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| Ken Eder, left, admires his new purchase of a Portsmouth icon, the Pokey Smokey train at Portsmouth's City Park after it was auctioned off for $32,000. David Smith, center, and Paul Taylor, make the train ready for travel to Carthege, North Carolina, its new home.
(chris tyree/the virginian-pilot) |
By Jen McCaffery
The Virginian-Pilot
PORTSMOUTH - Sold!
Pokey Smokey, Portsmouth's beloved replica of a 19th-century steam engine, is bound for central North Carolina.
The coal-fueled locomotive, which delighted children and train enthusiasts for more than 40 years, has been out of service since April 2005 because of safety concerns.
Last summer, city leaders decided to replace Pokey Smokey with a new train, deciding that even if Pokey Smokey was repaired, it wasn't clear how long it would run.
But it appears that Pokey Smokey isn't headed for the scrap heap.
Ken Eder, the winning bidder at an auction held at City Park on Tuesday a fternoon, plans to use the train to transport people at a show he is holding in November in Carthage, N.C., called "One Hundred Plus Years of Progress."
"We're going to have our own railroad," said Eder, 53, a railroad contractor himself.
Pokey Smokey will join Eder's collection of more than 300 steam engines, he said.
Eder beat out about four other active bidders with his offer of $32,000, said Portsmouth's fleet manager, Joe Strait.
People from as far away as Germany and England had contacted Strait about the auction of Pokey Smokey, he said.
Because of the locomotive's sentimental value, Strait said he would have balked at any offer of less than $20,000 and was happy with the sale price.
About 20 people, many of them members of local steam engine associations, showed up for the auction, Strait said.
Dean Russell, a self-described train fanatic and history buff from Whaleyville, said that after a friend told him about the auction, he swung by his son's school to pick him up.
"Something that will only happen one time in his lifetime,"
Russell said. He considered bidding on the historic locomotive himself.
Russell rode Pokey Smokey when he was little. So did his 5-year-old son, Alex.
They typically traveled to City Park once each in the spring and fall, Russell said, usually with a picnic of fried chicken and a kite.
When we had out-of-towners visiting, "we'd bring them here," Russell said.
The sale clears the way for the Portsmouth Community Foundation to raise the $237,000 needed for a new diesel train with two cars to replace Pokey Smokey. The proceeds from the sale also will go toward the new train..
Judi Luffman, the foundation's executive director, said fundraisers are considering offering people sponsorship of railroad ties at City Park and asking the community to collect "Pennies for Pokey."
Another thing that's headed to Carthage? Pokey Smokey's memorable name.
A train's name stays registered with the engine, Strait said.
The foundation also is considering a contest to name the new train, Luffman said.
A few of the options bandied around Tuesday afternoon after the auction?
Junior. Pokey Smokey 2. Smokey Pokey.
• Reach Jen McCaffery at (757)446-2627 or jen.mccaffery@pilotonline.com.
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Pokey Smokey
Portsmouth is losing a great asset. Pokey Smokey brought great joy to me and my daughter. I can remember the engineer who drove the train when I was a child. We spent many days at the park and enjoyed the train most of all. Will hate to see it leave. I think it should have stayed in the city or even the park.
The last train to ......
Not withstanding the comments above, which are well placed....I think Portsmouth should think about the things that make us unique while we move forward. It's true we have some new places to go but you can't forget the things that we were already doing well. I bet the new traffic pattern downtown will surely go over budget enough to have paid for the train to stay. I think the poster above who said we should investigate which council member has stake in a new train is on the right track.
Pokey Smokey
We want everyone to know that we are excited about Pokey Smokey joining our collection. Rest asure that Pokey Smokey will be well loved and taken good care of. We will have track layed and Pokey Smokey up and running for our annual open house, the first weekend in November. We would like to invite anyone that wants to see Pokey Smokey to come.
Ought to be ashamed
The leaders of Portsmouth gave away a great treasure. I grew up riding on it and thank God My kids did a few times. I`m sure that something else could have been done. The city now has all this new tax assesment money. Happy as hell that I don`t live there anymore. I will now take my kids to see Pokey Smokey at it`s new home. Just another reason not to vote democrat!
