Thank your for those excellent photo captures. Nice shooting. I think some of you will like this. Here's another video of the Santa Fe, 4-8-4 #3751. There is another shot pacing the stove, at times. From L.A.U.P.T. to San Bernardino, California. AND it works. How about that? My project "Wireus Repairus" is still going strong. One more Stove: Here's Union Pacific's F.E.F. Four Eight Four. You'll see them operating this stove and servicing it on the fly. A rare steam only. Have a good day.
The word "behemoth" always comes to my mind when I see Santa Fe steamers. It doesn't matter the class, they always seem bigger and tougher looking than the same types from other roads. Doug
If only we could just take the train from platform 9 3/4 down to Diagon Alley and buy us one of those wood sticks at the wand shop. Glad to hear the wiring project is on going sir.
Good one. That was well played. Wiring project? Craning my neck and reaching overhead to strip the wires. Aiiyiiyii Where's my wand and what curse is that? Yes, that would be nice.
Well I am lucky enough to have ATSF 3773 in brass and it is a heck of a puller too! That said, I would also line up for a Kato ATSF 4-8-4 any time, the Berks they did for Con Cor are still running on my rails. And I also have the GS-4's and several Mikes too. I really like their steamers!
Interesting you mention the ConCor's. I have some of those in storage. I need to get them out and test them. Right there with you on the Kato GS-4's and Mikes. ConCor made a GS4 and I really like it. I have some Rivarossi 2-6-2's and Model Power Mikes. Pleased with them as well.
My four pawed girl friends. Samantha, Esmeralda and Tabitha prowl the layout as it is. One Siamese mix and two Russian Blue's. Named as such when they kept changing things in my computer that requires me to go to the control panel to do. Just no help with wiring other then playing with it. The wires and not what you were thinking. Gosh is the wiring taking forever. One hour or two a day isn't getting the job done. Time to rethink this. Maybe Back To The Future to find my younger back and hip...do you think?
you need to start with a DeLorean and a Flux Capacitor. https://www.oreillyauto.com/flux-500.html?q=flux+capacitor+
Good one!! I sure like the idea. I think we learned early on my conductors wand given to me by a choir director, doesn't work. The spell doesn't help. I said curse earlier and perhaps that would apply to what happens to older people. Just sayin. My crystal ball doesn't work very well either. Not at all. Curses...curses Massey said, I need to start with a Flux Capacitor? Well played Anyway, I'm taking it one day at a time and at the same time anxious to get her up and running. The eagle landed so I need to get out and re-stock my pantry. Later
You know, I thought about getting a DeLorean but didn't because I figured I'd only drive it from time to time ……….
You are about to see and hear some interesting history regarding Southern Pacific and the GS series of locomotives. Take a minute to check this out. I had heard stories of Southern Pacific passenger trains visiting Barstow, Ca. Stories from my family of Rails. And stories told by Chard Walker. What I didn't understand was the story I heard of the California Zephyr visiting Barstow, Ca. Now I have a better understanding. So, I was glad to re-hear the stories as told by this commentator. Enjoy!
One more having to do with the Coast Daylight. Now you know why I have to have a Coast Daylight running around my layout.
