Does anyone know if the church still has the capabilities to play the bells that it did at the time of the recording?

No doubt many of you have heard the O. Winston Link recording of the N&W J tearing in and out of Rural Retreat, Virginia around Christmas Eve, 1957. I wanted to share a modern day comparison: Same whistle, same region of the country, same time of year.

While my imagination is stirred up hearing that vintage recording, I thought it would be fun to share a clip taken this month from the cab on a night run. You can get a taste of what it might have been like for that engine crew on one of their last runs on steam over 50 years ago, through the December night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZnpWgG0q8

Thanks for the clip, John. . .now, if only some others would just try to understand why we love trains and steam as we do, such as the critics (such as the the mayor who wants to kick out a railroad museum, or the people who are hostile to the Adirondack Railroad), and those who unreasonably block steam excursions on the Class Is (note I said those who are unreasonable, not the ones who do fear amateurish operators for good reasons, not the ones who DO know the difference between plain bearings and roller bearings without rotating end caps, etc.). . .

Not on topic, but of interest--a "related" (as YouTube defines it) video clip of CP 1238 dressed as a C&O locomotive for movie work--and check out the goofy pilot she's wearing for the role! And it's been too many years (which is why I'm afraid I don't really recognize him), but is that Jack Showalter?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sggZbXfK ... re=related

More with the 1238 and Jack Showalter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... iYfvfBk2Q8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEi4K-ti ... re=related

It's no doubt true that all of us foamers have often thought about being born earlier so we could have been part of the scene when steam was king.

Who wouldn't have liked to be there the night OWL did his magic??

Gratefully enough has survived that we can still enjoy these machines that so fascinate us and for that we all need to count our blessings!!

Ross Rowland

Update in the form of a story and slide show from the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Story: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012 ... r-1649064/

Slide show: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/online/sl ... 0130_bill/

It's that time of year. I would contest that this is the most nostalgic recording I've ever heard.

Last Christmas, several of my older ( 70's and up) relatives were visiting my mothers home , I asked if they wanted to hear some Christmas music. They did, and I sneaked this in, running through the home entertainment system. The conversation stopped as they listened...and remembered. All of them had either married railroaders or associated with the railroad in one way or another, and they thanked me profusely for playing it for them. Even my nieces and nephews stopped long enough to listen, which was even more remarkable since they just about only listen to rap! It was an unforgettable confluence that may never be repeated.

"The conversation stopped as they listened...and remembered."

Wonderful, wonderful. . .

Oh, why can't we get Hollywood to tap into something like that?

Just bumping this up to the top for the date.....

Maybe mot Hollywood...but perhaps we can make something like this ourselves and put it on You Tube. Same premise, but live action
.

I am shocked that nobody else has pulled this one back out of the file. This should be required listening by all RYPN'ers

Merry Christmas.

(Listen to the whole thing....well worth 10 minutes!)

JohnE.

Thank you, John, I've been listening to that elsewhere, and in return, here's something that turned up at Steam Into History/Northern Central that's appropriate as well:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... e=1&ref=nf

Merry Christmas!

I pull this out every year for a listen...just can't help myself. I often thought this would make a pretty good short film, if someone wanted to re-create it. At the end, with the locomotive whistling in the distance, a voice-over would say:

" From our family to yours, safe journeys and Merry Christmas"

Kelly? Doyle? Anyone?

An absolutely beautiful recording.

Here's another O. Winston Link recording to enjoy:

From the album Mainline to Panther, N&W J Class #611 with train #16 The Cavalier from Keystone, WV, to North Fork, WV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YemLxH5Zks

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All.

My children and I have a tradition of removing ornaments from the tree and making up stories to go with ornaments. One of my favorites is to set up the laptop in the Living Room near the tree and pull down the Church, the Depot and a few trains off the tree. Then I make up a short 10 minute story to go with this link/recording.

I love this link and it is time to share it again with all of you.

Merry Christmas from your friends at Wasatch.