The thread below about your favorite steam engineer prompted me to this post. What's your favorite steam excursion experience. What trip will you never forget and why?

For me that one is easy. I have had several very enjoyable and memorable excursions, but for me I will never forget the 1991 NRHS convention Hinton trip. It was the climax of the convention with the two Berks, NKP 765 & PM 1225, doubleheaded. The trip was what many here often refer to a "Death March", everything ran late, the 1225 suffered a crack in a thermic syphon about half way to Hinton and ended up just going along for the ride the rest of the way. The servicing stop took twice as long to service two locomotives, so why do you ask that it was my favorite?

The folks in Hinton were great! It was one of the only trips that I took with just my dad and I. We didn't get back to Hunntington till past 1:00am that morning, and by 9:00pm probably two thirds of the passengers were asleep. It was a warm balmy night and the vestubles were empty, and I was timing mile posts at 50 seconds. It was about as close to a time machine as I have ever experienced. I stood alone by the open window feeling the cinders and warm air perfumed with that acrid coal smoke. The distant roar of the big Limas on the point calling out all the grade crossings and working to haul the 31 car train. It was truly a night I will never forget. I will always be thankful to the CP Huntington chapter the CSX the NKP 765 group and the PM guys whose tireless hard work made it possible for me to enjoy the trip.

Thanks!
Steve

sacarlso@scj.com

3801 roaring into Sydney Central at night, through all the twinkling lights of the signals,and coasting to a smooth stop at the platform, seen in the flickering light from the firedoor and gage lamps.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Tough to pick just one !

A favorite high speed performance:
Chessie Safety Express, October ___ 1981, Baltimore "Old Main Line" to Martinsburg, Silver Spring Line on the return. A veteran B&O Road Foreman was at the throttle that evening. The stack talk from 614 was a continuous roar. We blasted past auto-traffic aside of us on the beltways, the light-rail trains, and mileposts about every 43 seconds. Wow!

A favorite engine (and engineer) performance:
Frank Collins starting the 611 without a slip on Christiansburg Mountain after the second side-by-side runby at the 1987 convention.
I think all the commercial video producers missed this one. The stack was as loud as a cannon and you could feel every piston stroke. Wow #2!

A favorite part of any steam-trip:
Watching all the people along the way who were called out to their porches or backyards by the sound of the steam-whistle. Americana!

Ditto: the Thanks to all those individuals and companies for giving us these memories.

Dear Steve:
I too have had number of favorites, mostly as part of Dick Jensen's crew on No. 5629, but I also rode a lot of excursions on the CB&Q between November 2, 1958 (my first) and August 1966 (the last one on "The Q").
A rather obscure outfit called "The North Palos Community Council" or some such, ran a number of excursions that were really more for the "daisypickers" than railfans, but I rode them too because they were steam (and cheap, I had a part time job at the time that paid $1.00/hour).
One of the trips they ran was to Galena, Illinois. We had No.5632 from Chicago to Savanna and return (with diesel to Galena, as I recall).
The return trip was after dark (we were probably late) and several of us kids rode the back platform of the "Chief Illini" (Pullman Co. "Inglehome", now at the Illinois Railway Museum) a heavywieght, open platform observation car. It was difficult to ride the platfrom of this car during the day because the adults took the space, but at night, in the cold, it was pretty much empty except for the diehards.
We ran non-stop from Savanna to Aurora...FAST. A number of us were timing our progress with our watches between mileposts and we were clicking off mile after mile at 90MPH.
"The Chief" had a pair of big inspection lights under the rear platform facing back. They were on, illuminating the tracks behind as we raced through the night. We were kicking up clouds of dust, especially when we went over grade crossings. You could feel the the car bear hard against the flanges as we went around curves, and through it all was "The 32", up front. The exhaust was reduced to a continuous rushing sound and the whistle (standard CB&Q 5 chime) somehow sounded like it was a lot farther away than it was. A really neat trip.
Those of us who were hanging out over the observation railings were also treated to being periodicly misted every time someone flushed a toilet in one of the cars ahead, no holding tanks back then.
J. David