Gone but not forgotten 2
I will miss the old train. My grandfather used to bring us to City Park in the 60's to ride Pokey Smokey. I made sure my son, Peter, got plenty of rides, too. He loves trains, but I don't know what to tell him happened. Maybe the new train will be just as good. They need to extend the track, though. Let the new one go around the whole park, or the golf course.
So long Pokey!
While the PokeySmokey was a treasure for countless children growing up near and far, why not send it off with a blessing instead of such resentment. Think of how much fun children will have on a new train that will likely be much more reliable. I for one know that my little boy will be glad to see it when it arrives (let's hope it's soon!). I bet the $32k ole Pokey brought in at auction will give the fundraisers quite a jumpstart. Let's all chip in and help make this transition happen quickly. Cheers to Pokey Smokey!
is bound for central North Carolina.
So Pokey will run and have a life in NC carrying passangers but is unsafe to do the same in Portsmouth, Virginia? One of the City Leaders must have a friend or relative selling diesel locomotive's!!!!!!
Who is making these decisions????
This is just another travesty in our fair city. The people making decisions are screwing up left and right. I rode this train many times as a child when the tracks extended much further than the present path. I took my young child many times even though the smaller layout of track made the ride less exciting. It brought joy and created memories for so many people through the years. The paltry sum of $32,000 does not come close to covering the history of Pokey Smokey. It is also a drop in the bucket for the cost of the new diesel train to replace it. How could we justify spending $237,000 for a new cheaper version? Couldn't that money have been alloted to repair and update ol' Pokey???
As for the children's museum, it would have been the perfect resting place. Sadly, I haven't returned to the museum with my child after wear and tear, lack of personnel, and broken displays made each new visit more disappointing than the last. Another mismanaged project in our fine city.
Pokey Smokey
I grew up in the Westaven section of Portsmouth. You could hear Pokey Smokey's whistle from my house. I too believe this was a historic landmark for the city. I knew they had stopped operating the train. But I never heard any information about getting donations together to recondition the engine. I copied and have shown the article arould my workplace in Portsmouth. Many have said they would have donated to keep Pokey here back in operation. What a shame!!!!!
Gone but not forgotten
Thanks to Robert Burnell a local artist for the prints of the "Pokey Smokey",which will memorialize this" iron" icon forever. I was one of the many engineers who took great pride in firing up the engine on weekends, and seeing the children of all ages come to ride the the little engine that could. It could make you forget all of your cares when we would call out "All Aboard"and listen as the engine steamed out of the station.
I will never forget putting on my bib overalls,engineers cap,and my dads railroad watch,which he carried everyday on the N&W.
I want to thank all of the children who made my day when they would come out and enjoy their train the "Pokey Smokey".Iwant to say thank you to "Mrs.Cherry"who was always there to sell the tickets and give away a lot of love to all of the children.Deloris Parker for all of the "Spooky Pokey Smokey"Halloweens and "Christmas in The Park"
Robert (Bob)McBride
We'll miss you
Portsmouth is loosing a true icon. A generation of children have had the thrill of a ride on Pokey Smokey. The train, if unuseable for passenger use, should have been used as a display at the childrens museum. I'm not surprised but the city fathers missed the boat(or train) on this one.
Pokey Smoky - too bad its gone
Its sad that this steam engine is gone from Portsmouth. It should have stayed and went to the Children's Museum... which itself needs some sprucing up.
Sorry to see it's gone.
Portsmouth's Pokey Smokey wins new life?
Bad headline. How about: Portsmouth gives away a treasure?
That train was an icon. People came from from far away to ride that train. And now it's gone. So it will be replaced with a new, unexciting diesel train that we need a name for. How about: "Ho Hum". Or maybe "Just another blah thing..." Pokey Smokey was an icon, it's just too bad people will realize that later on.
New Train Name
Lets see, hum, the new train will be a diesel engine...hum, a name...I know, how about "choking on diesel fumes."?
Chug chug...