Your Welcome David. I was thinking about the story I heard as a youngster regarding the foreign trains that visited Barstow, Ca. How about another of Rick's Story Times. Oh no, I can hear you saying. Not another one. I'll even do the sounds for you! No, no, not that, you all said in unison. Rick's Story Time. Once upon a time in a far away place. Out in the middle of, what many thought was No Where. It was rumored the City of San Francisco and other Southern Pacific Passenger Trains visited this hot, desolate, no man's land... Barstow, Ca. Followed by or of all things the California Zephyr. Here the Stoves were taken off and serviced at the Roundhouse. That's right, you heard me right, I didn't stu...stu...stutter. All headed for points East and West. Both ways you ask? That's what this lore of a train story tells me. To the youngsters and Rails of the time who weren't informed it looked like Southern Pacific and Western Pacific might be trying to establish a new passenger route. Maybe the W.P., S.P. & Santa Fe are merging. Do you think? That would be the hottest news story. Other stories were concocted as to why this happened and they ran rabid. Foamers, foaming at the mouth. Railfans in total disbelief. It was such a surprise it stunned everybody but the staff working the passenger yard and station. So much so no one has pictures or found any to this day. Camera, what camera? Film cost to much to buy never mind to get it processed. Okay, is this like the story of the missing Spanish Galleon, a sailing ship that made it's way into the middle of the Mojave Desert? No not quite. That's a story for another time and place. Okay, is it like Superstition Mountain and the Lost Dutchman's mine? No... nothing like that. Someone, finally thought to ask a representative of the Railroads. What the hell is going on? Scratching their heads in wonderment. Why? Why? Would they want to do such a thing. Come all the way to Barstow? That didn't make any sense at all. I mean there's No Super Bowl. No big political meeting. No foolish political hearings. Not even a Shriner's event. Finally, the Conductor of the second train-in explained why. The real news broke through and everyone understood that...are you and your's ready for this... The Feather River Route was closed from flooding and a landslide. Donner Pass was closed due to an immense snow fall. To keep the trains running they followed the route of the San Joaquin Daylight down to Bakersfield, over Tehachapi, splitting off at Mojave to go to Barstow, out to Daggett and then up the Union Pacific Tracks to Salt Lake City. The California Zephyr now on home tracks proceeded over the D&RGW to Denver. The Southern Pacific trains went on and in to Ogden. Finally on home tracks those going further east, The City of San Francisco... it proceeded onward to Omaha and on into Chicago. Wait did it go all the way to Chicago? They kept this up until such a time as the tracks were cleared and service restored. I'm guessing within 2 or 3 days. That had to make for some interesting train watching in Barstow, Ca. Never mind everywhere else they ventured. Chard Walker, also tells a similar story as to how the Colorado River Flooded taking out the Southern Pacific Tracks. It would have to be down near Blythe, on the CA. and AZ Border. They operated all S.P trains up and over Cajon Pass, and through the Summit, where he worked as a Santa Fe agent. They then proceeded to Barstow, out to Cadiz, splitting off to take the Santa Fe tracks out through Rice, into Parker and down to Phoenix, where they rejoined home rails. Now if you think Barstow, wasn't an interesting place to be. You are ignoring all the fun the residents there have had over the years. Train watching has been at a premium, in that "Arm Bit of the World", as one of my Mountain Men friends in Big Bear Country used to describe it. Funny, but he wouldn't miss Railroad Days, at the old Casa Del Deserito. Santa Fe's Passenger Station and Harvey House. Quite the place to go. Don't miss stopping in to chill out at the W.A.R.M. (railroad museum). You never know what stories you might hear. Just don't expect the Docents in the railroad museum, to know the Santa Fe Railroad history of the area. The docents in the Route 66 Museum, have better documentation and knowledge of the area. There are other museums in Barstow, that have railroad information they can share with you, as well. As for me. I spent hours in Barstow, Ca. as a child. Grandma would take me down to watch my family of Rails bring in the trains... they worked. Awesome Stoves at the head of these trains. I got to go places in the yard. Security wasn't as tight back when. The Roundhouse was an amazing place to visit. Riding a switch engine, darn diesel, was fun. When the new F types showed up the new Diesel Shops, held a open house. I can't tell from the video... but either I or a close friend of mine got captured running around in front of the Freight or Passenger diesels. The one that is me. If you see a kid and he's facing the so called locomotives... taking a leak. That's me. Just expressing how I felt about those anything but Locomotion/Motors. That's what the Rail's called them. One fella in a suit walked up to me and said, "That's my sentiment exactly" Get this. Turns out he was the one that put in the order for my Brother and I. Went to a party with Dad and came home with my Mom. Say what? I wouldn't learn about it until I was in my forties. Hello Dad!! Do you think that's enough for now? Be and run steam on your layout. Now back to work.
