Check this out! WHOA!!!!!!!! How many preserved engines have ever operated together here in the states? Three?

There's a lot of really cool videos at youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNiAgmqr ... 20colorado

Joshua

wow, was that 12 engines? Now if we could only replace those whistles with nathans and stars, imagine that noise!

Neat. And there's nothing wrong with the whistles.

Fantastic video.
Concerning the no more than three comment:
No where near 12 (if I count correctly), but there is a section of video about the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic taken in the mid-1990s where five (5) mikes (484, 487, 488, 489, 497) were run together down to the west end of Chama to turn on the wye and all five whistled for the grade crossing.
I do not know which of the store-bought videos I have has the short clip, but I think it was when they ran freights a-la Rio Grande for a week after the regular season ended. I think 463 was not restored to operation yet.
12 is hard to beat. The C&TS has only 10 steamers total. But Eureka does come by from time to time!
Doug

Really great! I started laughing as the total number of the engines went by the camera. Six, seven, eight, nine......WOW! Anyone have some stats on the locomotives; at least engine types?

Les

I wonder if anyone complained that that was a "tender first" runby?

LOL

I wonder if anyone complained that that was a "tender first" runby?

LOL

Hi,
You just need to watch part I.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9GBuv2MRH8&NR

The two video clips are really cool. However, from personal experience, what we have seen in these two clips is NOTHING in comparison to what the Polish did in 1995 as Poland celebrated the 150th anniversary of the PKP.

A very large steam extravaganza was held in Warsaw, the summer of 1995. I was there serving a mission for my Church. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to attend the bulk of the steam show as it was in the area where I was serving.

On two separate occasions, the PKP staged a “Steam Parade”, much like what we see in the two clips. The parades were held at different locations. The steam locomotives, over 25 of them (one from Czech Rep and you from Austria), were coupled together in trains of 7 or more locomotives each. The trains were then run at two-five minute gaps to the parade locations. Once at the parade locations, the locomotives were uncoupled from each other and run through the parade station at top speeds. For some this meant only 20 miles per hour, for others it was common to see 40-50 miles per hour……still not top speed but the best they could do in the distance they had.

Each night the locomotives were returned to a (still serviceable) coaling tower and steam servicing facility. All 25+ locomotives were coaled, watered and washed for the next days events. The Polish are not Crazy…….they are awesome steam showmen! Having been able to meet almost all of the crews, I must say, they are very good at what they do and they are passionate about their steam. If you ever have the chance to go to Wolsztyn……do it….and take along as a tour guild…….I’ll even pay my own way!

Sorry, no pics! I do have them, just not in a format that I can share with all of you.

John E. Rimmasch

www.wasatch-rr-contractors.com

Post-1960, probably the greatest number of steam locomotives under steam in one place in the US were the 3 Railfair events (1981, 1991, and 1999) at the CA State Railroad Museum.

The closest thing in North America to what was shown in Poland was the Steam Expo event held in Vancouver B.C. in 1986. If I remember right there were 20 or so steam locomotives showcased and most were paraded during that event. The John Bull replica from the RR Museum of Pa even traveled to Steam Expo.

Although large steam locomotives were featured at the Railfairs and Steam Expo, the events gave many smaller engines "their day in the spotlight" as well.

regards,
Jim Robinson

Let me second that! By 1991 I was living here in California and the Events were really something!

Not just sheer numbers but also the size of the engines from Union Pacific giants down to an english locomotive that ran on a private estate for many years!

They held the last one in 1999 because it was the 150th anniversary of the California Gold Rush. So I hope they do it again and you are able to get there.

The California State Railroad is now displaying one of the engines from 1999. An SP Pacific from the San Jose commuter trains in her last years.
She is on loan from the Pacific Locomotive Association.

She was resptored in a park.

Ted Miles

The whistles reminded me of the highball (or was it redball) expresses of WW II that I had seen in the movies. They was a sense of urgency about them. You did not want to get in their way, they just didn't care to stop!

Later!
Mr. Ed

At the 1999 Railfair in Sacremento, I witnessed all four of the big engines
(4449, 8444, 3751, and 3965) slowly steaming together out to an adjacent field to blow down and get fuel early one morning. I didn't have a camera at the time, but I always wondered if anyone else got a picture or two of that unique event. Anybody get a photo and care to share?

When I said crazy I did not mean in an ill manner. Crazy wonderful was more what I was going for.

Joshua