Just got back from seeing 4014 in Albert Lea, MN and it really was what I wrote above. I was kind of shaking as I took pictures. The whistle was about elevendy billion decibels but oh, so satisfying and exciting. They were about an hour and twenty minutes late leaving town. There were evidently some valve timing issues to address. I still marvel at how they made those incredible machines. Doug
Just to be in the presence of 4014 seemed almost surreal. We also got to see it run faster as it was crossing a street a little later as it headed north out of town. We were wondering if they were going to try to make up time and they did because it seemed a short time later, they were already in St. Paul. Doug
I saw somewhere that the 4014 is coming soon in N-scale, in it's restored form like it is today, even with the 3985's tender!
Me too! I got to see it when they dragged it through Vegas on the way to Cheyenne, it will be nice to see it under power.
Hey Doug, no problem. I didn't connect "the above" to the title. I thought maybe I was missing a chunk of your juicy description that was accidentally foo barred when you posted. Did you get any videos by chance?
Emotional is a good word! While drooling over it last night here in St. Paul, a couple other Foamers walked by behind me and one squealed with excitement! Yes, sitting cold and resting she is still a brute of strength and beauty!
I only got stills and they aren't very good. Too many people in the way (definitely NOT obeying the "25 foot" request). They are pretty much the same shots as others have that are much better. Related to the supposition that a model of the restored 4014 may be released, I noticed that those cooling tubes originally mounted on the two vertical handrails (forming kind of a square on each side of the front deck), at the front, aren't there now. I wonder what they were for and why they were able to eliminate them. Doug
I was amazed by the number of people in Albert Lea. We had to improvise to find a place to park. It was at the former Rock Island depot and I remember riding a Rocket to St. Paul, leaving from there. My dad wanted us kids to experience a train ride before passenger trains disappeared from our area. If I had been alone, I would have followed it all the way to St. Paul but I had others with me. Doug
Few people outside of our hobby would understand the "Buck Fever" shake you felt with 4014 in the viewfinder. It's happened to me a handful of times over many years. It's hard to control it, mind racing with jubilation and with worry over a botched shot, all at the same time. So glad that you got to see it! Much too far distant for this easterner ….
What's worse is when you see smoke and leave your camera on the car seat. I was crossing over the tracks at the Roanoke, VA station in 1957, saw smoke, took a quick loop to park, and jumped onto the platform. Within a few seconds a pair of A's with a coal drag approached from the west at about 10 mph. The lead engineer gave two short whistles, which were responded by the second engineer, and another one w-a-a-y in the distance. By the time the pushing engine passed me, I estimated it was doing about 25 mph. I finally got to see another at the VA Transportation Museum last summer. Beautiful machines. I hope UP brings 4014 to New Orleans so I can experience the same emotional feeling, this time with a camera.
The steam whistles vibrate your body they are so loud. The only other time that happened to me was when I stood across the river and watched the first moon rocket take off...
I decided to post these pictures. Not the best but... The first is as 4014 just arrived. I got fairly good shots of both engines on the fireman's side. Doug
