765 Steams Through... And I missed it!!

[W3WN]

Historic Nickel Plate Road locomotive 765 came through downtown Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon, just after 4, on the old PRR Mainline.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/locomotive-steams-through-downtown-pittsburgh-649807/ (http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/locomotive-steams-through-downtown-pittsburgh-649807/)

And I missed it! I heard it -- but I missed seeing it.

If you look in the pictures of the train running across the Ft. Wayne RR Bridge, you can see the Convention Center behind it. My company's office building is on the other side of the Center.

I'd hoped to sneak out for a few minutes & catch the train crossing the bridge. Unfortunately, I got called into a short meeting with one of the company owners, he needed me to do a confidential report on someone's clients. Just as he's explaining what he wants, we both heard the whistle blow, long and loud. He looks at me and says "Boy, doesn't that sound like a steam engine?"

*sigh*

[PA5COR]

Sometimes working sucks it takes too much free time from you...
Sorry you missed the event...

[N2CHX]

Oh man! That sucks that you missed it. That is REALLY cool! I love steam. I kinda miss working in a building that was literally 10 feet from where the passenger cars were stored for this: http://www.arcadeandatticarr.com/

They hauled freight using old diesel engines during most of the week but every Wednesday I got to hear the old steam whistle and watch as it rolled on by. A couple of times on lunch I'd have to walk between the engine and a building to go to the deli and I have to admit, the heat and sound is intimidating.

This was taken on one of my lunch walks:

6952

[W5GA]

Sorry you missed it Ron. Say, why is the diesel locomotive in there...did they have it pushing? :stickpoke:

[W3WN]

That's a good question. I don't know, and it wasn't covered in the news stories. Perhaps the diesel was there as insurance?

What was a real bummer... my last two years of High School, we lived in New Hope PA, just up the street from the New Hope & Ivyland RR. My brother & I both volunteered for awhile, although he stuck with it longer than I did... and he eventually moved across the river to the Black River & Western when the NH&I volunteers had a major tiff with the "gentleman" who bought the NH&I (long story).

I spent more than a few Saturdays & Sundays standing in the coal tender of the 1533, shoveling coal down to the fireman. My mother was always upset when David or I came home covered in black soot, but we loved it.

The 1533 today sits in pieces behind the NH&I engine house; I don't think they'll ever put her back together, after all these years.

[N2CHX]

That's a good question. I don't know, and it wasn't covered in the news stories. Perhaps the diesel was there as insurance?

That's what I was thinking. Where do they pick up water and coal as they're going across the country in 2012 anyway?


What was a real bummer... my last two years of High School, we lived in New Hope PA, just up the street from the New Hope & Ivyland RR. My brother & I both volunteered for awhile, although he stuck with it longer than I did... and he eventually moved across the river to the Black River & Western when the NH&I volunteers had a major tiff with the "gentleman" who bought the NH&I (long story).

I spent more than a few Saturdays & Sundays standing in the coal tender of the 1533, shoveling coal down to the fireman. My mother was always upset when David or I came home covered in black soot, but we loved it.

The 1533 today sits in pieces behind the NH&I engine house; I don't think they'll ever put her back together, after all these years.


That's really cool, but sad about #1533. Fortunately there are still quite a few restored and maintained steam engines.

[N8YX]

N8ZYE - a former coworker - has had his hands in several NP steam restoration projects and I believe 765 was one of them.

[W3WN]

That's what I was thinking. Where do they pick up water and coal as they're going across the country in 2012 anyway?Norfolk Southern had this well planned. I'm sure that coal & water were stockpiled at the overnight stops and other strategic locations.

I know that for awhile, there was an annual steam locomotive ride up & down the old P&LE (now CSX) mainline across the river, by Station Square. So clearly there are arrangements that can be made.
That's really cool, but sad about #1533. Fortunately there are still quite a few restored and maintained steam engines.Yes, I know.

The NH&I rolling stock has had some rough times.

IIRC, they had two ex-US Army (via the Virginia Blue Ridge RY) switchers, #7 & #9. 9 has occasionally been on display and/or been restored & running, but I think it's boiler time ran out. I don't believe #7 ever ran. Last time I saw them, they were on the mile+ long track behind the engine house, along with 1533's tender.

A 1925 era Baldwin locomotive, #40 had just been restored when I got involved, so this would be circa 1974. I have pictures of #40 on it's maiden run out of New Hope station, just after crossing the "Perils of Pauline" trestle. ( I don't have any of them handy, but the "best" one is scanned and I'll post it at some point. Still amazed that I got a picture that nice with a little 126 Instamatic camera! ) I think it's down for repairs or due to the same boiler issue; last time we were back home to visit Mom, we didn't have time to run over to New Hope to look.

1533... an ex-Canadian National 4-6-0 IIRC. Gorgeous engine. Used to have a very nice paint scheme, but when the McHugh Brothers company took over the NH&I, Jimmy McHugh had it painted black with white trim & named after a relative; real shame that was done. 1533 was due for an overhaul about a year or so after 40, but they did function together for awhile; I have a photo from one of their "Christmas runs" of the two sitting side by side at the station, under steam and ready to go. (You wouldn't know it to look at them, but on one of the engines is my brother walking).

So one day, it's hauled into the engine house. Overhaul is started. Then the head mechanic (who'd overseen 40's overhaul) had a massive heart attack. I understand he survived, but even though he recovered, he was never back to full strength. So the project stalled. Over time, parts disappeared, and when the volunteers left en masse for the BR&W, it's fate was sealed. That's been over 30 years now. I wish they'd at least reassemble the shell and put it on display, instead of leaving the boiler open and the engine itself to rust. Sad.

Some pictures of 40, 1533 & 9 can be found on http://www.mchugh4macklocomotive.com/photo.html

There was also a Brill ex-PRR gasoline-powered Doodlebug, 4666. The three gentlemen who owned it (one of whom was at the time a Reading, later Conrail, engineer, Hugh Jenkins, long gone, who was a good friend to both David & myself... no, not that kind of a friend, he liked girls...), under the name Historical Equipment Association, also moved it to the BR&W along with the other volunteers. I believe the BR&W owns it outright now. I do recall that Hughie was concerned about safety issues, specifically a bad crack in the frame. I know that 4666 was run for quite some time (from Flemington to Lambertville via Ringoes & back, on the old Conrail Flemington branch), so I hope that was finally fixed. An older photo of it's here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trains_gg1/2517169138/

[kb2vxa]

"Perhaps the diesel was there as insurance?"
Yup, it's called a protection diesel. I suppose it protects from liability because the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (UK) LNER A1 Class Tornado is the only steamer extant that meets today's mainline requirements. Back in the 60s the Reading RR hosted the Iron Horse Rambles and did it right, the Diesels were behind by a few miles out of sight.

You rail fan Misfits will love this: http://www.a1steam.com/

"What was a real bummer... my last two years of High School, we lived in New Hope PA, just up the street from the New Hope & Ivyland RR."
Lucky guy, whenever I was in the area I made sure to spend a good portion of the day hanging around the station and engine house. Mostly they used #40 "The Mexican" (Baldwin ex. N de M) between New Hope and Lahaska with the Alco RS-1 on the other end because they had no way to turn around. Then one day Ross Rowland dropped off his C&O 614 for restoration and I fell in love. Long story with many twists and turns in between and today she's stored at Clifton Forge, Virginia after Ross's plans to haul the Greenbrier Presidential Express fell through thanks to problems with Buckingham Branch and CSX.