas Railroad route's long bridges, and due to the Great Depression, the FEC closed the line down.
750 was restored to operating condition, during which it received a new tender and other parts from an ex-New York, Ontario and Western Railway Y-Series 4-8-2 that the S&A had bought in 1945, which was subsequently scrapped.
While the locomotive was pulling a weed spraying train, it hit an automobile at a grade crossing and as a result it had its boiler tube pilot replaced with a “reinforced” one.
In 1962, the 750 was retired from revenue service and it was donated to the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS).
During 1962 and 1963, 750 would begin its excursion carrier by operating out of Atlanta on trips over the Georgia Railroad and West Point Route.
Subsequently in 1964, 750 became the very first steam locomotive to pull a public excursion train for the Southern Railway’s brand new steam excursion program, as it pulled one such trip to Jonesborough GA for the centennial of the Battle of Jonesborough, for the Atlanta Chapter NRHS.
[6] In November 1969, during the 75th anniversary of the Southern Railway, an event called the "Steam-O-Rama" took place in Anniston, Alabama, along the Birmingham to Atlanta main line.
750 from service, and the New Georgia Railroad subsequently replaced it with a larger locomotive, Atlanta and West Point 290.
750 is unlikely to be brought back under steam anytime soon, due to the fire box needing repairs.