If at first you don't succeed etc. Does anyone have a source on the internet for pictures of the first years of Steamtown, say through 1967?

wrj494@aol.com

Does
> anyone have a source on the internet for
> pictures of the first years of Steamtown,
> say through 1967?

David,
I've posted a couple of my father's 1960's Monadnock Northern pictures in the Nerail archive,which you can access through the link below. Other than those, I've not seen any that are pre-1971. As time permits I'll post more of these shots.

There is another site which has a good number of pics that were taken at the Riverside location (which you may have already seen) in the early 70's, and the URL of that site is,

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/steamtown5.html

Hope this helps,
Steve



Nerail archive Steamtown pages
SJHussar@aol.com

Very interesting pictures. I was looking through the June/July 2002 roundhouse shots seeing if there was a shot of me but didn't see anything.

I found this caption on page 3 of the archives
"Pacific #127 and Canadian National #3254 underway at Steamtown, VT 1972"

3254 was not at Steamtown at this time. It came to Scranton from the Gettysburg when it was traded for #1278 (once #127) in the late 80s or early 90s.

Joshua

joshua@joshuakblay.com

> I found this caption on page 3 of the
> archives
> "Pacific #127 and Canadian National
> #3254 underway at Steamtown, VT 1972"

> 3254 was not at Steamtown at this time. It
> came to Scranton from the Gettysburg when it
> was traded for #1278 (once #127) in the late
> 80s or early 90s.
Hi, Joshua:
I didn't see the link, but do know that 3254 arrived in Scranton as "Lackawanna 1271" under steam from the Gettysburg RR in 1987, last year of Scranton-Steamtown Foundation years. Next season it ran, in 1990, it was back as CN 3254. P.S. I read your home web site last week. Good Job.

> Joshua


http://www.nps.gov/stea/
mustang746@earthlink.net

Josh,

The picture shows CPR G5 #1278 as "127" and another CPR G5 dressed as D&H #653. The Pacific and Reading #2102 were dressed in D&H garb for the line's 150th anniversary. The smoke deflectors are the give away.

At that time, CN #3254 was sitting near a motel in Ashland, PA.

Rob Davis

trains@robertjohndavis.com

> The picture shows CPR G5 #1278 as
> "127" and another CPR G5 dressed
> as D&H #653.

Rob, et al

CPR 1278 (127) was the G5 made over into D&H 653. 1278 aka 653 is second engine in the photo. I believe the lead engine is CPR G5 1246 lettered up as a Rutland RR engine. This was done for an early railfan weekend at Steamtown USA in VT (I guess 1972 from the photo date).

Regards,
Jim Robinson

Just realized the date (1972) listed on the photo must be wrong. The transformation of 127(8) into D&H 653 for the D&H 150th Anniversary excursion took place in 1973. Also this may have been a Steamtown day-long excursion over the entire GMR instead of a railfan weekend. Howard P. may remember when it was.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

Wait a minute now. Not only are you right, Jim, I was there!!!

Jim, sometime in the winter of 73-74 Steamtown ran a doubleheader from Riverside to Rutland and back with the "653" and one of the other G5's. My mom drove my cousin Chuck (now of Vermont Hobby Depot) and I up from NJ for the weekend to ride. That was my first double-header.

How cool was it to have a Mom who would take you to ride doubleheaded steam in Vermont when you were FIVE? She really helped cultivate the rail passion. I am grateful to her for that.

Dang. I have some very poor 126 prints from that day.

Thanks for jogging the memories!

Rob

> Just realized the date (1972) listed on the
> photo must be wrong. The transformation of
> 127(8) into D&H 653 for the D&H
> 150th Anniversary excursion took place in
> 1973. Also this may have been a Steamtown
> day-long excursion over the entire GMR
> instead of a railfan weekend. Howard P. may
> remember when it was.

> Regards,
> Jim Robinson


trains@robertjohndavis.com

> Dang. I have some very poor 126 prints from
> that day.

> Thanks for jogging the memories!

> Rob

OK, Rob, next time I see you I'll give ya some nice B&W 8x10s of that trip!!

