That's the money shot right there.

And somewhere the Van Sweringen brothers are smiling....

Have the NKP Berks earned any mountain goat points yet?

Bob

I don't know if the various NKP S-classes have any "mountain goat points," but they may not need them, being able to share those earned by their very close cousins on the Chesapeake & Ohio:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 028&nseq=4

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 88&nseq=32

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 67&nseq=41

They normally didn't run to Louisville because of bridge restrictions, but C&O 2-8-4s did sometimes get down there on Kentucky Derby specials. Could it be that the 2716 and the 152 shared adjacent spots in regular service?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 37&nseq=60

Oh, apparently it is true that the 2716 was considered for the Clinchfield excursion program:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 875&nseq=0

Final shot, on a side topic, the last Kanawha, No. 2789, photographed a few years ago at North Judson, Ind., and without its lagging or jacket; of note is the lack of visible seams, rivets, and welt plates. This is one of the last five 2-8-4s delivered to the C&O by Alco in 1947, and notable for having welded boilers from the time they were new.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 139&nseq=4

Externally at least, this boiler looks excellent! I wonder how good it really is inside, though. . .

I was in a vestibule three cars from the head-end on one of the 1976 2102 trips up the Curve, and I can tell you from personal experience that riding through the Gallitzin tunnel behind steam, even with the dutch door closed, without much of an assist from the Diesel helpers does take your breath away, as well as leaving you looking and feeling like a coal miner after a full shift down below.