On the morning of April 12th 1862 a military raid took place on the 4-4-0-steam locomotive, The General, as it waited for its crew to finish breakfast, outside the Lacey Hotel in Big Shanty, Georgia. Providing freight and passenger service between Atlanta GA and Chattanooga TN, The General's seize by northern troops that day, led to the 87 mile race that made railroad history. Dubbed 'The Great Locomotive Chase', Andrews raid took the train northwards towards Chattanooga, in an attempt to meet up with Michel's advancing army. In an attempt to throw off any followers, and generally create havoc, Andrews destroyed telegraph wires, tore up track, sabotaged switches, and burned covered bridges along the way.
The General's conductor, William Allen Fuller, along with two other men, chased the hijacked train, first on foot, then eventually by hand car. When Fuller spotted the stolen train at Etowah he abandoned the handcar and chased the thieves north all the way to Kingston. He then boarded the locomotive William R. Smith and headed even further North towards Adairsville. Finally, north of Ringgold GA, The General ran out of fuel and Andrew's men abandoned the locomotive ran. All of the men were eventually caught, put on trail, and sentenced for their crimes.
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, MTH is proud to introduce one of the most legendary locomotives in US history, The General. Complete with the industry-leading speed control, smoke output, and range of accurate sounds that characterize all MTH Proto-Sound 3.0 locomotives, The General is designed to recreate the authentic feel of the original.