jdconrad@snet.net

> Dear Steve:
> I too have had number of favorites, mostly
> as part of Dick Jensen's crew on No. 5629,
> but I also rode a lot of excursions on the
> CB&Q between November 2, 1958 (my first)
> and August 1966 (the last one on "The
> Q").
> A rather obscure outfit called "The
> North Palos Community Council" or some
> such, ran a number of excursions that were
> really more for the "daisypickers"
> than railfans, but I rode them too because
> they were steam (and cheap, I had a part
> time job at the time that paid $1.00/hour).
> One of the trips they ran was to Galena,
> Illinois. We had No.5632 from Chicago to
> Savanna and return (with diesel to Galena,
> as I recall).
> The return trip was after dark (we were
> probably late) and several of us kids rode
> the back platform of the "Chief
> Illini" (Pullman Co.
> "Inglehome", now at the Illinois
> Railway Museum) a heavywieght, open platform
> observation car. It was difficult to ride
> the platfrom of this car during the day
> because the adults took the space, but at
> night, in the cold, it was pretty much empty
> except for the diehards.
> We ran non-stop from Savanna to
> Aurora...FAST. A number of us were timing
> our progress with our watches between
> mileposts and we were clicking off mile
> after mile at 90MPH.
> "The Chief" had a pair of big
> inspection lights under the rear platform
> facing back. They were on, illuminating the
> tracks behind as we raced through the night.
> We were kicking up clouds of dust,
> especially when we went over grade
> crossings. You could feel the the car bear
> hard against the flanges as we went around
> curves, and through it all was "The
> 32", up front. The exhaust was reduced
> to a continuous rushing sound and the
> whistle (standard CB&Q 5 chime) somehow
> sounded like it was a lot farther away than
> it was. A really neat trip.
> Those of us who were hanging out over the
> observation railings were also treated to
> being periodicly misted every time someone
> flushed a toilet in one of the cars ahead,
> no holding tanks back then.
> J. David

J. David,
Thanks for those memories. I, too, was privileged to have grown up on the Burlington during the fantrip era and enjoyed many similar experiences. The '32 was hands-down the greatest engine I have ever ridden behind. She was a true legend in the late '50's and early '60's. Those "Q" hoggers weren't afraid to run her hard. When fans suggest now that we should be satisfied with steam on a 40 mph regional instead of true mainline steam, I cringe. Give me one fast, all-day trip a year and I will be happy. How's is the 4-4-0 doing in El Paso?
Don C.

old_fxrs@msn.com

> J. David,
> Thanks for those memories. I, too, was
> privileged to have grown up on the
> Burlington during the fantrip era and
> enjoyed many similar experiences. The '32
> was hands-down the greatest engine I have
> ever ridden behind. She was a true legend in
> the late '50's and early '60's. Those
> "Q" hoggers weren't afraid to run
> her hard. When fans suggest now that we
> should be satisfied with steam on a 40 mph
> regional instead of true mainline steam, I
> cringe. Give me one fast, all-day trip a
> year and I will be happy. How's is the 4-4-0
> doing in El Paso?
> Don C.

J. David and Don C. We, at least, know that the Q knew how to run fantrips. And had the locomotives to do it. I wasn't on that run from Savannah back to Chicago David, but was on the trip where 2-10-4 #6315 broke down and the 5632 had to push her and pull its long train the rest of the way to Galesburg on its own. And I got MY 90 m.p.h. run behind the `32 back to Chicago later that day. Man could that engine RUN! But my favorite steam excursion I think was one behind the 4960 that was run by the Iowa Chapter NRHS I believe. We had a connecting coach out of Chicago and picked up the excursion train in Savannah. Then went north (to La Crosse as I recall) before heading back into Iowa. Spent the night in a hotel there and the next morning went down the Q's line to Beardstown behind the Mike. Nice photo stops AND photo runs, not a hurried time, a train made up entirely of Burlington pullman green heavyweight equipment and a neat connection back at Savannah putting our car on the back of one of the Q's streamliners back to Chicago. There were many great runs on the Burlington back in those days, but that one stands out.

