Post by: Stickjockey on September 23, 2005, 08:47:10 AM
depart the Swan Island UP yard here in Portland. It was, to say the least, impressive. You know, every kid should get to see one of these things in action at least once in their lives.
Of course the batteries in the digicam chose that morning to go bad, and like an idiot I forgot to bring replacements. :banghead:
Post by: USP45usp on September 23, 2005, 09:19:15 AM
.Wayne
Post by: onions! on September 23, 2005, 09:21:16 AM
This guy thinks so too.
http://www.modelrailroadphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=311&size=medium&cat=all&page=1
Post by: Azrael256 on September 23, 2005, 10:36:31 AM
Grandad was an engineer for Santa Fe. He ran Raton, NM to LaJunta, CO about a thousand times. Old railroad engineers have the best stories
Post by: 280plus on September 23, 2005, 11:07:03 AM
I still have the pix around here somewhere...
Post by: mfree on September 23, 2005, 12:22:16 PM
...
...boiling water.
Post by: Gewehr98 on September 23, 2005, 01:14:53 PM
We have a railway museum near my hometown called the Mid-Continent Railway Museum, and they take in many derelict locomotives and railway cars from all over the U.S. The facility is famous as the provider of steam power for the great Milwaukee/Chicago Circus Train, with photogenic C&NW 4-6-0 #1385 in the lead.
Restoration to operating condition is not in the cards for most of these old girls. Why not? Steamfitters and Boilermakers are not a real common breed these days, and the cost to completely rebuild and certify the boiler of a typical steam locomotive runs into the millions of dollars.
Sometimes people forget that running fire and steam in a locomotive for 80+ years really raises hell with the boilers and fireboxes. #1385 hasn't run under her own power since June of 1998. Her firebox has worn out, and repairs were estimated at over $750,000. A good portion of that cost was removal of the boiler from the chassis just to gain access to the firebox.
The museum has since come up with a $425,000 fix. The locomotive will get a brand-new, 21st-century welded boiler, that will maintain the external appearance of the original 1907-vintage boiler while providing safety and ease of maintenance. A compromise, but at least #1385 will be steaming again in the future.
Here's how she looked before her firebox failed inspection:
Here's how she looks now, awaiting rebuild:
My grandfather was one of the folks responsible for keeping #1385 rolling, until he passed away in 1999.
I visited the museum several weeks ago, here's a beautiful Baldwin 2-10-0 (Decapod) that won't be as lucky as #1385:
Post by: grampster on September 23, 2005, 01:25:41 PM
We used to hop freights and ride for miles. Hop off on a long slow curve and catch the next freight inbound. We'd be gone all day sometimes. Used to know many of the hobo's that had camps around the yard, too. I watched the evolution into the diesel age with the diesel switch engines and the bigger ones that hauled mile long freight trains as well as the fancy streamliners that hauled people.
Post by: Preacherman on September 23, 2005, 07:48:46 PM
Post by: grislyatoms on September 24, 2005, 06:45:41 AM
She used to be an ironhorse
Twenty years ago
Used to bring the mail to me
Through the ice and snow
I've sat alone and watched her
Steaming through the night
Ninety tons of thunder
Lighting up the sky
She was a princess of the night
I saw the writing on the wall
She was a princess of the night
I take a ride across the sky
Speeding sparks like lightning
Engine working hard
Furnace on the foot plate
Shining in the night
Iron striking metal
The sound of racing steel
It's all I ever wanna hear
It's music to my ears
She was a princess of the night
I take a ride across the sky
Ninety tons of thunder
Lighting up the sky
Steaming red hot pistons
See the wheels flash by
Hear the whistle blowing
Streaking down the track
If I ever had my way
I'd bring the princess back one day
Post by: Stickjockey on September 24, 2005, 07:44:23 AM
At some point, did they try to convert that Decapod to Shay drive gear? It almost looks like it's got Shay pistons on the side, but no crankshaft or anything else.
Here's a couple that reside here in Portland:
SP&S 700:
SP 4449, used on the 1976 Freedom Train:
and OR&N 197, currently under restoration:
Post by: MaterDei on September 24, 2005, 12:19:17 PM
Post by: thorn on September 24, 2005, 09:04:07 PM
http://www.ccdemo.info/PlayTrains/TildenSteam/TildenSteam.html
i have ridden them before, soooo fun, costs like $2, the train goes on these neat cliffsides, gives you a feeling you are on much bigger tracks
Post by: Justin on September 25, 2005, 09:30:37 AM
Post by: Gewehr98 on September 25, 2005, 02:25:42 PM
I think what you're seeing as Shay cylinders between the steam dome and third set of drivers on that 2-10-0 Decapod are actually the cylindrical steam brake and air brake generators.
Post by: Gewehr98 on September 25, 2005, 03:20:39 PM
Post by: Gewehr98 on September 25, 2005, 03:21:49 PM
Post by: 50 Shooter on September 25, 2005, 03:29:03 PM
I pass by Santa Fe's steamer that's sitting in the Amtrak yard in L.A. all the time, last time they had it out I was working and missed it. Would've liked to have seen it run over Cajon Pass.
Post by: ...has left the building. on September 26, 2005, 03:31:58 AM
Post by: Stickjockey on September 26, 2005, 07:56:13 AM
Post by: thorn on September 26, 2005, 01:57:07 PM
UP is repainting various locos in the colors of all the older RR Comp's they have gobbled up over the years-
so watch the rails, you may see at least some color schemes and logos from the past rolling around soon