Rails,what a thrill I had two nights ago!!...Yesterday I posted in a thread concerning movies that are totally train oriented,advice to find,rent ,buy "Hurricane Express"starring very young John Wayne(please read that post)..The night before,at(no fooling)4 AM, I was touching the cylinders of 3751,the Santa Fe Northern(4-8-4)sitting idle in the dark in San Pedro,Ca...There was a rail festival earlier that I couldn't make..I felt bad about this knowing 3751 was involved..So,as I stay up til 4-5 Am frequently,I,blindly got in my old Benz and drove down 30 Mi to Harbor& 6th in San P...Not seeing her along the tracks I got sad thinking I'd waisted the fuel and time..I drove about 1/2 Mi. more south on Harbor,looking to the dark tracks down a deep cliff to my left and...YEAH,YEAH,YEEEEAH!!.. There she was...!!!..First I went to a parking area,fenced off from track and gazed at the magnificent beaut about 75 feet away..But I needed to get close..I got in my car and drove back up to the boulevard,parked, and cimbed down the(not so steep),unfenced cliff..As there were a few other vehicles around the ballasted area and lit up passenger cars behind her(crew,sleeping)I tip toed up and found myself right up against the drivers and side rods!!!What a monster..! What a thrill..she was still warm,too..a petcock on top of cylinders was actually giving off a whisp of steam...I walked around her several times,taking in as much as I could of this rarity and climbed the hill to my car...One final look and MY railfest was done!! MarkInLA
