Just heard that Friday morning, 2100 went east over Stampede Pass with 2 BNSF GP's and the ex-GN Vanderbuilt tender behind, running!! Apparently she's going over to Richland for a prospective buyer, but that's just the rumor mill. Man, it went right by my house here in Covington!:angry:
Kurt, I was planning to ride the Golden Rails machine this summer, but it appears to be history. I did get to at least SEE the 2100 when I went to Tacoma to ride the 4449/844 trip. :sad:
Hmmm. Thinking back to earlier posts on this topic- I recall my mentioning I'd heard rumors about their operation having some difficulties. I wonder if this is true? Or will they use diesel? Or? Anyone have an idea? I wonder what or who might be interested, in the Tri-Cities area? Or where it could operate? This is all rather confusing! Boxcab E50
Ken, there are all kinds of rumors around the net, but no facts that I can see, other than they probably were not making enough money to sustain the operation. It does seem somewhat ill-conceived, to have a high drivered 4-8-4 pulling doublehigh cars up a steep grade. Anyway, here's what she looked like just a few weeks ago.
The true shame of it all is that it spent more time being serviced, than in service. When I saw her last, she was being serviced in the BNSF RIP shed in the Tacoma Yard, before that, she spent months at CEECO in Fife. Hard to generate revenue when you're up on blocks! As for who might be interested, perhaps the Temple family, who owned and operated the WA Central and now have the dinner train (which coincidently, starting in August, is slated to run the same Mountain Line in Tacoma that the 2100 was trying to). MRH
Hay kurt 2100 really left Saturday morning lead by a matched BNSF pumkins BNSF 3241 and BNSF 2135 a hot TPHX 2100, tender TPHX 21001 and an X-GN tender( we think its from a northern or a articulated, was used by BCR as a fire water car ) TPHX 21002. And went east via Auburn, Kanasket, Lester, Stampede, Martin had a photo stop while the BNSF crew cut and run to change crews in Easton, parked at Bullfrog siding for the night ( all yard and siding tracks in Cle Elum are " out of service", and took water did a service ,oil around and grease packing and then on to Ellensburg Sunday afternoon. Left Ellensburg Monday afternoon and arrived in Yakima at 11:00 PM per RailroadRadio.net
Something model railroaders dont do! Have a FRA inspection and service at a real shop set up for something as big as Northern , CEECO is good for diesels and cars no inside space for a steam locomotive thou
