One more, from the on-the-Dam photo runby:

Howard -

Thanks for the photos. Your earlier description of the 75 as "gutsy" is right on! I had the privilege of riding behind her on the Whitewater Valley out of Metamora, Indiana and she put on quite a show.

Les

That cute little train must have some pretty good power to pull 3 fully loaded (?) passenger cars with no helpers required.

Outstanding Pixs Howard, thank you!

I look forward to seeing her next saturday. Great to see a steamer running on the Naugy

Anthony

My visit was brief, but what a show No 75 puts on! And for anyone who hasn't seen the before and after pictures, Thomaston Station has literally been brought back from the ashes -looks incredible. Wish I had more time or could come back next weekend! (but I will be back!)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 194&nseq=0

Stephen

Great shot of Thomaston Station, Stephen. You were finally able to do what we've wanted to do for 15 years--- get rid of the !@%&# wires!!!! Nice work!

Howard P.

Thanks, Howard! My son and I lowered my camera down from the bridge deck using a telescoping boom with the camera mount rigged upside down. We dropped it down approx 10-12 ft, which got the lens below the wires.

Stephen

Stephen's photo, linked above, includes a Model A pickup, just one of the props that made the station at Thomaston look that much authentic for the steam era. Just below where Stephen and his son hung the camera for that photo was another neat prop; a vintage dump truck.

I didn't note the make, or ask what year, but the truck was in a fresh coat of red paint, with RMNE lettering on the cab doors and in nice block lettering, C-O-A-L, a letter in each panel, on the dump body. (And it was used for that purpose, as well-)

I've always said that Strasburg sets the stage well, nothing out of place, but RMNE is not terribly far behind here.

As for the 75, what a nice little machine! For its size, it pulls really well, and the sight, sounds, and smells are spot on. If you have the opportunity to get to Thomaston next weekend, which is really Friday through Monday, you won't be disappointed.

EDM

The RMNE "COAL" truck is a 67 GMC dump truck with a small lever gate in the tailgate. A home-made coal chute expedited the loading of the 5-gallon plastic pails John Gramling brings for coaling 75. The truck lettering was done by Al Pomeroy the day before the first runs. Really gives "the red dump truck" a proper small-town look.

Howard P.

OK, some photos:
75 and the Coal Truck, buckets at the ready:


RMNE Crew Dispatcher Barb Walcott and her 1930 Model A truck (and top hat):


Not shown, but detectable in the air: all the fun that was being had.

Howard P.

had a great Time on Sunday! Here are a few pixs. Great Job RMNE!

Anthony









More to come tommrow....these are all edits I am working on in my photo class

Very awesome pictures. Those with the truck in the foreground looked really good, always chokes me up a bit when I see pictures like that for some reason.

You know, I use to not think much of tank engines. I always thought they were too small or they just could do much. Man was I wrong! The first engine I rode in was NHV #17, an almost identical twin to #75, and man she was a beast. Had the pleasure of being there when they were double-heading last fall and those two could pull the world.

John and Barney are two fine individuals. I'm looking forward to seeing them again at WV Rails at the end of the month.

I really like the photos of #75 switching the vintage freight cars next to the industrial building. Very, very nice! Seeing the little Vulcan next to that building reminds me of a photo I saw years ago, perhaps it was in the old "Steam Locomotive" magazine. That particular picture was of Edgmoor & Manetta 0-4-0T #5, and she was pictured next to a similar industrial building owned by the textile company that also owned the E&M. The number 5 was a Porter, originally built in 1917 for an outfit in Massachusetts. The engine eventually made its way down south, working as #3 for the Warrior River Terminal Company in Alabama, ending up at dealer Birmingham Rail & Locomotive before being sold to the E&M in 1941. Her boiler finally failed a federal inspection in 1971 and at that time, she was the very last steam locomotive running in common carrier service where passenger/railfan trains were not a part of the operation. Thirty years of service! Seems as if the textile company got its monies worth out the locomotive. Anyone know whatever happened to that little Porter saddletanker? Sure glad that Flagg Coal 75 is around to bring back memories of the way things once were on those little out of the way operations.

Les

The pictures of E&M #5 in the late 1960s from Bill Young's late, great magazine were in my mind when I pre-visualized and arranged the shoot at Plume & Atwood on Sunday.

I have some different angles and "props" in the pictures I shot, and they may appear soon.

Anthony got some good angles as well.

Howard P.

Howard -

I look forward to your photos. Also, when you get the chance, give us a bit of info on the three vintage freight cars in the photos taken at Plume & Atwood. Thanks.

Les