I am pleased to announce that the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club in Freeport, Illinois is offering the opportunity to run and fire (with supervision) our standard gauge 36 ton coal burning Heisler built in 1912. The date is Saturday , August 22, 2009 with the first run scheduled at 10 am and the last run scheduled at 4 pm leaving our station on the hour. Available are 1.72 miles of ex-Milwaukee Road trackage and total time will be about 35-40 minutes for each run. A number of various whistles, newly manufactured my Mike Daugherty, are available. They include:

CB&Q 5 chime long bell - used on 3 of their Hudsons
CB&Q 5 chime short bell
AT&SF 5 chime short bell
Reading 6 chime
Southern 3 chime short bell

Suggested Donations are as follows:

Throttle time: $125
To run one trip and fire on another: $150 total.
Selection of a particular whistle: No extra charge
Option for others to ride the train while running or firing: $6.00 (regular ticket price)

Please contact me ASAP if you are interested at:
Q5632@yahoo.com

I can also make available a list of hotels/motels in the area.

We do need at least 5 throttle jockeys each day to make this happen. Payment will be by check or money order and will not be refunded unless the event is cancelled. The opportunity is, however, transferable should you find someone to go in your place.

Link for our website is:

http://thefreeportshow.com


For information, Freeport, Illinois is about 30 miles west of Rockford, Illinois.

Roger Holmes