Your Best Railroad Memories

Mines was 12-15-94, I was at a crossing in the country south of where I stay and I saw a signal lit up so i sat for a min and it was the BSMFF and it flew by me at 71 mph with 5 SSW GP60's. The P3 horn was screamin and it was a sight to see. Man those were the days

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RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, zachattack, Oct-07-03, 10:45 PM, (1) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, smp11512, Oct-08-03, 02:34 AM, (2) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, IcyFire, Oct-08-03, 02:39 AM, (3) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, sstyrnol, Oct-08-03, 03:16 AM, (4) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Macster, Oct-08-03, 03:43 AM, (5) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, ASR_Q301, Oct-08-03, 04:57 AM, (6) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Hack, Oct-08-03, 06:53 AM, (7) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, CPR_9102, Oct-08-03, 08:29 AM, (8) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Knarf, Oct-08-03, 09:28 AM, (10) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, thomil, Oct-08-03, 09:19 AM, (9) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, SVTS, Oct-08-03, 12:37 PM, (11) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, cn_bayview, Oct-08-03, 03:34 PM, (12) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, aa6183, Oct-08-03, 04:48 PM, (14) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Texas Eagle 550, Oct-08-03, 04:46 PM, (13) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, ozinoz, Oct-08-03, 06:14 PM, (15) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, MikeF, Oct-08-03, 06:34 PM, (16) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, hdpayne, Oct-08-03, 11:33 PM, (18) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, oldrailfan, Oct-10-03, 02:56 PM, (27) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, MikeF, Oct-10-03, 08:14 PM, (30) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Frisco2, Oct-08-03, 11:13 PM, (17) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, jonathanmlewis, Oct-09-03, 01:51 PM, (19) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Newton Kid, Oct-09-03, 02:52 PM, (20) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, deejay1020, Oct-09-03, 05:59 PM, (21) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, SouthwestChief, Oct-09-03, 07:06 PM, (22) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, LAHDPOP, Oct-09-03, 11:17 PM, (23) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, John 136 6000 GO, Oct-10-03, 01:04 AM, (24) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, oldrailfan, Oct-10-03, 02:19 PM, (25) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, OCrailfan, Oct-10-03, 02:53 PM, (26) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, rdamon, Oct-10-03, 05:39 PM, (28) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, CGW409, Oct-10-03, 06:21 PM, (29) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, rdfox, Oct-15-03, 10:45 AM, (31) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, Gixxer86g, Oct-15-03, 05:52 PM, (32) RE: Your Best Railroad Memories, philmoberg, Oct-16-03, 05:38 PM, (33)

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>Mines was 12-15-94, I was at a crossing in the country south
>of where I stay and I saw a signal lit up so i sat for a min
>and it was the BSMFF and it flew by me at 71 mph with 5 SSW
>GP60's. The P3 horn was screamin and it was a sight to see.
> Man those were the days
Mine was on December 14, 1996, when I had my birthday party on the McKinney Avenue Trolley car called the Green Dragon. It was a great party, and I got to drive the trolley at age 4!

_____________________________
-->Zach Lybrand<--
It's the Santa Fe, all the way!
My forums http://b4.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?user=zachattack

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Sorry but I can't remember the date, It was a while ago and we went to the Train Station to see the Metrolink, and thre was a Baretable parked with the Conductor on the end of the train checking the axles and we asked him if he wanted a ride back to the Locomotives instead of walking , When we got back he asked us if we wanted to get up in the cab of the Locomotive , That was one of the best times I have ever spent railfanning . Got the blow the Horn , Rev it up and mess with the Throttle , ( Sorry the Grammar is not the best in that post )Southern Pacific will live on forever in the hearts of the Red and Gray Railfans

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The steam excursion at Steam town, And riding some old ping pong coaches, Pulled by a Alco RS36 On the Delaware & Ulster

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-03 AT 03:17 AM (EDT)

