HI,
Happy new year to everyone!
Just wanted to do a little bragging about how my year has gone so far.
It actually started at 10p.m. new years eve - thats when I left on this trip. I drove the entire night. At 530 in the morning I made a stop in White River Junction Vermont for gas and to take some pictures of the 4-4-0 on display there, does anyone know why the engine is seperated from the tender? Then I got back in the car and headed for Mount Washington. I pulled in just in time to see the first engine bringing the car up to the station. I headed down to the shops to see the second engine being serviced. I then headed back to the station to buy my tickets to ski the right of way. I bought the first ticket of the 2005 season! My girlfriend and I were the only ones on the first train. I was also the first passenger to ski there in 2005 - the ski patrol actually got to ski it before me. There was not too many people there, I skied 4 or 5 times and never skied with anyone other than the ski patrol guy that they require to go with you. They did not have much snow because of the recent thaw, but I still had a good time. I paced the train with my video camera while skiing, has that ever been attempted before?! After watching a few trips, I packed up and headed out but stopped at the shop one more time to see them servicing a 3rd locomotive.
I then drove to Loon Mountain ski resort, I actually drove past Clark's trading Post on the way and saw the 2-4-2 stored at the station. I drove into Loon and was glad to see the 0-4-0 tank on display at the entrance. I parked the car, then spent the next two hours watching their two foot gauge 0-4-0 shuttle skiers back and forth from one lift to another. btw. if you like snow sports and are absolutely out of your mind, try the night tubing - what a ride!
The next morning was another couple hour drive south to Edaville. I have never been to Edaville before and the closure of part of the line gave me more than enough motivation to get over there. The trip was fun and I shot more video and pictures than I ever imagined I would have. The photo trip started at 1030 and was over before 2 but we got plenty of shots. I then left Edaville for a quick side trip to Plymouth and got back to Edaville to watch two more steam trips over Mt Uran. i then rode behind the steam locomotive on the 6p.m. trip and it was packed. That little engine made some great noise climbing the hill. I took more pictures of the arrival of the 7p.m. steam trip and finished dinner as they were announcing the last call for the last trip of the night/season/last trip ever over Mt Uran. I got real lucky on this trip, I had the front seats in the front coach of the train. I had my video camera in the door way of the coach overlooking the tender and engine as the engine was working over the mt. for the last time, it was really something you had to experience but Im sure glad I got tape of it too! It was a great end to a great weekend and new year.
all in all I saw 5 engines under steam, 3 coal, 1 wood burner and 1 oil burner and several others on display.
If a lot of this does not make sense grammatically, sorry, I am really really tired. Hopefully, I will be able to get some pics posted to my website after about a week of catching up on sleep.
Happy new year to all - it has been for me so far!
Matt S