Bob,
I can't speak for anyone else, but I have at least one very vivid memory of the first time I saw a big 4-8-4, and that was 2 1/2 years old. Even for someone that age, it's very obvious that this very loud and huge thing isn't something you see every day.

I've been told I wasn't all that happy for the very fast, whistling photo runby, but just seeing that thing sitting there prior to departure was something else.
Kevin

This beings up one interesting point, and one that I've heard a lot. The people that chase want the photos--which is something you often can't get while riding. To an extent, it's a totally different market. Has the NRHS ever thought about running a "photo special" for one day of the convention as opposed to a long excursion to take advantage of the people that want photography of the trains as opposed to just a train ride?

Obviously some areas are better equipped and willing to do this as opposed to others, but I can think of several good locations on the steamtown ride towards Tobyhanna or Gouldsboro that would work--and have been done before on NRHS or Steamtown trips with large crowds. Do a shorter mileage trip, with about 3 runbys at each location to let the crowd move around.

Other than maybe the Huntington '91 and Roanoke '87 conventions with side-by-side steam and multiple runbys, has this ever happened? It might be a way to rope in the money of some of the people that just don't want to be stuck on a train for 10hrs, if the right situation presented itself.
Kevin

Obvious solution: sell T shirts for the event to chasers, the most bright, obnoxious colors the better. Chasers who buy the shirts support and respect others who are also wearing them - but intrude into the pictures of those who haven't. Chasers then become a very visible, self-policing community of demonstrated supporters of the programming.

dave

Great. Seventeen carloads of guys wearing YOUR tee shirts blowing through town at 90MPH... WE'RE THE OFFICIAL CHASE TEAM... GET OTTA' THE WAY!!!

I don't think those having the integrity to pay for the shirts are the same ones having the lack of integrity to "blow through town", but I'm always open to having what few optimistic thoughts I have about people in general or foamers in particular shot down in practice. I'm seldom disappointed about being generally disappointed.....but at the least it would make for a more colorful experience.

dave

The previous comments about kids and steam remind me of a story I was told by a fellow who had been to Strasburg, and had also been to a local drag race track in Hagerstown, Md.

What he said that was interesting was that his boy, who was a little older (I think about 5), had been scared of the dragsters. He asked his father, "Daddy, why are those cars so angry?"

The same boy had no fear of what, from his father's description, sounded like No. 90 on the Strasburg, the boy going right up to it and studying it at close range. Despite its great size, noise, and heat, (admittedly while standing in the station), the steamer was "friendly," panting like a great black dog--or a horse (an iron one, naturally).

Was it Graham Claytor who considered steam to be railroading's greatest ambassador?

Could any Class I or regional do worse for marketing than to make good use of such an ambassador?

Maybe I--maybe all of us--are too close to the subject, but why do I think the bean counters and bankers and lawyers are missing something here? Could they be lacking something in their souls?

It may be worth noting that there are some people, mostly in the environmental field, who consider the very nature of a corporate structure for a business tends to result in an institution that is essentially psychopathic (it's all about money and nothing else). I myself consider the corporate voting structure, in which people essentially vote as piles of money, to be undemocratic. What I'm refering to is that if you own 10 times the shares Mr. Smith owns, you get 10 times the vote--but that doesn't make you 10 times smarter or 10 times better than Mr. Smith. I sometimes think the arrangement of cooperatives (one person, one vote, but profits and losses in relation to shares) might be better.

Certainly it might make some differences in business decisions.

I'm probably being too philosophical here.

It may be worth noting that there are some people, mostly in the environmental field, who consider the very nature of a corporate structure for a business tends to result in an institution that is essentially psychopathic (it's all about money and nothing else).


On the contrary, the very fact that those corporations support those barbarians at the gate, who wish to control that which they won't buy or enhance, proves that they are psychopathic when they ignore their mission: make money, concentrate on the business at hand, operate legally and ethically.

Take a look at GE.. Jack Welch, ran the business first-great returns. Imelt concentrates on positioning himself relative to politicians so that if they stop fast he
becomes a risk of rectal impaction.. not such goods returns, despite looking for all those "green subsidies" for "ecomagination" and by trying to get the EPA to do something they couldn't: kill EMD's 710...

As for your own vote per owner idea, should you get the same dividend as somebody who only bought 1/10 of the stock you did. Owing a share of publicly traded stock gives you three things, a risk of loss (as we we reminded today), a right to get a dividend and a vote, not much else.

Ask, and ye shall receive! This was my first time seeing the "Blue Pacific" and I was most impressed. She's pretty, she's loud, and I rarely get to see a steam engine run so fast.

Here she is leaving the boarding area: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=329897&nseq=2

Climbing the hill on the Pittston Wye: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=329895&nseq=4

Charging toward the McAlpine St. Crossing: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=329896&nseq=3

May have a few more as I get time to postprocess them.

Would really like to see a photo charter on this line. Pretty trainset, great scenery!

/Kevin

Bottom of Page 2, last post on the page, my Youtube video link of the chase. In case you haven't seen it. :)

A pretty engine, indeed. . .hope they made enough money to help keep her in staybolts and pin grease. . .

What is the engine's "design heritage?" I know this locomotive was built for the Gulf, Mobile & Northern, and she looks like an Alco, but designs for relatively small railroads like the GM&N were usually based on something from another line or a stock engine. This is one I don't quite recognise, as one would, say, a USRA engine.

Anybody know anything?

she was built by baldwin in 1928

The pictures and videos are appreciated!

SteamPWR

I only got one of the 425 doing her thing here:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=329969

Hopefully the chasers will approve of your train, instead of this pic here:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=329386

For those who didn't get the shot you wanted, I'm sorry. It wasn't a plot against you, if only I had such time. We (the DL) don't like to run the older ALCo's behind the steam engines because of the amount of air (and therefore cinders) they suck in. I think even the Western Maryland (?) had a bulletin issued to this effect for helpers back in the day.

Plus passengers in the open window coaches seemed to be able to enjoy hearing the steam engine work coming back after hearing the three 244 engines on the way out. I didn't hear any complaints from them.

Dave Crosby

You can't please everyone, I think it looked pretty neat. Nice picture of the morning runby at Old Penn Haven.

Chasers then become a very visible, self-policing community of demonstrated supporters of the programming.

Oh great, vigilantism.

There's a reason some of the badder apples are called FRN's. They can barely police themselves and group interactions seem to be fraught with F-bombs when somebody get's in the other guy's intended shot-and now there's the indignant frenetic pointing to the camcorder because the "recording artist" wants NO ambient noise to ruin his video.