That's a good topic!Let's remember two cases. One is very nice and one was bad, when it happened, now I laugh about it!Let's start with the "bad" one. It was, when I was like 12 or 13 years old. I was travelling with my parents to the wonderful mediterranean Island of Corsica.Courtesy of mercurio.iet.unipi.itWe were taking a ride on one these old trains across the islands. Oh it was a wonderful ride across towering trestles (with no side rails and the conductor left the huge cargo door on the side open to let in some fresh air) and through narrow gorges.
Anyways, we were exiting the train at one nice old village we wanted to explore. At our way back, we planned to take the train back. So we made our way back to the station to see the train thunder through without stopping. We didn't realise, that it was a stop on demand...So we took the bus instead. But since then, I hate to get to the station too late.The "good" experienced was a steam ride in Auckland, New Zealand, with the "Broadway Limited", an old narrow gauge Pacific type steamer. I will post pics later, when I find them. But that was the best ride ever! You had a great change of fast paced flat land riding and thundering struggles up hill. And we could see the train turning on a wye.Cheers!SebastianFeel free to IM me on: sstyrnol@hotmail.com
My email is: sebastian.styrnol@gmx.de~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Their is not equal to there! For example: Their dog stands over there!Similar: Through vs trough, gauge vs "guage", does vs "dose" and so on...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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The Day(s) I got to ride the BNSF Employee Steam special from Seattle to Everett/Seattle to Auburn behind the 4449. That was the best trip I will probably never forget...

Brian E. Bundridge
NALW Quality Control Manager

--Power For You--

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When I was 13, my family and I rode the Indian Pacific, a cruise train from Perth to Sydney down here in "Aussie". We had a loco that was rebuilt by Morrison Knudson (Known as CLP's - P for Passenger). WOA! These babies were plagued with problems!! All they did was break down!! I remember sitting at dinner on the eastbound trip joking "wouldn’t it be funny if the CLP broke down". If anyone is familiar with Australia, they will know there is just desert in the middle of the country. For about 1200 miles, just desert!!! Single track with passing loops. The eastbound trip was wonderful, not a hitch. Coming back over to Perth, we had the same locomotive (CLP9) as we did going eastbound. The trip is 3 days. (One of those days devoted to crossing the desert!) On day 2, we were on the Nullarbor Plain, this place is flat and you can literally see for miles!!! At Cook (a small siding town), we crossed the eastbound Indian Pacific to Sydney with CLP16. The fun began at lunchtime. We were sitting in the dining car, passed through some sidings until the train came to a rather sudden stop. Guess what happened?!?! The loco broke down (after all our joking on the way over) We were stuck on the IP with no power or air conditioning on the single track mainline between Adelaide to Perth!!! Fortunately, there was a passing siding about 3 km ahead. There was a train behind us that would push us into the siding. Whilst waiting for the train to push us, we got talking to the train conductor. He told us that a National Rail freight would be pushing us. There were 2 brand new Cv40-9i's (NR's) from General Electric hauling the freight. But there was worse!!, we learnt that the second loco (NR63) broke down as well!! Long story short, 1 loco (NR62) hauled a huge double stack train with a dead loco and pushed the IP also with a dead loco all the way into the siding!! It was totally mind blowing to see how well these new powerful Dash9's preformed (OK,OK, one of them broke down).Whilst waiting for our rescue loco (ALF21), there were numerous freights with these high-tech brand new GE's on the front. Some of the trains were huge!!So that was a really awesome railroad (railway!) memory.Ooh - also, we hit a kangaroo doing about 120kp/h just outside Southern Cross at 5:30am which sent the train into emergency!! Also again, for the Aussies here, we passed through both Hines Hill in WA and Mt Christie in SA!! (Both locations were fatal crashes)After this trip, we have now nick-named the CLP's "Rent-a-wreck's"It will be something I will always remember >Mike Forster<
Perth, Westen Australiapacificnational_nr103@hotmail.com

