Steam fans, this is going to be the first event of the season in the Northwest, and one to plan on attending. On Saturday and Sunday June 28-29, the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation will steam up BOTH SP&S 700 and SP 4449 (Still in AFT colors). The event is the grand opening of the Springwater on the Willamette Trail, a trail which will run basically from OMSI to Oaks Park in east Portland. The two locomotives will take turns pulling a passenger consist on short runs, about 6 miles. The one way fees are an incredible FIVE bucks for adults, TWO bucks for kids under twelve. The trains will operate from 9:30 AM till 8:30 PM each day. Do I have your attention yet? Contact the ORHF for more details. Picture a double header. ORHF SITE
Watash, they haven't published that yet, but the way Doyle and Jim Abney operate, you can BET that there will be cab rides. If you come up here and visit me I'll pay for your cab ride. Heck, they'd probably let you run one of the engines!
Because of insurance requirements, there will not be cab rides. There will be cab tours of the other steam locomotive and preserved Amtrak #231 at the north end event site if things are worked out. Smokebox
Northwest railfans, here is just one reason to be in Portland on June 28-29. Personally, I plan to take in both the 700/4449 steam runs and the Mt. Rainier Scenic steamup on the same weekend. Does anyone else on here plan to do the same? If so, contact me. And another reason [ 06. January 2004, 05:17: Message edited by: fitz ]
Hey Fitz (and other readers), I posted some photos from this weekends Ohio Central excursion from Dennison to Newark (with a diesel return) on Trainorders. Lemme tell ya....a 4-6-2 and a 4-8-4 doubleheader is something awesome!!! I've got more coming later hopefully so tell me what you think! Hayes S.
Yo Hayes, I just noticed this was your first post here, and we need some more 12 inch to the foot steam people here. Welcome to Trainboard. I saw your pix over on TO and they look good. Wish I could have been there. Maybe we can get something similar later this month here in the northwest.
Fitz, I hope so for ya'lls sake. All of this insurance stuff seems to be depressing, especially in dealing with steam operations. We need more steam in this world and less disease.....elllls. haha I'm pretty much a pure steam man as you can tell. OH YEAH, this is my first post to Trainboard on this screen name. I forgot the password to my old one. Anyways, glad you enjoyed the photos on TO and I'll prolly send you more later. Hayes S. Keep steam on the gauge and water in the glass!
Fitz- Thanks for the link. Now I have a question. The 1293 looks like an engine that once ran on an east coast steam tourist operation. All that I can think of right now, is something like the Virginia Central. Do you know any history on this steamer? Boxcab E50
I know very little about the 1293, but can tell just by seeing her that she is a MLW, probably CP product. An old listing I have shows her as part of the Steamtown collection and that's probably when Steamtown was in Vermont. Two of her sisters, ex CP 1286 and 1238, ran for the Virginia Central in 1993 between Charlottesville and Clifton Forge. My wife and I were lucky enough to catch these two in 1993 when we were back east for the New River Gorge trip. As far as I know they are tied up at Staunton, Va. I think they still belong to Jack Showalt.
OK, guys and gals, this is going to happen in a few days and I am headed there armed with two 35mm cameras and a video camera. Do I hear any photo requests? Would anyone care to see the two 4-8-4's doubleheaded? Is anybody out there?? I am volunteering to sell ORHF memorabilia from noon to 4PM on Saturday in the booth at the north end. Come and visit the booth and spend lots of $$$ to keep these two magnificent steamers running. Please?
Fritz ?? Are you new here asking if any buddy wants to see any steam doubleheading is a really dumb question. As for me you can't post enough Ha! But go ahead and try I will be watching!!! mrtrain@mchsi.com
So, how about those pictures? How was the event? Haven't seen much steam action here in PA in a long time.
The Event was great and I should have my pictures back tomorrow (not in the digital age yet, but soon). Three double headers were run Friday, two with the 4449 in the lead and one with the 700 in the lead. I got to ride behind one of them as a volunteer. Chalk one up there, behind TWO Northerns. Worked the booth Saturday and we sold tons of stuff. The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation has a new shirt out with all three of the Portland engines on it, like that roundhouse shot earlier in the thread. As far as I know ALL the trains were sellouts, and they ran on schedule all day Saturday. Now for the ultimate NIMBY act. 700 had a student fireman late Saturday and was smokin' some. Some well to do idiot living nearby called 911 and reported the engine to be on fire. Both engines were really detailed by the volunteers and they looked great. Couldn't have asked for better weather conditions for photos (except for the 90+ degree temps). Sunday was a cooler day on the Mt. Rainier Scenic, where Hammond Lumber 2-8-2T 17 and Hillcrest Lumber Climax 10 were running. The event was a disappointment to the sponsors as only 25 railfans showed up Saturday (conflict with the big engines) and there were less than 10 of us Sunday. More good pix. I'll post them as soon as I get em and scan em. Terrific weekend!!
Friday morning, 4449 First doubleheader, 4449 leading Another angle, man that's over 200 feet of locomotives, hard to photograph [ 06. January 2004, 05:38: Message edited by: fitz ]
Third doubleheader, 700 leading. OOPS, looks like she's on a different track, so this must be the positioning move in progress. Then there is always someone more than willing to step into your dream shot, 700 and 4449 side by side Saturday morning. This one I had problems saving, taken with another camera, first day doubleheader. It's not as sharp as I would like. [ 06. January 2004, 05:44: Message edited by: fitz ]
