Last year when we ran our recently restored Clover Valley #4, there were many requests to see the #4 pull a freight train. Well here's your chance to see it happen.

The Pacific Locomotive Association is proud to host the 5th annual post-Winterail Photographers Special on the Niles Canyon Railway, Sunday, March 9, 2014.

The special passenger train powered by Western Pacific #918 will depart Sunol depot at 9:30am for Niles. On the return trip from Niles the passenger train will be greeted by a freight train powered by Clover Valley Lumber Company #4, the only Baldwin logging mallet operating on the West Coast. Both trains will perform a number of run-bys deep in the beautiful Niles Canyon. The passenger train should return to Sunol around 1:00pm.

Tickets for this event are $49 per person and are available by visiting our website at: http://www.ncry.org

I enjoy doing this, because it is a good way to welcome spring and it supports a good cause. I have one request, which is to make up the train consist so that the non-authentic looking open air cars are farther behind in the consist behind the more-photogenic coaches.

Two photos to illustrate what I mean:

1. Last year the open air car was 2nd from the locomotive, making for a odd-looking train:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 363&nseq=4

2. by contrast, in 2007, there was a proper consist:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 25&nseq=90

Regardless, a fun time was had by all.

BH

Our primary goal is to make sure everyone enjoys the ride and the opportunity. Being all volunteer it can be difficult to organize everything to please everyone. Last March was hard to pull off. We had mechanical work that was being performed on the #4 the day before and the lettering was being applied to the water tanks as we fired up the engine. Sunday morning the white lettering was still slightly tacky has the weather got rather cool Saturday night.

This year we hope to have a couple of the passenger cars painted before March, but we plan on more of an all streamline passenger consist for the #918 to pull. We try and do something a little different each year.

Johnathon Kruger
Road Foreman of Engines
Niles Canyon Railway

Johnathon:

I get that this event takes a bit of work for the volunteer staff to pull off, and since it is NCRy's first big activity after the TOL, you probably have your hands full getting everything together.

I just wanted to give you one photographer's feedback, and point out that for a "Photographer's Special," it would be well received, if at all possible, that the first couple of coaches after the locomotive could look as if they belong there. I'm not saying to ditch the open cars because they're fun to ride (as long as it's not too cold). I'd like to see 918 pulling a streamlined consist; hopefully, my schedule will me to attend.

Can #4 do a round trip on a tank of water, or will you have to bring your tank car along to top it off on the way?

BH

Don't worry, every year we get tons of comments, suggestions, and complaints. Normal examples are: its too overcast, the sun was wrong for this spot, you have the wrong car behind the engine, why did you run engine A instead of engine B, your engineer didn't blow the whistle enough, your engineer blew the whistle too much, the paint on the engine is dirty, that car is the wrong color, there are two missing rivets on that second car...it never ends.

PLA has a long history of hosting special runs and a lot of planning goes into our special events.

We do our best to please everyone. Anyone who has ever worked in customer service knows that you cannot please everyone no matter how much planning you put into it and hard you try to do the "right" thing. We smile, encourage our guests to enjoy the day, take notes, and try something else next year hoping not to make the same mistakes and more people have a great time.

Come on out in March! We will do our best to make this a great photo charter.

Johnathon Kruger
Road Foremen of Engines
Niles Canyon Railway

Yeah, I try and make this every year. I don't recall 918 on a streamlined consist before. Here are some highlights from last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgcOsgfadAQ

And here's 913 in the bad weather of 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ouahJodvz4

I found the "prototype" for those open cars of yours. See "The Great Northern Railway: "
A History" by Ralph W. Hidy, Muriel E. Hidy, Roy V. Scott, and Don L. Hofsommer. There's a photo of one attached to the rear of a GN train back in the olde days.

Sorry to say I'll miss this year's photo train because I did something incredibly stupid last month.