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1) December 1965 - ATSF Christmas Train - Stainless steel cars pulled around the city of Riverside by Warbonnet F's, while Santa handed out goodies to us kids (kids only, no parents on the train). Unfortunately, I hated the whole trip - I was 5 years old, and really didn't care for some ol' fat man in a red suit chasin' me through the isles to hand me (what would turn out to be) a toy - plus, he was followed by every screamin' kid on the train - scared the holy crap outta' me! I had thought my parents were shipping me off never to return. 2) December 2001 - Birthday gift from parents - 1st class ticket for me and my son on Amtrak's Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle (perhaps to make up for Christmas '65?). Best moment was after being delayed in Oakland, we were rewarded with a fantastic view of snow-capped Mt. Shasta early one morning. French toast breakfast with my son, while viewing stunning No-Cal scenery - Heaven! Cheers!
Marc - 3DTrains
http://www.3dtrains.comPro Series SuperPacks

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Mine,When CN had a major derailment on the North line and all CN trains including the VIA came though for a week. Had all the traffic.I got to go up inside a CN SD75I and I thought the controls were f'ed up.... I wasn't that smart.. This waswehn I was like 7 :-PChris Wilson
MP 63 CP's Heron Bay Sub
Marathon, OntarioWEBSITE: http://www.freewebs.com/lakesuperior/ Its not so free -SVTS
EMAIL: chris9102@shaw.ca

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My best ones are from my early childhood when I would go to the family reunion the third Sunday in July. Every afternoon those days, the Milwaukee Road #244/45 train would pound past the B&FJ (nee CNW) diamond at Forest Jct., Wi. at about 30MPH. Usually the consist was a trio of GP38-2's or GP40's with a very long train. One time (in about 1984), the train was coming as we were leaving the reunion, the train came right along side of us as the tracks paralleled Hwy 32/57 and I actually talked my mom into pacing the lead unit (imagine that ) about half way to Hilbert before we had to turn off the Highway. Those were the fondest of memories for me, especially nowdays as the ex-Milwaukee Road tracks north of Hilbert (to Green Bay) and the B&FJ diamond are now gone.

Frank Schwalbach, Jr.
trains_tornadoes@juno.com

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It was sometime in 1999 (Don't remember the exact date). It was about 5:30 in the morning. After a school party, I was heading to my grandmothers place aboard a standard ÖBB Regional Train. It was winter and the whole valley was covered in snow. Ground fog was all over the landscape. Sparks originating from the pantograph flooded the area with an eerie blue glow, while above the ground fog, the mountain peaks could be seen glowing red/orange in the light of the dawning day. While The sky in the east was already dislpaying shades of dark blue, the western sky was still pitch-black. This whole display lasted for twenty minutes. The conductor was sensible enough to turn down the wagon lights, so it was possible to enjoy the show.
PS: In my five years in Austria, nothing ever came close to that again. And no, I was NOT drunk!

"Damn the torpeodoes- Four bells Captain Drayton" - Admiral Farragut aboard USS Harford during the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5th 1864.

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July 2003 - Cabride over Tehachapi Pass from Bena to the loop, with Curt on board a UP AC4400 with 80+ mixed cars and a mid-train helper set. I will never forget that, and thanks to Curt video taping the whole 3 hour trip...I won't have toChris Bogley
chrisb@tailsnrails.com
Syracuse New York
www.tailsnrails.com President-ADFRRRaillink
"Bringing you to the ADFRR in 2004"
Connecting Nuggett, Marshall, Saratoga Springs and Bailey.
First Day-Jan 1, 2004

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My best Railroad memories are: Toronto-Winnipeg and back on VIA #1 In the winter. Then spend a few days watching trains in winnipeg and head back.MY all time best is... Riding VIA #1 Toronto to Vancouver.
Spending a few days out in the fraser river canyon watching trains.All times i went with my dad

Rob
Great North Rails

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My best was probably at West Virginia Operation Lifesaver RailCamp this uyear in Petertsburg, WV. I got to operate a Former Chessie System GP9 #6240. Still in origional paint and numbers on the South Branch Valley Railroad.

Pat Miller

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Mine Was in 2001 (can't remember exact date) When I rode the Southwest Chief from Start to Finish. The Best Way to go to California Chris
Midwest Rail Group

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For me, 1990 - Zimbabwe in Southern Africa. On the Overnight Mail from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls. A mate and I got ourselves up at 3.00am to check out the garratts that were stabled at Thompson Junction, and were to be used to pull the train the remaining 4 hours to Vic Falls. After a chat with the crew and some time exposure photos, we were invited up into the cab, and rode there all the way to the Falls. I can still hear the squeal of a right front piston seal leak on each stroke and seeing the massive spray cloud of the falls from about 10km as we approached, not to mention the wildlife active in the bush at dawn. Somethings stay with you forever...

