Was this the annual Pluperfect Steam Weekend?

jimwrinn · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2004 9:21 pm

It occured to me, as I was firing GCRR 1925 at Spencer today, that perhaps this was the annual height of steam operations for the year with more engines hot and running than any other time.. possibly 100 or more.

Am I right?

I know UP 3985, MILW 261 and CP 2816 were all on the road. Was this a 2-steam engine weekend at Strasburg, a 3-engine weekend at Cass, a 4 engine weekned at Durango? If so, I think this may be the Pluperfect Steam Weekend of 2004.

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

Steve Freer · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2004 9:44 pm

Jim -
You might be right. For years I've thought that it would be cool if someone in the proper position (you?) put together some sort of "Day In The Life" report of all steam locomotives operating on one particular day in the US. (I can provide photos of TVRM's 'Steam All The Way' excursion if you select 6/19/04 as the subject!)
Since Mr. Crayft took me up on my last suggestion (Chama GG1), whadaya say?
Steve

sfreer@tvrail.com

Mitch Goldman · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2004 9:46 pm

Steamtown was absent this year, but you can throw in New Hope and Ivyland! Middletown and Humelsville should be running in July. Sure miss the shedules as posted on Steam Central from the late 80's and early '90's!

On a side note, Jim - I don't know if I can make it through the Summer without "the Crystal Ball"!

mg2am@aol.com

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2004 10:19 pm

I say Steve, what about a Southern Railway GG-1 while you're at it? Remember that Southern once intended to electrify the CNO&TP along its entire length, due to the abundance of cheap electric power in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.

awalker1829@yahoo.com

Steve Freer · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2004 10:31 pm

> I say Steve, what about a Southern Railway
> GG-1 while you're at it? Remember that
> Southern once intended to electrify the
> CNO&TP along its entire length, due to
> the abundance of cheap electric power in the
> Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.

Nah, I think "Little Joes" would look more appropriate running the Rat Hole. However, although John did an excellent job outfitting a GG1 with speed lettering, I won't request that he photoshop a Milwaukee unit to add the SR E6 paint scheme (although it would look sharp!)

sfreer@tvrail.com

Phil Mulligan · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:46 am

If you're thinking of a practical electrification, something more akin to GN's second Cascade Tunnel would have fit the CNO&TP: AC power distribution with conversion to DC aboard the motor for traction. This would have been optimum for heavy mixed freight. The AC commutator motors (GG1)weren't really that good for heavy hauling and the AC single phase to three phase converters used by N&W + VGN inflexible as to speed.

Bugaboo would be the extent to which the tunnels would need rebuilt to clear 11kvAC wire.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Johnny Winkler · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:20 am

> If you're thinking of a practical
> electrification, something more akin to GN's
> second Cascade Tunnel would have fit the
> CNO&TP: AC power distribution with
> conversion to DC aboard the motor for
> traction. This would have been optimum for
> heavy mixed freight. The AC commutator
> motors (GG1)weren't really that good for
> heavy hauling and the AC single phase to
> three phase converters used by N&W + VGN
> inflexible as to speed.

> Bugaboo would be the extent to which the
> tunnels would need rebuilt to clear 11kvAC
> wire.
All the remaining tunnels were rebuilt with more than enough room for any potential electrification,the tunnels dwarf even autoracks.

wink638@aol.com

Phil Mulligan · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 2:14 pm

Roger that. My time frame would be 1925 or so.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

Tom von Trott · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 2:27 pm

Made my annual trip to steamtown on Saturday, 2317 just not pulling long trips, just short mile or so trips. Better then nothing though.

> Steamtown was absent this year, but you can
> throw in New Hope and Ivyland! Middletown
> and Humelsville should be running in July.
> Sure miss the shedules as posted on Steam
> Central from the late 80's and early '90's!

> On a side note, Jim - I don't know if I can
> make it through the Summer without "the
> Crystal Ball"!

PRR 643's Offical Web Site
prr643@hotmail.com

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:10 pm

Southern didn't really seriously consider electrification until the 1960s. As JW mentioned, the tunnels that remained following the realignment in the early 1960s were significantly enlarged.

awalker1829@yahoo.com

Tim O · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 4:47 pm

> Made my annual trip to steamtown on
> Saturday, 2317 just not pulling long trips,
> just short mile or so trips. Better then
> nothing though.
Thanks for the plug, Tom. Sunday was a perfect day for photography in Scranton, too. I hope someone snapped the 1:30 Pullman Experience train at STEA, since it will be off the roster of tours for a week or two. This is our only scheduled West-facing trip with the steam loco. All others have the loco facing East.
Next steam excursions are July 2, 3, 4 and 5, all to Tobyhanna, PA

http://www.nps.gov/stea/exc.htm
mustang746@mac.com

Rob Davis · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:04 pm

Tim,

Where does the Pullman Experience ride go?

Rob

trains@robertjohndavis.com

Steve Singer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:32 pm

> Steamtown was absent this year, but you can
> throw in New Hope and Ivyland! Middletown
> and Humelsville should be running in July.
> Sure miss the shedules as posted on Steam
> Central from the late 80's and early '90's!

> On a side note, Jim - I don't know if I can
> make it through the Summer without "the
> Crystal Ball"!
FYI- Middletown & HummelsTOWN

bas1210@comcast.net

Tim O · **Posted:** Tue Jun 22, 2004 4:54 pm

> Tim,

> Where does the Pullman Experience ride go?

> Rob
The destination of this train is the East end of the yard, near the University of Scranton's Redington Hall. This program is not an excursion, but more of a rolling seminar on the Pullman History aboard two visiting railroad cars built by Pullman. This is the same route, for the most part, as the poorly named "Short Train Ride," which was known for years as the yard shuttle.

http://www.nps.gov/stea/exc.htm
mustang746@mac.com

Rob Davis · **Posted:** Tue Jun 22, 2004 4:59 pm

That's actually a pretty nice ride... programs like this are wonderful, they really represent what Steamtown can offer.

Ahhh, Redington Hall... too bad Hume runs a G-rated site here... the stories I could tell....

> The destination of this train is the East
> end of the yard, near the University of
> Scranton's Redington Hall. This program is
> not an excursion, but more of a rolling
> seminar on the Pullman History aboard two
> visiting railroad cars built by Pullman.
> This is the same route, for the most part,
> as the poorly named "Short Train
> Ride," which was known for years as the
> yard shuttle.

trains@robertjohndavis.com