Okay, I'll see you and raise you a UP "Big Blow" gas-turbine-electric reactivation.................... <:-/

Hello,

Since we are raising wagers. I will see you on the box cab bet and raise you to produce a full replica of a NYC # 6000 Niagara replica. By the way, throw in a few track pans at 2000ft in length each so we can scoop water at 80 MPH. (Of course this would require all the roadbed tiles so we don't blast away the ballast!)

I went off here.....couldn't help myself. We need to get back to real iron versus fantasy iron!

Cheers!

Randy

Hello,

Kudos to their team who are giving this a go. I don't recall if they refit the fleet with the wing protections as to prevent another catastrophic fuel tank failure and crash that happened shortly before the decommission. I believe the failure was rooted in either a tire failure or the tire picking up debris and rupturing the fuel tank. I believe they spoke of laminating fuel tank protection on the underside of the wings?? Just some good PM to keep the legacy plane in the air.

The plane is very impressive. Many years agon, in my teen age days, I was walking out of a shopping mall in Hanover, PA and heard a very loud aircraft overhead. When I looked up I saw the classic delta wing shape of the Concorde. Being this far south, it could have been taxiing for the Philadephia airport?? It seems a bit far south for Kennedy Airport. I do recall the plane heading west when I observed it. Did it land at Philly at one time?

I wish them well. This is a major undertaking. In a similar strain, it would be interesting to bring back an SR-71. However, I believe I heard that the Skunk works was required to destroy all documentation, fixtures, etc. so this plane could never be reproduced?

Best regards,

Randy

This from the NY Times on 2 September 1986:

"A British Airways suspersonic jet coming in for a landing yesterday at Greater Buffalo International Airport. The plane, which was flying a tour group from London, stopped first in New York City and then in Buffalo before flying on to Philadelphia. Thousands turned out to see the plane." (NYT/Joe Traver)

I don't know when you were a teenager,but does this fit the time frame?
They would have had a special dipensation to do so, as it was not allowed in Philly for regular service.

Since this is already off topic, I can't resist publishing this shot of one of the British-French SST's at the Farnborough air show in 1974. We (Lockheed) had brought one of our L-1011's (smiley PSA) to the show.

Ah, well, as long as we're off topic............

The only time I ever saw a Concorde was flying high over an air show at the Frederick, Md. airport--with absolutely stunning timing as the gregarious event announcer was in some huge hype over "the planes of yesteryear bringing us to the modern world of high-speed transportation......" at the end of the show, just after a "bombing run" by a Confederate Air Force B-29 that was actually too big to land there and had to run in and out of a military airport in West Va. This would have been late 1990s, as I recall. At that time, Concordes were making occasional forays into Washington's Dulles Airport. Given the closeness of Hanover and Frederick, I have no doubt that your sighted Concorde was flying to/from Dulles.

Warren,

1986 would have put me at 25 years old, a little past my teen years but regardless, many years ago!

If the plane was pointing west, it may have been in a holding pattern for Philly. It looks like the Philadephia airport was busy then? Some things never change!!

It looks like I may have witnessed a special visit. Wow! I literally walked out of the door at the Hanover shopping mall, +/- 10 seconds I would have missed it! It was daylight so I am assuming it may have been mid-day or at worst, late afternoon?? Way cool!

Thank you for the information.

Randy