Not at all affiliated with the #1003, but here is a "hometown girl" who is finally getting out to stretch her legs. Congrats to the folks making this happen. Regards, John.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbV-kDI_oJw

PS anybody else got some pics or footage to share? Feel the Soo #1003 is Wisconsin's best kept secret. Awesome locomotive which is all dressed up and ready to go!

Amen to that. Likely quiet because of the charter, but I'd surely like to know about future operations as it's only an hour plus from where I now live. I've seen it twice while visiting the museum in Hartford and recently learned that it ran for Christmas trips on the WSOR up to Plymouth on the old Milwaukee line before I got out here.

Tom -

Just learned that the 1003 will be running on Santa trains in Hartford on November 14th.


Les

Congratulations to the 1003 crew for returning the cab to it's traditional appearance, with a hinged blank panel ahead of the windows for wrench clearance. The window tracks run behind this panel to make a storage space for the sash; without the panels the cab looked like a greenhouse.

Dennis,
The 1003 has always had the blank panels in front of the windows, they were
never removed.

You're right. I had to go back and look at my photos; it was the Soo 2719 crew that turned their cab into a greenhouse. Kudos for doing it right.

Les, thanks so much. I'll put this on my calendar.

I've attached a link to an album of stills that I shot on the HTP Charter a couple of weeks back for those who might want to look. The charter ran both Saturday and Sunday, with a steady light rain one day and nearly clear skies the next. It covered trackage from Hartford all the way to Fairwater and back. The Ten-Oh-Three is a big Mike with a big bark. Loudest steam engine I've seen in quite some time. The crew from the Steam Locomotive Historical Association (SLHA) keeps her in immaculate condition. This was a fun trip, and I believe they said they would like to do more events like this one.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/112261457@N06/albums/72157660258188037/with/22492649168/

/Kevin Madore

Thanks for the "stills". Wonderful photography of a wonderful subject. Really enjoyed them. Thank you. Regards, John.

MUCH more charter video from someone who knew how to use a tripod:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLjmlWcelAg

And WAY too much whistling.

Howard P.

That's why I shoot stills....LOL!

Seriously though, most of the photo locations for this charter were approaches to grade crossings, so the whistling wasn't just for show in most cases. In fact, in some of the scenes, the train crossed several roads as it approached the photo line....Wapun had numerous grade crossings downtown, but Burnett and Brandon also had at least a couple on each run-through. Very few of those crossings had lights or gates, so the RR had to deploy crossing guards to protect them with flags. Also, I should note that I can't recall the charter coordinator calling for any extra whistles during the entire event, so any decisions to blow were up to the crew.

/Kevin Madore

That does remind me how much I hate watching railfan videos that are nothing but whistles and horns...

And yet sometimes the only publicly accessible places to railfan - without trespassing - are at crossings - so you'll have videos at certain places that only have whistles and horns...not everyone trespasses to get a shot.