Les

midlandblb@cs.com

I may have already posted this at one time or another...

In 1986 I was probably around 13 or so. I'm 26 now. I rode 611 from Alexandria-Charlottesvill, Va and return for the second or third time. That night I got an hour and a half cab ride in the old RF&P Potomac Yard. I even got to put the injector on. Talk about excitement! At that age! 611 was and still is my favorite, although W&W's old #98 is a close second, I've ridden countless miles in her cab when I was younger.

The N&W however sure new how to build 'em! It wasn't high ball mainline running, but an hour and half sure fit my bill!

Jeff Lisowski
West Chester, Pa

Good music!
unfunkyufo76@hotmail.com

Two stand out:

UP 844 (as 8444) on the homeward leg of a May 1973 trip over Sherman Hill (Denver-Laramie & return.) Standing at the open baggage-car door and timing the speed at 80, which was twice as fast as any steam-powered trip I'd ridden up to that point. A few years later I got a cab ride on the TGV at 168 mph but it wasn't nearly as much fun as that night on the UP.

Riding the cab of PRR 1361 and the engineman allowing me to take a turn at the whistle cord.

Dan Cupper
Harrisburg, Pa.

cupper@att.net

Good thread! I was fortunate enough to have ridden excursions on IC, L&N, and N&W in the late 1950's and later to cut coal on several 4501 trips on the Southern.

My favorite engine was IC 2613, a Paducah-built 4-8-2 that ran two trips on the IC's Ky Division in 1960 and the L&N's 100th anniversary special in 1959. Although I had an authorized cab ride between Central City and Dawson Springs, KY on one of the IC trips, it's the L&N Centennial run from Louisville to Nashville that takes the cake.

It was Oct 27, 1959 when the 2613, leased by L&N because all of their steam power had been retired, departed Louisville for Nashville with a 14 car train. Several events mark this event as a winner.....

As the train passed South Louisville, the engineer stood up and pulled out the throttle. The sudden increase in speed threw him back in his seat! (Seems the L&N never had a steam engine comparable to the IC's 2600's or at least maybe only the Big Emma 2-8-4's .)

L&N mangement had received the loco on Tuesday for a Saturday trip and kept it at full steam for the week thereby causing the engine to have a low coal supply. When the train reached Bowling Green some coal was added but not enough to complete the run to Nashville. The engine ran out of coal at Gallatin, TN.

The IC had wisely sent their Louisville roundhouse foreman Jimmy Dobbins on the trip. Riding in a coach, Mr. Dobbins had consumed more than a sixpack of beer by the time the train stopped at Gallatin. L&N officials were planning to sidetrack the 2613 and take the train to Nashville with diesels (which had followed us from Louisville). When Mr. Dobbins heard this he exploded with colorful language that may still be resounding off the Tennessee hills. As a result, L&N towed the engine to Nashville with the train and sent it to Radnor roundhouse to add coal and re-build the fire.

This all resulted in a very late departure from Nashville. In a drizzling rain, the big 4-8-2 soon reached track speed as she raced through the darkness toward Louisville.

Now, L&N was not an experienced fan-tripper and had left the front door of the baggage car unlocked. It didn't take long for fans, including me, to swarm over the back of 2613's tender.
Imagine...we're running 80 mph and riding the tender at night in the rain. I had climbed up the ladder with my head and shoulders above the deck on top of the tender. It was fabulous...until we entered a tunnel! Then it was hell as hot cinders, some burning, rained down on the tender riders. Add smoke and soon there was no visibility. I started down the ladder and stepped on somebody's hands. One by one, each of us felt his way across the banging, slamming space over the couplers and found the safety of the baggage car which had also filled up with smoke. One of the tender riders fainted inside the baggage car. He was Don Ball. The guy whose hands I stepped on? Jim Boyd! All of us looked like coal miners after a hard day in a mine.

