| Railway Preservation News https://www.rypn.org/forums/ |
|
| White Mountain Central #4 - What a Show https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6318 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | Rob Davis [ Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | White Mountain Central #4 - What a Show |
When I was putting up the Brief last night on WMC Heisler #4, I remembered an awesome cab ride in her two years ago. It iwas on railroader's weekend, and she was doubleheaded with Climax #5. In WMC parlance, that means she was pushing behind #5 and three loaded open tourist cars. When the train got to the steepest part of the run, the crew had the Climax throttle down and let the Heisler do the work. The volcanic eruption of wood smoke and the immediate thunder as the whole weight of the train came back to her was something I will never, ever forget. What an engine! Rob rdavis@rypn.org |
|
| Author: | Ray Dewley [ Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: White Mountain Central #4 - What a Show |
One of the runs with the Heisler a few Steam Weekends ago, they were burning some old trailer decking which is good stuff. The fire was laid in to just under the firedoor. At the end of the line all that was left in the firebox was a handful of small burning sticks of wood. She loves the wood!!! The Climax has a healthy appetite as well. |
|
| Author: | K.R. Bell [ Thu Jul 17, 2003 7:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
Back in 1990, when I last visited the White Mountain Scenic I recall seeing the Shay sitting inside the enginehouse. I recall a mechanic telling me that it had some serious mechanical ills and never ran there. Does the line have any future plans to fix it up and make it serviceable? > One of the runs with the Heisler a few Steam > Weekends ago, they were burning some old > trailer decking which is good stuff. The > fire was laid in to just under the firedoor. > At the end of the line all that was left in > the firebox was a handful of small burning > sticks of wood. She loves the wood!!! > The Climax has a healthy appetite as well. |
|
| Author: | RH [ Thu Jul 17, 2003 8:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
> Back in 1990, when I last visited the White > Mountain Scenic I recall seeing the Shay > sitting inside the enginehouse. I recall a > mechanic telling me that it had some serious > mechanical ills and never ran there. Does > the line have any future plans to fix it up > and make it serviceable? I posed that very question to one of the guys there last year. His response was that they could probably get it back to running shape with a whole lot of work, but that they most likely never will because they have "too many engines running already". With four steamers in running order (#5 did run last year though I've heard rumors of some problems with it since) on about two miles of track I would have to agree. It would be nice to see a trifecta of geared steam running though. Does anyone have a running Heisler, Climax, and Shay? Cass? Mt. Rainier? |
|
| Author: | Ray Dewley [ Thu Jul 17, 2003 9:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
I'm pretty sure Mt. Rainier has the Triad of power operable. Cass has grant money and a boiler in hand to put thiers back on the road again. Last I knew the Cass Heisler was being reassembled from some heavy work this winter. The matter of the Shay at Clark's running again has many different facets. They were told some things about the boiler a long time ago that weren't obvious to one of the guys who looked for them. The Shay used to sit out in front on display many moons ago. The Heisler was running, but many were more interested with the static Shay than the dynamic Heisler, so into storage it went. The Climax was restored and started to operate in 1976 and has run pretty much every summer since with the Heisler doing the light work in the springtimes if needed and Steam Weekends. Another issue is that on the current station (fireman) side, there is no machinery to watch go by but there but it it would be by the bumper boat pond, however should another station be contructed up the line , it could be easily situated on the engineer's side. I think the fact that they put the effort and the cash into the Baldwin repair work, shows that the Shay will have to wait sometime. It would easily do the job, but from what I gather it's not a priority at this point, nor on the radar screen. |
|
| Author: | Ray Dewley [ Fri Jul 18, 2003 7:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
Mt. Rainier has the triad of geared steam. Cass is close on their heels. They have grant money and a boiler for thier Climax restoration. Last I knew it was is in the shop getting overhauled. I'll be there in a few weeks and hope to see how it is coming along. The Shay at Clarks, to my knowledge is not on the rarar screen for restoration, but it is still there, and as long as it is there, it could still happen, but not now. They put a great deal of effort and cash into the Baldwin, so it will likely be some time until anything is done with the Shay. But for now, it is sitting inside and out of the elements. They usually put her out for the Steam Weekends near the end of Sept. On balance, a railroad of their size having FOUR operable steamer locomotives along with other steam powered machinery is a credit to the vision and determination of the Clark Brothers - Ed and Murray, some fifty years ago when only a few saw the importance of collecting and operating steam locomotives for those who never saw it in its heyday. They wanted to create "Green patures for iron horses". Clark's Trading Post |
|
| Author: | Ted Miles [ Fri Jul 18, 2003 12:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
The roaring Camp & Big Trees RR at Felton, CA has quite a stable of geared engines. Not sure if they have all three in steam but they do have one of each type on the property. Last time I rode the line into the redwood grove they had their West Side Heysler running that day. The line is narrow gauge and they run right through the winter, so if you want to see some good steam and the coastal redwoods come on by! ted_miles@nps.gov |
|
| Author: | Stephen Hussar [ Fri Jul 18, 2003 12:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
The link below is to the Nerail archive's White Mtn. Central page, which includes a shot of the Shay outdoors. Many years ago Ed Clark told my father that Shay #5 would never run again, but he didn't say why. http://photos.nerail.org/show/?byrail:1:White_Mountain_Central SJHussar@aol.com |
|
| Author: | buddy bob [ Fri Jul 18, 2003 8:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Shay at White Mtn. Scenic - Will It Run Again? |
> The link below is to the Nerail archive's > White Mtn. Central page, which includes a > shot of the Shay outdoors. Many years ago Ed > Clark told my father that Shay #5 would > never run again, but he didn't say why. I go to clarks a few times a year and I spend most of my time in the shop. I have looked the shay over very close . INop it should have a new boiler or at the least a complete new box. Plus running gear work. Sorry but that the way I see it . regardsbb. staybolt2@netscape.net |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|