I Hear A Train A Coming!

[ski3pin]

The Big Boy steam locomotive will be out on the tracks this summer. Thanks to Wandering Sagebrush for letting me know.

Union Pacific Steam Schedule

Should be some great photo opportunities along the route!

 

[ski3pin]

 

[fish more]

What a machine !!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I watched it many years ago coming up the Feather River canyon.What an awesome machine.
I am of the age to remember steam power where I grew up in Philadelphia.The Pennsylvania RR
had a massive yard a few blocks from our house.
Over the years we would plan camping trips around different steam operating railroads.
The Drango and Silverton RR and the Cumbres and Toltec RR,were one of our favoriots.
There's something about watching one of the huge machines pounding the rails.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

We had the opportunity to see one of the big locomotives, probably Big Boy, in the early 1980s. To say it was impressive is an understatement.

 

[goinoregon]

We had the opportunity to see one of the big locomotives, probably Big Boy, in the early 1980s. To say it was impressive is an understatement.

we saw one in the deschutes canyon during that time. was not smart enough to have camera ready

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

we saw one in the deschutes canyon during that time. was not smart enough to have camera ready

That was probably 4449, and it (TTBOMK) still does tours out of Portland.

 

[PaulT]

Could also have been its partner engine. SP&S #700 . Was it all black or did it have considerable orange on it?

I have had both parked on the (now removed) tracks in Helvetia, Oregon next to my house back when OPB was trying to transmit some of the early HDTV signals.

Paul

 

[ski3pin]

What a machine !!

Yes it is!

 

[camelracer]

Ski there was a section of that video that had a big influence on my life. My grandfather was a chemical engineer working for the Wabash RR. His job was to reduce foaming in the boiler which was a major cause of corrosion. I have a picture of him riding on the top a locomotive filming the boiler action through a window in the steam dome.

As a result of his work he started his own company which I believe was the Electrical Chemical Corp and developed the foam meter shown in the video. This meter detected foam in the boiler and signaled the engineer when to blow it off. In the late 30's he sold the company and moved from North Park Illinois to San Clemente Ca. As a result I grew up on the beaches of San Clemente instead of the streets of Chicago. Thank you Grandpa!

 

[ski3pin]

Ski there was a section of that video that had a big influence on my life. My grandfather was a chemical engineer working for the Wabash RR. His job was to reduce foaming in the boiler which was a major cause of corrosion. I have a picture of him riding on the top a locomotive filming the boiler action through a window in the steam dome.

As a result of his work he started his own company which I believe was the Electrical Chemical Corp and developed the foam meter shown in the video. This meter detected foam in the boiler and signaled the engineer when to blow it off. In the late 30's he sold the company and moved from North Park Illinois to San Clemente Ca. As a result I grew up on the beaches of San Clemente instead of the streets of Chicago. Thank you Grandpa!

What a great story!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Nice story. Thanks for sharing.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Wow what a great video.Nothing like a huge steam loco.
Thanks for posting.
Frank

 

[Conestoga]

Great video...thanks for sharing.

If you're ever in southern Colorado or northern New Mexico, a ride on the narrow gauge Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railway is well worth spending a day. We started out our trip this year seeing the Big Boy as it left Roseville, CA and ended with a ride on the Cumbres and Toltec. It is the longest and steepest steam train in the US crossing the border between Colorado and New Mexico 11 times. The locomotive is still powered by coal so the ride is smoky and sooty accompanied by the smoking and squealing of breaks as it descends the steep mountains. but the scenery is amazing and the volunteer docents provide great historical background along with a scrumptious lunch halfway through.

There is a rustic RV park in Chama right on the river so you can walk to the depot in the morning leaving your rig ready to go at the end of the day.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks for the photos.
We camped there in 1981,took the ride to Toltec summit and
back to Chama.Spent the night at the campground and walked the rail yard.
The locomotive for the next days run was under night watch and we got to talk with the crew member and he let us up in the cab.

Two days before we camped at Haviland Lake CG outside Durango for the ride on the
Drango Silverton RR the next day.
We had very pleasant times. My girls were very small but old enough to enjoy the trains.

That year was a real train year.There was a rail fair in Sacramento. It was held at the newly
opened California rail museum. (correction) The UP sent it's Challenger 4-6-6-4 a slightly smaller version of a Big Boy also the SP Daylight. This loco was just restored in 1981 and made one of it's first excursion trips to that rail fair.The current Big Boy was placed into service around 2018 to replace the Challenger,which was having some mechanical issues.It under restoration.
That was a summer to remember.
There's nothing like a steam locomotive.
Frank