It was the last weekend in December, 1973-- the weekend between Xmas and New Years. Yes, 1246 was turned out as "Rutland 82". I painted the number on the cab sides the Friday night before the trip. 1278 was still in her "D&H 653" dress, and was quite dirty (and good-looking that way!). 1246 had been sold to Steamtown Foundation during the summer of 1973, and started operating for SF in July. The trip was a one-day up to Rutland and back to Riverside on a Saturday. There was enough snow and sunlight for some very nice photography. On Sunday morning, I returned to find "82" with her lead truck on the ground at the Riverside shop, and minus the "RUTLAND 82" number plate. After rerailing, the two locomotives went coupled and under steam to be turned on GMRC's N. Walpole turntable.

The following year, again on the weekend between Xmas and New Year's, 1246 and 1278 repeated the trip, but as CPR locomotives. And the weather again cooperated-- even more snow in '74!

hpincus@mindspring.com

Hi Howard,

Any plans for RMNE to run No. 1246 on the Naganatuck Ry (sp?)in CT? She is a honey of an engine!

Regards,
K.R. Bell

> OK, Rob, next time I see you I'll give ya
> some nice B&W 8x10s of that trip!!

> It was the last weekend in December, 1973--
> the weekend between Xmas and New Years. Yes,
> 1246 was turned out as "Rutland
> 82". I painted the number on the cab
> sides the Friday night before the trip. 1278
> was still in her "D&H 653"
> dress, and was quite dirty (and good-looking
> that way!). 1246 had been sold to Steamtown
> Foundation during the summer of 1973, and
> started operating for SF in July. The trip
> was a one-day up to Rutland and back to
> Riverside on a Saturday. There was enough
> snow and sunlight for some very nice
> photography. On Sunday morning, I returned
> to find "82" with her lead truck
> on the ground at the Riverside shop, and
> minus the "RUTLAND 82" number
> plate. After rerailing, the two locomotives
> went coupled and under steam to be turned on
> GMRC's N. Walpole turntable.

> The following year, again on the weekend
> between Xmas and New Year's, 1246 and 1278
> repeated the trip, but as CPR locomotives.
> And the weather again cooperated-- even more
> snow in '74!

> Hi Howard,

> Any plans for RMNE to run No. 1246 on the
> Naganatuck Ry (sp?)in CT? She is a honey of
> an engine!

> Regards,
> K.R. Bell

Yes, there are plans to do so, once we complete our restoration shop, and raise the necessary funds for the restoration of the locomotive. As to when, well, no specific time frame. We will not start the restoration process without a proper facility being available, and sufficient funding on hand. The shop project is underway now.

She ought to do a nice job on the Naugatuck (or just Naugy, for short!! "Route of the Dashing Nauga").

For now, 1246 is on display at the Valley Railroad in Essex, CT. And, yes, she (and the CPR 1200s in general) is a honey. Just the right size for a 10-20 mile operation at 25-30 mph. George Hart and Nelson Blount knew what they were doing 35+ years ago, when they brought 5 of them to the US.

hpincus@mindspring.com

Howard: If you need copies of G-5 drawings for reference I have an almost complete set of copies I obtained from George Hart for 1238 and 1286. He still has both locomotive's files from the CPR.

K.R. Bell

> Yes, there are plans to do so, once we
> complete our restoration shop, and raise the
> necessary funds for the restoration of the
> locomotive. As to when, well, no specific
> time frame. We will not start the
> restoration process without a proper
> facility being available, and sufficient
> funding on hand. The shop project is
> underway now.

> She ought to do a nice job on the Naugatuck
> (or just Naugy, for short!! "Route of
> the Dashing Nauga").

> For now, 1246 is on display at the Valley
> Railroad in Essex, CT. And, yes, she (and
> the CPR 1200s in general) is a honey. Just
> the right size for a 10-20 mile operation at
> 25-30 mph. George Hart and Nelson Blount
> knew what they were doing 35+ years ago,
> when they brought 5 of them to the US.