On and on the train raced but it was getting late. Our scheduled arrival in Louisville of 10 pm went by the board as we finally pulled in to Union Station at 3 am after the engineer, having run the "A" street wye and, stopped on Gaulbert Street in a canyon between apartment buildings, cut loose with long, loud blasts of that deep, throaty 3 chime I C whistle!

It's seems like yesterday, even after 43 years!

By the way, the 2613 appears in 2 of our videos---MidAmerican Glory-ICRR and Reflections of the L&N

-JH

http://www.herronrail.com
hrvideo@mindspring.com

> Good thread! I was fortunate enough to have
> ridden excursions on IC, L&N, and
> N&W in the late 1950's and later to cut
> coal on several 4501 trips on the Southern.

> My favorite engine was IC 2613, a
> Paducah-built 4-8-2 that ran two trips on
> the IC's Ky Division in 1960 and the
> L&N's 100th anniversary special in 1959.
> Although I had an authorized cab ride
> between Central City and Dawson Springs, KY
> on one of the IC trips, it's the L&N
> Centennial run from Louisville to Nashville
> that takes the cake.

> It was Oct 27, 1959 when the 2613, leased by
> L&N because all of their steam power had
> been retired, departed Louisville for
> Nashville with a 14 car train. Several
> events mark this event as a winner.....

> As the train passed South Louisville, the
> engineer stood up and pulled out the
> throttle. The sudden increase in speed threw
> him back in his seat! (Seems the L&N
> never had a steam engine comparable to the
> IC's 2600's or at least maybe only the Big
> Emma 2-8-4's .)

> L&N mangement had received the loco on
> Tuesday for a Saturday trip and kept it at
> full steam for the week thereby causing the
> engine to have a low coal supply. When the
> train reached Bowling Green some coal was
> added but not enough to complete the run to
> Nashville. The engine ran out of coal at
> Gallatin, TN.

> The IC had wisely sent their Louisville
> roundhouse foreman Jimmy Dobbins on the
> trip. Riding in a coach, Mr. Dobbins had
> consumed more than a sixpack of beer by the
> time the train stopped at Gallatin. L&N
> officials were planning to sidetrack the
> 2613 and take the train to Nashville with
> diesels (which had followed us from
> Louisville). When Mr. Dobbins heard this he
> exploded with colorful language that may
> still be resounding off the Tennessee hills.
> As a result, L&N towed the engine to
> Nashville with the train and sent it to
> Radnor roundhouse to add coal and re-build
> the fire.

> This all resulted in a very late departure
> from Nashville. In a drizzling rain, the big
> 4-8-2 soon reached track speed as she raced
> through the darkness toward Louisville.

> Now, L&N was not an experienced
> fan-tripper and had left the front door of
> the baggage car unlocked. It didn't take
> long for fans, including me, to swarm over
> the back of 2613's tender.
> Imagine...we're running 80 mph and riding
> the tender at night in the rain. I had
> climbed up the ladder with my head and
> shoulders above the deck on top of the
> tender. It was fabulous...until we entered a
> tunnel! Then it was hell as hot cinders,
> some burning, rained down on the tender
> riders. Add smoke and soon there was no
> visibility. I started down the ladder and
> stepped on somebody's hands. One by one,
> each of us felt his way across the banging,
> slamming space over the couplers and found
> the safety of the baggage car which had also
> filled up with smoke. One of the tender
> riders fainted inside the baggage car. He
> was Don Ball. The guy whose hands I stepped
> on? Jim Boyd! All of us looked like coal
> miners after a hard day in a mine.

> On and on the train raced but it was getting
> late. Our scheduled arrival in Louisville of
> 10 pm went by the board as we finally pulled
> in to Union Station at 3 am after the
> engineer, having run the "A"
> street wye and, stopped on Gaulbert Street
> in a canyon between apartment buildings, cut
> loose with long, loud blasts of that deep,
> throaty 3 chime I C whistle!

> It's seems like yesterday, even after 43
> years!

