Anybody headed to Altoona to see 765 better book soon. All that was left lastnight was the H I X @ 165/night.

Hotel space throughout north-central Pa. has been at a premium for the past year or three (and prices up by $10-20) in large part because of the Marcellus Shale/"fracking" boom (no pun intended) in the state. Economic stimulus, anyone? A couple modular-design motels (think your lookalike Motel 7 or Super 9) have sprung up just to serve this additional demand.

Post if you are going, this could be an opportunity for an RYPN flash mob.

'tis true, was thinking of spending a night in Altoona this month and the prices were quite a bit higher than two years ago.

Rob

The city of Altoona had better lower the level in the reservoir there by the Curve that morning,
because of the flood of Foam that is gonna gush/oooz/LaHar down the hill when 765 goes by.
Maybe they should install some Tsunami Alarms.

I'll be driving up from the DC area that morning and will be meeting a friend from Ohio. Perhaps I should bring a boat. Does Kelly still have his steam launch?

bbunge@ladyandtramp.com

Bob

There have been better "foaming" experiences in the past, including a sister NKP Berkshire, a couple of Reading 4-8-4's, and a doubleheaded 4-8-4/2-8-2 combo.

My assumption is that the foam will be substantially held "in check" with liberal applications of diesel assistance. Remember, these ferry runs are light stock movements that have to stay out of the way of the trains that pay the bills, NOT trains being run to satisfy trackside and on-board foamers with ego-stoked delusions of a "challenge of the Alleghenies" for the 765. The people in charge are NOT the likes of Bill Howes, George Leilich, or Stanley Crane.

Do I detect a bit of "railfan snobbery" in that comment? Better foaming what, 30+ years ago? Sandy, does this make you a train hipster? ;)

Keep in mind the railroad on which we're running is entirely cognizant of their own history and the significance of this year and the significance of the first steam locomotive over the curve since the 1970s. Don't be surprised to find us stopping at the curve during the outbound move for the sheer purpose of recognizing the event and getting a photo or five.


Now, starting the train again should be another event altogether.

As long as Kelly is there with his HD video cam.... and that we can eventally see the results!

By the way, love the 40th Anniv video.

Howard P.
(who was there in Sept 1970 for the Sunday 759 run)

As for me, I am much more looking forward to viewing 765 as she cruises along the Juniata River on the Middle Division and hearing for that lovely PRR chime whistle echo off the hills. To heck with the foaming mob on Horseshoe.

Kelly,

I'd say your detector is working fine.

''Now, starting the train again should be another event altogether.''

If that takes place, it might just be worth the price of admission.

Remember to stop her on sand,
and NO CHEATING with that oil-burning thing back there behind the tenders.
That is ONLY there for dynamic brake purposes.

In our discussions we've determined we'll have 11 passenger cars, the 8100, and 2-3 coal gons on the rear, which may be very near equal tonnage wise to what the 759 was pulling.

As for documenting, not entirely sure where I'll set up though I may be hiring a few folks to shoot for us. I will be fortunate enough to on the engine for the inbound move. Regardless of heading downhill with the engine, there will be a Cuban cigar in the nearest chore coat pocket at the end of that day.

Glad you liked our little flick, Howard. Hopefully a vision of things to come. Of note, it was the vision of 759 at the curve that helped inspire the founders of the FWRHS.

KL

We've covered this before: 1985:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33265&p=175590

If you mean "publicly promoted passenger trips," then you have a valid point.

I can't speak for 765, but as I understand/read it 759 didn't stop at the Curve on its High Iron runs, and the last steam train that did so intentionally while going uphill (for a photo op, mind you) couldn't restart the train, and needed the assistance of diesel helpers to get moving again--but that was, indeed, a longer, heavier train when they had another track available for bypassing trains. (I wonder if we'll hear from the engineer on that latter run?)

I would personally LOVE it if 765 and train were to take on the likes of the Curve, Gallitzen, etc. unassisted, like the "glory days" of "old-time" steam excursions. But I'm cynically resigning myself to the reality of 21st-century steam railroading on modern Class Ones. I saw 611 and 1218 before and after the universal 40-mph speed limit on steam was applied by NS, and it was, in a sense, like going from the roller coaster to the Ferris wheel. I saw 614 with a 55-mph speed limit on Chessie (Dutch doors! Open windows! Recording car!!), and have seen videos of the never-to-be-repeated high-speed exploits on NJ Transit.

I've still got this lovely collection of Crow Sauce waiting, after all............. best of luck in making me crack open a bottle or three!

Kelly, all I can say is start making calls to my chief dispatcher to make a recommendation for pilot crewmen... hint hint. ;)

When we ran the 759 trips in 1970 there was no diesel in the consist and IIRC we had an Aux. tender and a total of 14 cars, one ex-CNJ combine on the head end for tape recorder fans, 6 Pennsy stainless commuter coaches, one snack souvenir full bagg., 5 more Pennsy coaches and my 1928 Heavyweight Pullman PV then called the "Brothers Two". Approx. total tonnage 1050 trailing tons.

We did not stop on the curve as there was no chance of achieving an unassisted restart if we had. Before the first trip the then General Superintendent ( now deceased) was so sure that the 759 couldn't take the train to the top of the mountain ( the curve is about halfway there) that he bet me $1,000 cash that we wouldn't make it. To his credit he paid off as soon as we got back down to Altoona for our service stop.

I ran both days from Altoona to Galitzin and back to Altoona. Wes Camp fired the first day and the late Russ Shipman fired the second day. Of course it was throttle to the ceiling,full sanders, rail washer and on the feather the whole way. The slowest we got was 9mph on the first day and 11mph on the second day. On the second day we purposely left Altoona with half full main and aux. tenders vs. both over flowing on day one and that 100 ton difference gave us 2 mph more.

759 and her crew did a great job both days and fortunatly we had dry rail both days. Could we have made it if the rail was greasy wet?? I'm not sure, but probably at a crawl??

At the request of one of our sponsors General Motors, we stopped the AFT on the curve westbound in 1976 for pictures. We purposely had two diesels on the head end that day as we were planning on stopping on the curve and knew that we could not restart that 24 car long train with the T-1 alone and do it smoothly. She probably could have gotten them started and to the top but it would have definitly required bunching the slack, cutting in her booster and literally yanking them out of there. With the priceless artifacts we were carrying there was no way we were going to do that. So we stopped on the curve, cut off the helpers who ran ahead a few hundred feet to get out of the picture, took the pictures ( with Mr. JJ MacDonald VP-GM in the firemans window) , recoupled the helpers and made a silk smooth start up the mountain. IIRC we cut off the helpers at Johnstown.

With dry rail I would guess from the description of the consist above that the 765 should be able to make it unassisted by the dismal if a. she's got good sand and good sanders,b. the hogger is johnny on the spot if she loses her feet,c. the fireman can keep her on the feather from the bottom of the hill to Galitzin. If all 3 of those conditions exist I'd give her a 80/20 chance of success WITHOUT the dismal doing any of the work.

I don't own a camera, but I'm guessing that with todays magic with Photoshop you can cut out the dismal in the pics anyway??

Here's wishing them a safe and successful series of trips.

Ross Rowland