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As a kid, going to the 'Depot Beach' so named because of the old-time passenger station and railroad tracks.We kids would run up from the beach and put pennies on the rails. The train had to stop on the other side of a turn-style, open-truss bridge, waiting for the bridge to turn and line up for the train.Then we'd back off as the C&O frieght would rumble by. As the end of the train come by, we would always whistle at the conductor standing out on the back of the caboose (yes, they had caboose in those days). He had a trick he'd do for us where he'd let some air out of a valve (brake pipe perhaps), through his cupped hand. He would blow this 'whistle' back at us.Then we'd collect our very flat pennies and marvel how hot they were.Every time I smell creosote, I remember crossing the tracks there to go to the beach and swim all summer long....

Mike F

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-03 AT 11:36 PM (EDT)

Bicentenial Steam Train on Vermont Railway. Amtrak Cab Tour in New York Grand Central Station.

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>...He would blow this 'whistle' back at us. Many of the old cabooses had a small single-chime whistle on the platforms that the Conductor or Rear Brake could use during backing moves. Might it have been one of those? They were really shrill, and he might have been using his hand to 'mute' it a little.

JOhn
Oldrailfan
Railfan means anything on rails! Trains Trolleys Rollercoasters - you name it.
Yahoo IM Name: mercer127

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>>...He would blow this 'whistle' back at us.
>
>Many of the old cabooses had a small single-chime whistle on
>the platforms that the Conductor or Rear Brake could use
>during backing moves. Might it have been one of those? They
>were really shrill, and he might have been using his hand to
>'mute' it a little. Quite possibly. He stood right in the middle of the rear platform and didn't have to stoop or anything. I've often wondered how he would get brake-pipe air up to his waist on the railing.Now I know, he didn't. It was probably just as you suggest.Thanks!

Mike F

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For me it was back in 1978, I was 16 years old I was out in my front yard when I heard the local switcher working uptown. I decided to myself to go watch the train. When I arrived I found the conductor known as the “General” sorting thru the cars, as we talked I was surprised to see him using a radio talking to the engineer. He asked me if I have ever been on a locomotive I said no, well climb aboard then he said, no more than he got the words out of his mouth I bound up the steps and into the cab, I was in there so fast that I took the poor engineer by surprise. I will never forget that night. I only wished that on that night that I hadn’t broken my glasses on a neighbor’s trampoline earlier that week, so now I remember everything as being blurry. Well anyway I was hooked, I wanted to work for the railroad from that day forward. Dave

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Mine was riding the Durnago and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.http://groups.msn.com/MSTSNarrowGauge

Jonathan Lewis
jonathanmlewis@msn.com

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Newton Kansas in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Santa Fe passenger trains coming into the depot and standing ten to fifteen feet from them on the platform. Didn't matter which one. All were shiny and clean. F7 in Warbonnet, Red and Silver with many stainless steel passenger cars behind. The engines would rumble to a stop right in front of the depot if west bound. They would fuel and water (for steam heating) them right there on the platform. Near the baggage cars so you could watch them load and unload the things carried in them. Lots of activity and sound. Crews also changed there too. Crew that bought it in climbing down, new crew going up. Then the bell would start ringing, two longs, a short and a long on the horn and the engineer would notch out to get her rolling. Main street was right after the depot, so they took it pretty easy until the engines had crossed. Then the engineer would pull a couple more notches and off they would go. Very quiet on the platform as I would watch the read light at the rear disappear.