> By the way, the 2613 appears in 2 of our
> videos---MidAmerican Glory-ICRR and
> Reflections of the L&N

> -JH

Jim, thanks for the good laugh! That's hilarious! Did the engine crew know that there were a bunch of guys hanging on the back of the tender?


sacarlso@scj.com

> Good thread! I was fortunate enough to have
> ridden excursions on IC, L&N, and
> N&W in the late 1950's and later to cut
> coal on several 4501 trips on the Southern.

> My favorite engine was IC 2613, a
> Paducah-built 4-8-2 that ran two trips on
> the IC's Ky Division in 1960 and the
> L&N's 100th anniversary special in 1959.
> Although I had an authorized cab ride
> between Central City and Dawson Springs, KY
> on one of the IC trips, it's the L&N
> Centennial run from Louisville to Nashville
> that takes the cake.

> It was Oct 27, 1959 when the 2613, leased by
> L&N because all of their steam power had
> been retired, departed Louisville for
> Nashville with a 14 car train. Several
> events mark this event as a winner.....

> As the train passed South Louisville, the
> engineer stood up and pulled out the
> throttle. The sudden increase in speed threw
> him back in his seat! (Seems the L&N
> never had a steam engine comparable to the
> IC's 2600's or at least maybe only the Big
> Emma 2-8-4's .)

> L&N mangement had received the loco on
> Tuesday for a Saturday trip and kept it at
> full steam for the week thereby causing the
> engine to have a low coal supply. When the
> train reached Bowling Green some coal was
> added but not enough to complete the run to
> Nashville. The engine ran out of coal at
> Gallatin, TN.

> The IC had wisely sent their Louisville
> roundhouse foreman Jimmy Dobbins on the
> trip. Riding in a coach, Mr. Dobbins had
> consumed more than a sixpack of beer by the
> time the train stopped at Gallatin. L&N
> officials were planning to sidetrack the
> 2613 and take the train to Nashville with
> diesels (which had followed us from
> Louisville). When Mr. Dobbins heard this he
> exploded with colorful language that may
> still be resounding off the Tennessee hills.
> As a result, L&N towed the engine to
> Nashville with the train and sent it to
> Radnor roundhouse to add coal and re-build
> the fire.

> This all resulted in a very late departure
> from Nashville. In a drizzling rain, the big
> 4-8-2 soon reached track speed as she raced
> through the darkness toward Louisville.

> Now, L&N was not an experienced
> fan-tripper and had left the front door of
> the baggage car unlocked. It didn't take
> long for fans, including me, to swarm over
> the back of 2613's tender.
> Imagine...we're running 80 mph and riding
> the tender at night in the rain. I had
> climbed up the ladder with my head and
> shoulders above the deck on top of the
> tender. It was fabulous...until we entered a
> tunnel! Then it was hell as hot cinders,
> some burning, rained down on the tender
> riders. Add smoke and soon there was no
> visibility. I started down the ladder and
> stepped on somebody's hands. One by one,
> each of us felt his way across the banging,
> slamming space over the couplers and found
> the safety of the baggage car which had also
> filled up with smoke. One of the tender
> riders fainted inside the baggage car. He
> was Don Ball. The guy whose hands I stepped
> on? Jim Boyd! All of us looked like coal
> miners after a hard day in a mine.

> On and on the train raced but it was getting
> late. Our scheduled arrival in Louisville of
> 10 pm went by the board as we finally pulled
> in to Union Station at 3 am after the
> engineer, having run the "A"
> street wye and, stopped on Gaulbert Street
> in a canyon between apartment buildings, cut
> loose with long, loud blasts of that deep,
> throaty 3 chime I C whistle!

> It's seems like yesterday, even after 43
> years!

> By the way, the 2613 appears in 2 of our
> videos---MidAmerican Glory-ICRR and
> Reflections of the L&N

> -JH

Jim, thanks for the good laugh! That's hilarious! Did the engine crew know that there were a bunch of guys hanging on the back of the tender?

