Georgetown Loop Doubleheaded Shays - Part I *PIC*

Natasha Bettis · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2003 2:11 am

We had a great time doubleheading our Shays on the Loop last weekend. What a sight it was seeing these two Westside engines pull trains up the mountain! Some of you may enjoy a couple pictures...

This first picture was taken Sunday afternoon as the train headed uphill across the Devil's Gate Viaduct. It was pretty neat to see the passengers and crew equally(?) excited about the event!

71446975@quixnet.net

Natasha Bettis · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2003 2:14 am

This was taken on the High Fill Curve just as the fireman was sanding out 14's flues. The fall colors have been simply stunning, causing weekend ridership to be at, or near, capacity.

71446975@quixnet.net

John Stewart · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:04 am

Hi Natasha;

Was one of the Engineers Phil Reader? Just wondering how he's making out; I miss talking to him during my (recently infrequent) trips to the Roaring Camp.

Last email I had from him chided me for not visiting the Georgetown Loop. :-)

Thanks;

John Stewart
Ottawa, Canada.

freewrl-1@rogers.com

Alan Levy · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:41 am

Natasha,

Thanks for the photos!

Just curious was this a scheduled "doubleheader" event or were the trains that heavy that two locomotives were needed? How many cars or the trains usually?

Thanks,

Alan Levy

alanl759@aol.com

Phil Reader · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:19 pm

Hi John,
It is good to hear from you.
I am not in the sunday pictures but the Saturday before I was running the #14. We put on quite a show that warranted a standing ovation from the passengers onboard the train. It waas loads of fun and I hope that we get to do this again next season. keep in touch and come on out next year.

Phil Reader

readers@cruzio.com

Alan Levy · **Posted:** Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:11 pm

> Natasha,

> Thanks for the photos!

> Just curious was this a scheduled
> "doubleheader" event or were the
> trains that heavy that two locomotives were
> needed? How many cars or the trains usually?

> Thanks,

> Alan Levy

Oops! Should have read: "How many cars ARE the trains usually?

alanl759@aol.com

dave · **Posted:** Fri Oct 10, 2003 6:03 am

Boy this thread brings back many happy memories.

8 cars is all the little engines can handle on the grades and corners. Fortunately, the capacity carried by 8 cars is almost exactly equal to the capacity of the parking lots to hold passengers cars while they ride or wait to ride.

There was a nice article in a Pacific Rail News a few years ago about doubleheaded shays on the last operating day of the season at GLR - which extended itself into a night run with photo session. Nobody wanted to go home.

GLR is a great place in many respects. It is a bite-size capsule of hardass mountain railroading run by hospitable people with an old time shortline informality. Everything there has its own quirky personality - machinery and people.

Never will forget the day I fired up a shay there to rescue a dead diesel stalled on the hill. Where else has that happened in recent memory?

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Jeff Badger · **Posted:** Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:14 pm

Hi Phil and Natasha, good to see that some railroads still carry on the way God intended!

Lots of doom and gloom out west here as you may have heard. Take care and will be out to see you next year.

Jeff Badger

Check here to see whats new

btflco@aol.com

Phil Reader · **Posted:** Mon Oct 13, 2003 12:44 am

Hi Jeff,
The double header was a blast, lots of fun.

We have heard about some of the bad news about the Cal Western and we have also been told that ridership at R.C. was down this year. What else is going on back home?

we will see you at the Loop next year.

Phil Reader

readers@cruzio.com

Natasha Bettis · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:28 pm

The doubleheaders weren't officially scheduled events, we just did it because it was fun and 12 and 14 were running well.

This year we reduced the daily schedule from six trains to five and added a ninth car to the train. The 40 and 12 both handle nine full cars just fine, but there is doubt the 14 could do the same due to her higher gearing. The new five-train/nine-car schedule seemed to work out fine, I think they'll do the same next season.

The fall colors this year were simply spectacular - the last Saturday of September saw all five trains completely sold out. While photos can't do the colors justice, here's a taste of what they were like:

71446975@quixnet.net

Natasha Bettis · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:46 pm

This is a photo of the moment Phil was talking about. We're going up the High Fill curve, the engines were sanded out simultaneously and the sound was incredible. While several passengers (including myself) were moved to applause, those in the car behind us gave a standing ovation.

It was one for the memory books.

71446975@quixnet.net

Natasha Bettis · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:51 pm

Badger!

Great to hear from you, sorry things aren't going so well out there. Our RC friends are often in our thoughts.

Looking forward to seeing you guys out here next summer!

71446975@quixnet.net