Newton Kid

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I would have to say my best memory is getting to ride head-end on the Coast Starlight, both 14 north and 11 south, on September 7th. The engineers on both trains were very hospitable and I made quite a few friends to boot. Riding the Surfliner trainsets for a week straight comes in at a close second, but I thought the scenery north of LA was a bit better than south. And that jointed rail on the ex-SP.....yummmm!Regards,
Dan Zollner - 3DTrains
http://www.3dtrains.com

Pro Series Geeps

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1) Mine most memorable was seeing the first eastbound Desert Wind on the Santa Ana canyon route through the so called horshoe curve. I live in the area and having passenger trains back in what had been exclusively freight territory for probably 20+ years was a thrill. I Still watch the old video my dad took of, what I think to be, a historic event. Funny, there didn't seem to be nearly the number of people who come out to see the 3751 when it travels through the area. In fact there was no one but my dad and I. Those were the days. Single track, Desert Wind, Santa Fe railway, and no crowds 2) The first Southwest Chief to be re-routed to the same line (Santa Ana Canyon). While I didn't see it, I could hear the famous Amtrak horn at night time. Something that had never ever happened in the area before! It was cool for a while, 4 Amtrak trains daily went through. But now it's only two with the Desert Wind becoming extinct.

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/fdoti/index.html

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I've had other railroad and railfan experiences, but the highlight had to be riding the Texas & Pacific "Louisiana Eagle" and "Louisiana Daylight" between New Orleans and Shreveport, LA. Attached are pics of one of my 1967 rides. I was a bit young. As I got a little older, I felt like a big shot, what with my Granddaddy being the Conductor and all.
From way back then, the smell of a train got in my blood. I still love that smell. My other grandfather got me hooked on the smell of the hot interior of a C-130, but that's a different story....Pop

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I have a few memories that stand out in my mind - most from my childhood in England. In no particular order:-First time I travelled alone on a train. Visiting my grandparents in Swindon (used to be a major railway town. My parents put me on the train at Paddington, and my Grandparents met me at Swindon. For a young child it was a big thrill to be thought old enough to travel on my own.Going train spotting in London. My favourite was Paddington Station because the incoming platforms had no barrier (GWR had travelling ticket inspectors), so you could get up close. The departure platforms had barriers, so you needed a platform ticket to get on the platform (cost a few pennies). Often used to see Number 6000 - King George V - coming in. Easy loco to recognise at a distance since it had a nice shiny brass bell on the front - souvenir from a visit to N. America.After a visit to my other grandparent in Liverpool, going to the terminus to return home and there stopping with my Dad to have a look at a real novelty - a diesel locomotive at the head of a train. A visit to the Acton works of London Transport, which was where the heavy overhauls of the London Underground stock were carried out. This at a time when I wasn't old enough to go to school. I don't remember all the details of the visit, but I do remember being very impressed by the over-sized gas stove used to heat wheel tires before instaling them on the wheels, and after the tour being left at the switchboard while my Dad finished his work day. The operator plugged in the cord for my Dad's office and let me call him - great thrill.In more recent years - taking my grandchildren to the South Simcoe Railway for their first train ride - and steam hauled at that. Also taking them to the Halton County Radial Railway Musuem where they road the streetcars and had a picknick lunch in the very nice garden insided the turning loop at the far end of the line. (This place has been the subject of another recent thread here).CheersJohn