Steve


sacarlso@scj.com

> The thread below about your favorite steam
> engineer prompted me to this post. What's
> your favorite steam excursion experience.
> What trip will you never forget and why?

November 1, 1980, had been an awful day. We rose at something awful like 4am to make a 7am departure behind CPR 4-6-4 2839. The route was from Birmingham south to Wilton (on the Southern's route to Mobile), northeast to Anniston, and back west to Birmingham.

2839 stalled almost within site of the top of the grade through Genery Gap (back then in the middle of nowhere, now just off the Interstate). Two hours were consumed bringing diesels in to "backstop" the consist while the Hudson doubled the hill. By the time we got to the "lunch stop" at Anniston it was nearly dark, and we weren't allowed off the train while the engine was serviced.

As the sun set we headed west, and through the darkness 2839 knocked of mile after mile at 60mph+, with that absolutely beautiful deep exhaust and a Ps4 whistle. It was absolutely freezing in the baggage door of the "Man O' War," but we didn't care.

Those miles made up for an otherwise unpleasant day. I can still hear that exhaust.

Another would have to be in the cab of UP 3985, accelerating away from a photo runby at Dale. Steve Lee had the train right at track speed as we entered Hermosa Tunnel.

Immediately it looked like we were at a fireworks show.

I learned something about lignite that day - it seems most of it burns OUTSIDE the locomotive. (How that helps boil water I still don't know, but there it is.) I'm not talking about one or two here and there - it looked like someone was welding on the boiler as it passed through the tunnel.

Being in the cab of a steam engine through a tunnel is always memorable, but I've never seen anything to compare to that minute or so. I just wish I had been able to catch it on film.

> The thread below about your favorite steam
> engineer prompted me to this post. What's
> your favorite steam excursion experience.
> What trip will you never forget and why?

I guess I'm fortunate to have several unforgettable experiences. My first excursion was behind Reading 2124 out of Port Reading, NJ, to the Perkiomen Branch. In December 1975 a group of friends shared the first coach on the Blue Comet Special behind ex-FEC 148 form Raritan to Long Branch on the CNJ. We had a blast! Then I rode the Freedom Train behind AFT 1 (RDG 2101) at night from Newark to Bethlehem. Seeing those display cars lit up behind us was unforgettable!

But my most memorable excursion experience was firing 611 up the Rathole for about 60 miles the summer before NS ended their steam program.


Martyhuck@aol.com

PLA's 2001 Steam Specatcular at McCloud (Washington's Birthday Weekend)
Both McCloud #18 and #25 at work. With boat prow like snow plow on the point and open air double deck observation car on rear.

Snowed most of the trip, making good use of the plow; a couple of photo run bys plowing fresh snow on sidings. Mt. Shasta is virtual Winter Wonderland, so the views were terrific!

Best part of all was standing on the top of the double deck obscar, watching the double plumes of steam exhaust expand over the stands of trees. Nothing like it in the world!

fwsturke@pacbell.net

> In December 1975 a group of friends shared
> the first coach on the Blue Comet Special
> behind ex-FEC 148 form Raritan to Long
> Branch on the CNJ. We had a blast!

> But my most memorable excursion experience
> was firing 611 up the Rathole for about 60
> miles the summer before NS ended their steam
> program.

My most memorable excursion was in late 1985 or early 1986 on a New Georgia Railroad special to Commerce, GA. On the return trip to Atlanta, running on the SR main at about 60-plus on the bouncing deck of Savannah & Atlanta 750 as this green, volunteer fireman (me) tried to scoop coal into the firebox. For about 20 miles or so south from Gainesville at night, trying to keep an even fire while the guest NS engineer, "Jumpin' John", a gentleman with a reputation of chewing up firemen and spitting them out the cab window, did his dead level best to work me to death. The flicker of the firebox as the foot pedal was pushed and the doors opened, the the thunderous racket in the cab, and then recovery in the coal pile as the northbound Cresent zooms by so fast on a rolling meet that you don't have time to register what train it was until it is long gone. That is a trip I will never forget!

syfrettinc@bellsouth.net