09/23/2025
Dunlap Coke Ovens Museum hope to acquire steam locomotive from Tracy City, TN. A rare eighteen ton steam locomotive exactly like the ones used at the Dunlap Mines and Coke Ovens in the late 1800's and early 1900's still exist in a barn in Grundy County. The Vulcan "Dinky" steam locomotive, now part of the "Sam Werner Military Museum" at Monteagle has been sitting in a barn along with two other engines and railroad equipment since the Election of President Roosevelt some 70 years ago. Driven into the barn in running condition and parked by businessman Mr. Werner who permanently closed his timber and mining operations in protest over the election. Following his death his son Bud Werner acquired the massive estate of over 8,000 acres and the railroad equipment along with acres of surplus military equipment. Sequatchie Valley Historical Association founder Carson Camp visited Mr. Werner on many occasions and was in discussion with him about acquiring one of the locomotives for the Dunlap Museum. Camp was allowed to photograph the collection in the barn on many visits and Camp brought a locomotive expert and steam appraiser to the site to determine their value and see if they were in restorable condition several years before Mr. Werner died. Mr. Werner was given an album of all the pictures taken by the Historical Association and papers of the Non-Profits certification as a 501-c-3 designation. A fire destroyed Mr. Werner's home sometime later and following his death the Sam Werner Military Museum was developed and is a Non-Profit museum with a fantastic collection of restored military vehicles at Moneagle. The status of the rail equipment was unknown by the Dunlap Historical Association but last week one of the Board of Directors called and relayed they are going to sell the equipment and if we had interest. No price or information but we will soon be invited to look over the inventory of steam engines, but recently a large tree has collapsed the barn and the Director stated they are planning to get equipment to remove the tree and barn before this inspection happens. We and other museums across the United State have been contacted, but the board of the Werner Museum expressed some interest in it being retained in this region to honor the legacy of Mr. Werner. We are hopeful of our ability to acquire at least one locomotive but the funds of our organization currently would have to be offset by a donor or major fundraiser. The drive to save this piece of history and efforts to restore it would be a great tourism draw but many factors will be necessary to make it happen. Historical members gave up on the project many years ago as many thought it had been scrapped or destroyed but regardless it hopefully will be saved. We will update the status and are optimistic of the opportunity to add the engine to the Coke Ovens Museum. The Dunlap "Dinky" used on Fredonia was destroyed following the Bankruptcy of the coal company after some vandals pushed the locomotive off the cliff while the other three "dinky" trains were scrapped and sold by the bank after 1927. The nations scrap drive of "World War Two" ended most of these early industrial locomotives as their metal built weapons in the Great War. Sequatchie Valley Historical Association -Dunlap Coke Ovens Museum. Carson Camp Historic Photo Archives
