Gonna be mobilin' this weekend

[W1GUH]

Mostly 40 & 20. Heading out to Johnstown, PA today, tomorrow Horseshoe Curve, then camping somewhere in E. Pa or W. NJ. Love to hook with any and all of you on the radio. I'll be online from the hotel tonight.

Usually spend a good amount of time yakkin' and listening on ECARS (7255) and MIDCARS (7258).

[KC2UGV]

I'll try to make it onto ECARS or MIDCARS nets. What time(s) do they usually meet at?

[w3bny]

I'll try to make it onto ECARS or MIDCARS nets. What time(s) do they usually meet at?

Ecars 0730 eastern till ?? Midcars 0830 till 1430 eastern.

[KC2UGV]

Ecars 0730 eastern till ?? Midcars 0830 till 1430 eastern.

Thanks :)

[kc7jty]

Say hi to Norfolk Southern for me, and don't forget the Gallitzin tunnels, have a good time.

http://atlantarails.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Norfolk-Southern-logo.PNG

[W1GUH]

Made to Johnstown tonight. I'm going to be camping tomorrow and Sunday nights, so I'll be on the air a LOT. Don't have much of an idea when I'll be on. Best guess would be maybe mid-morning. The mobile still works! It was Sooooooo good to be on the air. Also listened to WBCQ (http://www.wbcq.com/) There was a program of great music on at (I think) 6:00 PM that followed a great show of Louis Armstrong music. Maybe Tim will be on tomorrow night. And Money talk is always good ro the luls!

Best DX was an HA8. 20 was in great shape to Europe. There was one station from Italy and one from Wales, both with the proverbial bodacious signals -- but the pile ups were noplace for my PW mobile!

[W1GUH]

Got back yesterday. Bands were pretty disappointing, or activity was low, it's hard to determine which is which. But the radio worked just fine. Didn't operate as much as I thought I would. The one night I camped I was really, really tired & besides, 40 was crappy and 80 was, well, 80, so I fell asleep to WBCQ just as Tim came on. But just above 'BCQ (7415) there was a station on 7425 playing some great music. I'll have to find out who/what that was. Also heard Radio Moscow (I think), but ever since the end of the cold war it hasn't been the same.

Guess I'm not as much as a train freak as I used to be. Got to Horeshoe Curve, saw one train pass and left. Couldn't see spending much more time there. But I stayed o'nite in Johnstown, and that was very interesting. I love the history of the Iron and Steel industry, and that town's still got a couple of mills (although just a shadow of their former selves) and a good museum about the history of the steel industry there. Plus, it's got a great inclined plane to ride ( and take your car on, if you want).

Altoona was better. The memorial museum there was very interesting...glad I went. There's also good train watching there. Saw several trains go by, some of which picked up helpers, while I was waiting for the museum to open. Then I headed up to Huntingdon where you can see the trains at speed on straight and level track. Guess I'll never be a diesel fan...seen one, seen 'em all. [yawn]

But one thing that was great all over that part of Pa. is that the people I dealt with were really friendly and cool. THAT part of the trip was really nice!

[W3WN]

Nothing against Diesel or Electric, but aside from the Brill gas/electric hybrid Doodlebugs, I prefer steam.

Too bad the ex-CN 1533 was left to rot behind the NH&I enginehouse. I suspect that after ~35 years of rusting, it's probably too far gone now to salvage.

[W1GUH]

Thanks - you reminded me of something I left out. There were NO steam engines to be found, either at the Curve or in Altoona. WTF? Well, there was a small saddle-take steamer in Altoona.

Also, the Mountain View observation car from the Broadway Limited was on static display in Altoona and it depressed me. I rode that car on a steam excursion* in '92. Then, it was in great shape. Not anymore. The rust on the body was very sad to see.

*Bad move on a steam excursion. Inside a car as hermetically sealed as the Mountain View was, we may as well have been behind a diesel. It was great to ride on such a historic car, tho'.

[kf0rt]

Been meaning to post this... Steam train on vacation last week.

[W1GUH]

Been meaning to post this... Steam train on vacation last week.

That looks like a GOOD one. Wow...a compound (or is the other type with 2 engines?) with a saddle tank? Never seen that before. Was the coal smoke perfume to you?

[NQ6U]

It's a compound--notice how the cylinders on the front set of drivers is larger than on the rear? That's to make better use of the spent steam; it's got less energy in it after passing through the rear cylinders. Neat idea but, apparently, didn't give enough of an advantage to make up for the added complexity.

[KC2UGV]

It's a compound--notice how the cylinders on the front set of drivers is larger than on the rear? That's to make better use of the spent steam; it's got less energy in it after passing through the rear cylinders. Neat idea but, apparently, didn't give enough of an advantage to make up for the added complexity.

I prefer cylinders that are larger in the front than the cylinders in the rear...

[NQ6U]

I prefer cylinders that are larger in the front than the cylinders in the rear...

Man, someone always has to bring the tenor of the thread down to that around here... ;)

[kf0rt]

That looks like a GOOD one. Wow...a compound (or is the other type with 2 engines?) with a saddle tank? Never seen that before. Was the coal smoke perfume to you?

It's a "1928 Baldwin 2-6-6-2 T Mallet" according to the place that runs it: http://www.1880train.com/locomotive110.html
Haven't been on the 1880 train in a couple decades now, but they used to run the really older steam engines. It looks like they still have those, but I'd feel a little cheated to take a ride on an "1880" train that used 1920's hardware. We weren't close enough to smell the perfume.

[W1GUH]

Man, someone always has to bring the tenor of the thread down to that around here... ;)

A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste...or...if ya see a gutter, get in it!!!

[n2ize]

Mostly 40 & 20. Heading out to Johnstown, PA today, tomorrow Horseshoe Curve, then camping somewhere in E. Pa or W. NJ. Love to hook with any and all of you on the radio. I'll be online from the hotel tonight.

Usually spend a good amount of time yakkin' and listening on ECARS (7255) and MIDCARS (7258).

happy mobiling but, if you venture into Alabama watch out you don't get stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again !!

[NQ6U]

happy mobiling but, if you venture into Alabama watch out you don't get stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again !!

Oh, mama, could this really be the end?