Yall like trains? You're gonna love this...

-
I ride old trains anytime I can, been to Strausburg PA when I was a teenager, Black Hills a few years ago, and other local excursions when I've had the chance. Steam preferred, but diesel electric will do in a pinch! Thanks RRR!
 
I remember parking next to that beast at Pomona swap meet. Yeah, if you got there past about 8AM, you were parking in the far lot. "....Union Pacific hasn’t said how much the restoration cost, but Wrinn estimated at least $4 million based on similar restorations...". That weighed more than a fully loaded 747!!
I like this one, PRR S-1: Did it hit 156mph? "....The locomotive was claimed to have exceeded 156 mph (251 km/h) on the Fort Wayne-Chicago run, as it was reported that the PRR received a fine for the feat..." It was so long it could not run on most of the PRR track and had to take huge track turns, sometimes going 10s of miles out of its way, and onto foreign track to negotiate turns. It was also too heavy for some switches (Pittsburgh) so it was really a one trip pony: Chicago to Crestline Ohio.
6584cdd94d237e1ab55b0955773c15d1.jpg
 
I love old trains. They are one of my favorite subjects for my images...

CB88D446-B83B-4C1A-A8DD-3F7B5365865D.jpeg


369504D5-188A-4EA3-AE74-D396678EA2F0.jpeg


23797124-E210-4F73-8710-8655A670ED28.jpeg


703CA34C-B445-4C19-BB67-95ED9C88F23E.jpeg
 
My Dad worked for the C&NW for 39 years.

When I was just a tot he carried me into the wheelhouse of one of the last steam locomotives the line was running... just so I could say I did it.

We rode down to the roundhouse, turned around and headed back to the station.

I do remember that day...
 
YY1 said:
Restored to coincide with the anniversary of the transcontinental RR meet in Promontory UT.
Click to expand...

I might be going to the Anniversary, I live 20 minutes from there.
 
Living in New Hampshire growing up, my father took myself and my brother over the border to Steamtown, in Bellowfalls VT. Stood in the cab of Big Boy #4012. Dam it was big, especially to a 12 year old. It was good to ride on an old steam locomotive and see the round house in operation.
 
If anybody wanders into WV there is still two different short line steams in operation running tourist tours.
Cass and Durbin, both are well worth the pennies they charge to ride them.
The ride thru the mountains on them, you will never forget.
 
That's a Big Boy alright!! I've been a fan since childhood when my father gave me his Lionel from the late 50's.

This steam engine train comes within 30 feet of my office at Mount Vernon Mills in Trion, GA.

See the train cross the road at 1:00.
 
I grew up by the N&W and Virginia main lines and remember the Virginian electrics and some of both lines last steam engines. My next door neighbor was a career brakeman and freight conductor for the N&W, starting around 1950, and his son and I were down on the mainline tracks a lot as well as the main yards in Roanoke. Plus my summers spent Elizabethton TN was were the ET&WNC ran steam until well into the mid 60's.

What impresses me about the N&W was that they built many of their own locomotives right in the Roanoke engine shops, including the J's, K's, A's, and Y's. Plus they built their own coals cars and other freight cars like gondolas. Quite an operation for a small city HQ'd RR .

I just watched the Big Boy and 4884 film in WY run this spring.... pretty good stuff! Glad RRR brought this up!
 
There were some big freight hauls made a few years back, pulled by steam. At least one made the TV news - which means it was probably 20 years ago now.
And IIRC there was some chatter about the possibility of turbine steam development.
Looking on the 'net, came across no old news stories but a few video from the 1980s and 90s with some big hauls. Norfolk & Southern and Union Pacific apparently both would use 'em for freight as needed or requested even though not in regular service.

Union Pacific, Challenger #3985 pulling 143 cars. Aug 1, 1990

Found the background info on this. :) Heavy Freight and Union Pacific 3985(Heavy Freight and Union Pacific 3985) - Pentrex Train Video DVD

Norfolk & Western #1218 Coal Train 1987
 
sireland67 said:
If anybody wanders into WV there is still two different short line steams in operation running tourist tours.
Cass and Durbin, both are well worth the pennies they charge to ride them.
The ride thru the mountains on them, you will never forget.
Click to expand...

I want to ride Cass before I kick off.
 
I had actually been following this on another forum and a couple of people involved with the restoration projects would chip in from time to time.
I definitely remember staring at that Big Boy anytime I went to the Pomona Fairgrounds. Hell, it was almost required that I go look at that old beast.
 
PRR (who also designed and built their own locomotives) was a 40% owner of the N&W.
They did share the H21 hopper design and H30 covered hopper but for the most part N&W was left to run it's own show.

There was a proposed mega-merger in IIRC the 1940's that would merge those two and a few others but it was blocked by the ICC.

Would have ended up with a slightly different outcome than the ConRail/CSX/NS system we ended up with in the East.

When CSX and NS split up Conrail, they used the former PRR and NYC reporting marks to determine which road got what equipment. Was odd seeing modern equipment with those marks.
 
I took these pictures 14 years ago, this is Brookland Arkansas, just 5 miles away where my kids and wife went to school, I think I gave these to @Ddaddy to enjoy last year so I am here sharing them again , great thread @RustyRatRod

1915113_101398179875537_3646339_n.jpg


1915113_101398209875534_2175133_n.jpg
 
RustyRatRod said:
I want to ride Cass before I kick off.
Click to expand...

Cass is a really long ride, like 4 hrs, so eat before you go, I would recommend going in the early fall or late spring, you do git covered in coal soot, so middle of the summer is an unpleasent ride.

Durbin, we went for the first ride of the year, the snow was still on, they actually un-hooked the locomtive and was ramming snow drifts. It was also cool that the passenger car had a coal burning pot-belly stove for heat. And after the ride was over they fed everyone at the local mom and pop reasturant, it was the best chicken and dumplings I have ever ate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top