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Oh, Lord - where would a person with a lifelong affinity for trains start? The best ever? I guess the ride my wife and I took on the Starlight from LAX to Portland OR in 1996 to see a new grandson.
We actually started on the San Diegan from San Diego, to get to LA. We broke down, dug deep, and went first class. (Economy Bedroom)
We didn't realize when we made the reservations that we were travelling on the last weekend of October. We dawdled like mad up the coast, including an hour-and-a-half in Oakland while they switched cars, but we still stopped in place somewhere near Roseville CA waiting for the clocks to catch up from Daylight Saving Time. We were sitting on the main, a freight train pulled into the siding in the opposite direction, and we both sat there for about half-an-hour, then pulled out at the same time. I wish my room had been on the other side of the train, so I could have seen what pulled in. I could only hear it go by then stop.Memories? 6 years old (1952): standing on the platform at Oxnard, CA watching the Daylight come roaring in behind a GS-4 (or one of them big orange-and-red monsters) slow to about 20mph for RPO service, then accelerate again out of the station. Oxnard was a Whistle Stop for the Daylight in those days. 18 years old (1965): A young private returning home from Basic in Ft. Jackson SC, to Portsmouth VA. The train was the Orange Blossom Special when I boarded it in Columbia, but the coach I was on switched off some time in the wee hours of the morning, to travel on to Portsmouth. I suspect we were somewhere in the vicinity of Roanoke Rapids, NC, during the switch move, but don't quote me.In between those times: My brothers and I riding our bikes from our house, down King Street in Alexandria VA, to the RF&P station. I think of that big, long downgrade on King past the Masonic Temple, praying all the time that my brakes wouldn't fade, and having to dismount and push back uphill later. Is the station still there? Haven't been there since 1959.Same timeframe: Standing for hours at the Alexandria Humpyard, watching them sort strings and being deafened by the noise of the retarders and the cars banging into each other. I know the yard is gone, I've seen the pictures.Dad was in the Navy all the time I was growing up, so we were reassigned every three of four years. I remember, though I can't place dates or ages on the events, chasing, or being passed by: a UP City of ???? (don't know which City for sure, but it was long, yellow, and being pulled by E's or F's) some where in the midwest.
The Super Chief somewhere in Kansas pulled by Warbonnet whatevers ( in those days I wasn't in to identifying specific rolling stock, I just liked seein' 'em)
The Hiawatha, with that weird skytop obs car.Visiting with my cousins (Dad's side) in Wilmington MA, and riding bikes to a nearby crossing to watch the morning commute on the B&M.
Visiting my Gramma (Mom's Mom) in Winona, NJ. Her apartment was right across the street from the tracks, and we watched the commute to Philly on the Jersey Central. When I was REAL little, the trains were one or two coaches pulled by small steamers, possibly Moguls, (see note above about equipment) and the gates at the grade crossings were manual; a bell would ring in the gatekeeper's cabin, he'd turn on the signal lights,and walk out to the gate machine and wind a crank to bring the gates down. Later, the service was RDC's and the gates and signals had been automated.
Gram passed in 1962, and I haven't been back since, so I have no idea what's going on there now. Riding the duty train from Frankfurt to Berlin in the late '60's.
Riding the DB all over West Germany, either on duty or on my own time, in the same time frame. (Saw the TEE's but never got a chance to ride one)I better stop, I probably could write a whole book.

JOhn
Oldrailfan
Railfan means anything on rails! Trains Trolleys Rollercoasters - you name it.
Yahoo IM Name: mercer127

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Back on July 6 2003, during a special event at the PA Trolley Museum, on a not in service trolley, I too, got to operate streetcar 832(Desire). It was a real treat!!

Mike

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There are so many....Sometime the best ones where you sit by the tracks with you best friend for hours and smell creosote without ever seeing a train.Of course riding in a Hi-Rail up and down the Cajon Pass is a lot more excitement!!
Robert
Marietta, GA

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Just a couple
1974-
Mom and Dad going to a pool supply store in Desplaines IL and letting me sit out in the car to watch freight rolling by on the C&NW New Line
with these strange red or purple F units(CGW) mixed in with the yellow and green C&NW power as well as MILW freights.
1975- Going through the American Freedom Train down at Navy Pier(yes kids,tracks actually did run out on to the pier)and then a few days later going to see the AFT roll through Palatine IL with 4449 on the point and Grandpa driving us out to Crystal Lake IL so I could get a better look at 4449.
1979- A trip to visit family down in Marsalles IL, the Rock Island ran through town and my Aunt & Uncle lived on a street with the RI as their across the street neighbor so every time a train would hit the horn I'd bolt into the front yard to watch the train and on this trip seeing the last revenue(as I found out later) use of an entire brace of F's on a freight into Chicago(the F's were retired as that train ended it's run)and as it would turn out the last westbound freight that day would end up being the last RI freight I would ever lay eyes on.
1979 (again) heading to work at the local Mc Donalds seeing a C&NW freight with a F ABBBA consist on point and a C&NW bay window hack bringing up the rear still in the red with yellow stencil herald and numbers.
Gary S

"Some say this country's just out for a fight. After 9/11 man I'd have to say thats right"
"Have You Forgotten"
Darryl Worley

