I'm curious to know more about this cab signal system installation. What kind of system and how its being installed. Will this system meet PTC requirements once those regulations kick in? Is 765 keeping its old Barco speedo, or is something else being installed since you now have to have either an axle driven alternator or some other kind of speed sensing device?

The parts for the cab signals just arrived yesterday. We'll be documenting the installation of the system through our website and newsletter.

The "old" Speedometer will be retained and we have a GPS speedometer we installed two years ago. Having the NKP Heritage Unit behind us will also allow us to tie into that unit's system and power.

Does that mean 765 will or will not have M.U. controls for the trailing diesel? I would assume no M.U. is needed at this point.

I believe that a later move than 2102 over the curve would have been the DH move of CP 1293 from Steamtown to the Ohio Central in the early '90's. I think I remember a friend photographing it going through Gallitzin. Also, probably sister engine 1278 came the same way after the OC bought it from the Gettysburg some years later, although I couldn't say for sure and don't know of any photos taken of that move.

As for the question of the second weekend of trips for the infamous 2102/4070 double-headers, yes they did come off. The Midwest Railway Historical Foundation (owners of 4070 at the time, now Midwest Railway Preservation Society - totally spun off from Midwest Chapter, NRHS) found a shop in the Pittsburgh area to do an emergency straightening out of the eccentric rod that came off (it didn't break, but did bow significantly from repeatedly digging into the ballast before the train came to a stop - see John Corns' extraordinary photo taken at the moment it happened from the walkway of one of the CR diesels behind the steam engines that appeared in Trains the issue after the event, I think August '77, he literally snapped the photo as the train went into emergency). Apparently a cotter pin/key holding a nut that secured the rod to the linkage fell out and allowed the nut to work it's way loose and fall off), were able to get everything back together during the week between trips, and 4070 ran successfully on the last two trips, and came back to Ohio under steam, if not on it's own. I know for a fact that it and the MRHF cars returned to Cleveland from Akron as part of a regular Chessie freight, because I photographed it leaving Akron on the CT&V sub (now the CVSR), after sitting overnight on the old Pennsy running track through downtown Akron across from the old McCoy St. E-L yard.

Pretty sure you're right about 1278. One of our friends e-mailed that day to say he'd been up on the caboose platform at Gallitzin shooting the breeze with Ed when a steam engine and two Fs came out of the tunnel. He was, shall we say, mildly surprised.

Just the news helicopters jockeying for airspace is a scary enough thought.

Folks, all our nattering may have been for naught.

Below is a tentative proposal published by Trains Magazine at their website today:



Other employee trips reported are all of a similar nature--very local, short-mileage runs, apparently conducive to loading a couple trips' worth of employees/families/kids over the course of a day. This ISN'T runs over the Horse Shoe Curve, or flying through the Great Dismal Swamp or over the Old Fort Loops or Fast Freight over the Nickel Plate.

Now, of course, 765 and train have to GET to Harrisburg, and that will most likely happen via Altoona. But they can move at night, you know.

*Sigh* Excuse me, I have a tent at Kittaning Point to strike.......

I imagine more than one railfan with too much camera gear (ooops, I mean professional video team) will be up in the air, too!

Rob

Norfolk Southern now has one in their employment. With a company-supplied SUV, it's rumored.

Going by reliable sources, the plan is to have the ferry moves in daylight (as much as feasibly possible) with #765 in the lead.

Unless there is something "up" that is as-yet-unannounced with the long break between the Harrisburg and Missouri trips, one could reasonably expect an uphill daylight run out of Altoona to occur the Monday or Tuesday after Harrisburg. We (and thousands of others) shall see... but will he hear?

I wouldn't mind joining the gaggle at the curve, if everyone takes a vow of silence so we can enjoy the aural treat (which should last for many minutes pre and post Curve). A nice spot in the woods, away from NS property, might be the best place to hear the show.

Rob

I'm jealous...you East Coast guys are gonna have the show of the year....

And now you know how we Easterners feel every time we hear about another trip with 4449, 261, 3751, 844, or 3985.

Oh, sure, for years we had 4501, 611, 1218, 2102, and a few others.

Not since 1996 (261 on a snow trip at Steamtown), mates. I knew damn well what I was doing when I went down to South Carolina to post out a "Thanks For The Memories, Norfolk Southern!" banner at Clemson for one of the final trips.....

You guys have 844 year round and 4449, 3751, etc etc at strategic points throughout the year. It's high time the East had some good steam again hahah.

Don't get me wrong...I'm glad you are getting a long deserved revival...I'm just mad that I can't get there to see it....