Wabash Cannonball

Well, this is the first time I ever posted any real-life paper drawings, instead of digital art, on DeviantArt. This is something I recently drew and colored in art class. I tried to put some motion blur in the wheels and a bit of the top. It's a drawing of Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 Berkshire steam locomotive 765, built in 1944 by Lima Locomotive Works, hauling the "Wabash Cannonball" in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 765 actually did this for the 21st Century Steam program in 2013. Sadly, I forgot to draw the Norfolk & Western auxilery tender that was coupled behind 765's coal tender on the excursion. The Wabash Cannonball was originally a fictional train from a 1904 folk song of the same name, written by William Kindt. Many country and folk singers have recorded and sold their own covers of this song with slightly changed lyrics over the years. In 1949, the song became so popular that the actual Wabash Railroad decided to rename their daily express train from Detroit to St. Louis as the "Cannon Ball", bringing the fictional train to life, which old Nickel Plate Road 765 and 21st Century Steam also did many years later in 2013, which this picture I drew presents.