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Some time in the early 80s, when, to commemorate Battle Creek's new "Intermodal Passenger Station" opening, Grand Trunk sent a diesel down to park on the Amtrak siding and offer free guided tours of it to anyone who came by. Dad took me there for my first visit to the cab of any locomotive. Too young to remember much, other than being surprised there was no steering wheel, and how incredibly loud the prime mover was as we walked along the walkway...Mid-90s (1996, maybe?), on a cold, cold day in October, when the whole family went down to Coldwater to ride the Little River Railroad's fall color excursion behind their little Baldwin Pacific. Second time I'd ridden the LRR, and this time, I screwed up the courage to ask about a cab ride. They weren't able to oblige me, but they did bring me up into the cab to give me a guided tour of a live, simmering steamer. (And yes, it felt REALLY GOOD when they opened the firebox doors to show me the fire. Nice and toasty warm.)Almost exactly one year ago, when I took the Southwest Chief its full length, both directions. In particular, the ride back, where my travelling companion and I sprung for the sleeper, because he could hardly sleep in coach, and I simply couldn't. Beautiful train, beautiful country, and for the first time ever, I was on Amtrak and arrived ahead of schedule in each direction--and this when we were running against the grain of the flood of intermodals trying to clear out the just-reopened Los Angeles port.And, finally, June 2002, when I finally got to see and chase PM 1225 on an excursion run for the first time. Not only was it my first ever experience with big steam, but it had a special connection to me--my dad was part of the group that started her restoration in the early 70s, so she'll always hold a special place in my heart.Honorable mention has to go to the warm fuzzy feeling I got each of the two times I've helped a railroad out by reporting a failed crossing signal, too.RDF

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-15-03 AT 05:54 PM (EDT)

I've got tons of great memories from working on the Susie-Q.Lots of bad ones too.But that would require a thread of its own.When I was a little kid,at the dawn of Amtrak,my Dad sent my family to Florida.We boarded at Newark,NJ Penn Station.I'll never forget walking up to that monstrous black GG1.One day while riding my motorcycle down Rt17 south in NY state through Tuxedo and Sloatsburg,I noticed lots of commotion at all the grade crossings.I knew something important was coming up the Southern Tier.As I approached the area where the tracks crossed the Ramapo River in Sloatsburg I saw the big black plume.I almost wrecked my bike when I saw C&O#614 cross the bridge.Pacing the Conrail Executive train at 60+mph on a side street in Bergenfield,NJ was also fun.

"Hold tight,feel the drivers bite,hear the whistle moan.Engine rockin' to the left and right,vibratin' in my bones.Once the locomotive steals your soul,you got a Casey Jones!"---Ian"Lemmy"Kilmister

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Among many, perhaps the most spectacular was December of '72, riding the Southern Crescent home to New Orleans through a deep Mississippi twilight, at about suppertime. In those days, they used to run a low-profile parlor dome, probably ex-B&O,, as the last car of the train behind the diner. I was sitting in the right front seat of the dome, possibly alone, watching the pines whisk by, and observing the odd spark or two popping out of the diner's smoke jack, due to the sawdust logs used to grill steaks. Sudenly, the cook must have tossed a new log on the fire, because a dense coude of these little sparks boiled out of the smokejack and enveloped the whole dome in what seemed to be a swarm of little fireflies. This may have lasted only a second or two, but the effect was spectacular.Late the following Spring, when I was on my regular job as head end brakeman on the Valley Railroad, we were running school trips with what, in those days, was a heavy train for us: five heavyweight coaches, packed with school kids on field trips. This was one of those, raw, drizzly days of the sort that southern New England is know for at that time of year. You could see every leak in 97's steamfitting. Standing in that sort of weather to flag the grade crossing north of the station was not an altogether pleasant experience. To make matters worse, 97's sanders were plugged with wet sand that day.What happened next was remarkable: Joe Bready, our Road Foreman of Engines, a New Haven veteran of decades, was running that day. He started this train upand had it in half stroke in a train length, never slipping it even slightly. I was so awed, I almost forgot to board the train as he went by me... -Phil

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