Foamer,

YOUR THE LIMIT!

P.S. That's publicity you just can't buy!

Barney can be for-warned now. There is going to be at least an E size copy of that picture on the imfamous GSMR shop office wall when the 75 visits this fall. Get ready Barney!!!!

Ryan

I have plans to decorate our own shop with several incriminating photos I have gathered of Barney and Kevin over the past couple years... (btw, the photo above was taken by another of our members. I have several of my own that are quite interesting, to say the least....)

I also have some video of them..... hehehe

Im just waiting for the right time to unleash it all... ;) Maybe a nice big 30"x40" photo magnet slapped on the side of the tender when they arent looking ;)




And I bet I am gonna really hear about it this weekend out there...

As one who has had the privilege of traveling with 75 and firing it in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida, I can do nothing but add to the already long list of praise for the engine and its owners. John and Barney are two men whom I am proud to call colleagues and even more proud to call friends. And you could fire 75 with a garden trowel and still pop the safety. I’ve been in the cab as she stormed up the 3% west of Bryson City with the pressure gauge pegged and I’m sure she could handle much more. She didn’t even think twice about handling the longer trains in Florida. As Mr. Herron pointed out, she may be small, but she’s stout.

By the way, I see you’ve developed a bit of a death wish, there, Foamer. They gon’ kill you.

Steve Wasiura
Occasional Flagg Coal 75 Fireman

Btw, I will say, that was a well deserved nap. (hopefully he wont hurt me as bad now!)

Gotta get my revenge since he made Di and I carry (er, should I say drag ) some rail out yesterday... ON EASTER..... hehehe

Here she is in Port Huron with Steve W. and Chad T. in the cab.

Jake (me) is the fireman, Elwood is the engineer, at least in the photograph.

I'll never forget the fun us Blues Brothers had with such a great little engine.

I congratulate the Gramlings on their success with 75 and hope for many more years of crowd-pleasing operations.

Something that occurred to me after thinking about it for a day or so -- most of the "big steam" outfits do things the opposite. One of their guys runs the engine and there's a railroad pilot on board who knows the division.

Why the different philosophies?

This isn't a criticism, BTW, I'm just curious and confused -- a semi-permanent state with me. :o)

Probably not my place to comment here, FCC 75's owners are much better qualified, but I DO know that they feel strongly that their locomotive(s) are a teaching tool. If your museum has qualified engineers that run diesel, there's no reason they can't run a steam locomotive. This gives your engineers an opportunity to learn the basics of steam operation.

As Flagg said earlier, they are more concerned with the proper firing and safety aspects of boiler operation, this is why one of them or an experienced fireman is in the cab also.

Fred
Mech. Dept., SRI
www.mstrp.com

There is really two bodies of knowledge needed when running steam - the locomotive, and the track.

For the 0-4-0T running at 10mph, the supervisor's knowledge and experience of the locomotive can be transferred as needed to an operating crew which knows the track.

On the other hand, a 4-8-4 running at 60mph on a main line can get you in trouble a lot quicker, and mistakes can be a lot more expensive. In that case operating crews who know the locomotive, and are proactive (as well as quicker to react), are important - there's plenty of time for a pilot to impart knowledge about the track on an as-needed basis.

JAC

The other guy would "El Taco", better known as Kevin Mayer. Mayer's the one NOT in the Pink overalls and hat.

Caption ---- "FRA cards? We don't need no stinkin' cards!"

NOW --- a better question; can Barney still FIT into those Pink Overalls?


AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

TJ "runner of the Owosso Insane Asylum" Gaffney

You forgot the caption -

"No Mr. Homeland Security Inspector, we aren't trying to blow up the Blue Water Bridges....."

Or

"We have no idea why the nice old lady is complaining about her laundry."


TJ

I feel that I should clarify a few things that dad has said. We ( John and Barney ) did not fix up the engine for money , which some people find hard to believe ,but did it for the fun of doing it. That said I ( Barney ) get alot of satisfaction out of other people enjoying the engine either by watching it or perhaps fulfilling their dream of running an engine on their own. I look at it as that if an organization went to the effort of getting our (or anyone elses engine for that matter) engine there then they should be entitled to the fun of running it . I cant tell you how many times I have felt good inside watching a person run our engine It reminds me of a kid turned loose in a candy shop. Am I going to let them do damage to the engine or hurt someone ,no ,but I am going to let them learn an aspect of this hobby that fewer and fewer people have a chance to learn anymore (namely operate a steam engine).
This may help to explain the comment about not wanting to run the engine at an event. I have been runing engines for Amtrak an shortlines for over twenty years. I have no problem running it but I think ther are people at a location that would want to run it worse than me. If we were the only ones to run the engine some hard feelings may develope with the organization( this something we discovered at a couple of locations from a previous operator of an engine brought in for an event in the past). Also we would have to bring along more help which would drive up the cost and perhaps be a budget breaker an hence a deal killer. I feel that there is not a whole lot of abuse that can be dished out to the ol girl at the hands of a diesel engineer that she hasnt seen if her previous life ,remember she worked in a quarry and was not loved liked a Southern ps-4.
Afar as qualifcations for a particular territory I 'm not going in to that its a common sense outlook ,I dont know your railroad so how can I comfortably run the engine keep an eye on the fireman (if he or she hasnt fired steambefore)and provide a safe and enjoyable trip?
Track damage, well here is a subject that I have encoutered several times in the past,and while true that in the days of steam it might have been an issue look at bwhere it was a problem, high speeds with large engines and the begining of deferred maintence. Remember that this engine weighs less than ONE end of a heavyweight car and if the dynamic forces of it runing at 10 mph are a cause for worry about it damaging the track one might have bigger problems to worry about. As a side note we regularly run 1225 on 90 to105 lb rail at 40 mph and have never had trouble. Granted we may have been lucky so far but our host railroad has never expressed a concern about it.
As some people at SRI can tell you I am not known as a perfectionist, which drives some peopl crazy, . My job is to keep these old girls running in the most economical matter possible and not sacrifice safety in any way. That said I feel strongly that any new technology that can accomplish these two goals should be seriously looked at . As for historical accuracy I can tell you from past experience that there isnt a piece of rolling stock out there that hasnt been modified in some way. It comes down to what is your goal with a particular piece of equipment and how you want to achieve it. That is why you see some things done that wernt done in 1930 (ball valves on the water glass drains for example) , but if they would have had that tech. in 1930 I bet they would have used it. Where Im going with this is that our goal of giving as many people the experience of steam means that things have to be done to make it possible, for instance,75 never had air on it till I put it on ,it never had electric light on it till we put it on we could not have far exceeded our goal by making it accurate. I have also caught hell for numbering it 75 with Flagg Coal on the tank which granted is not "correct" it honors the first owners Flagg Coal and the second owners Solvay Process (75). Besides if you fix up your own engine I think you have the right to put any damn thing on it you like. As you can tell this is a touchy subject.

Before I ramble off into the giggle weeds I would ask that anyone who is thinking of doing this with our engine or another (We have been working with a close freind in New York who wants to do this same thing) to call us or contact any of the places we have been to get their opinion on the value of it to them and the work involved.


P.S. There is a long story about the pink overalls and hat . I tell everyone it takes a real man to wear them or else one whos not to smart ,you can decide for yourself.

Steve, don't waste time firing a saddle tanker, come fire a Mason.

Should I post the photo of you tearing up at the cookout last year when everyone got a chance to run it?

hehehe.... (Nah, Ill refrain just this once)