We made it up in time to chase the 4449 today...






Tomorrow we'll be going into the festival...I'm really excited about seeing the Leviathan...a brand new 4-4-0.

There is a major change in the schedule up here: the 1225 has experienced problems and is now cold. The 765 will replace her on tomorrow's excursion. It is a bit sad as the previous time they were together, the 1991 NRHS Convention, the 1225 had problems and the 765 had to tow her plus 34 passenger cars through the mountains. It is always sad whenever a group of volunteers suffer through something like this. At least they've sold out all their excursions and the festival is well on its way to a huge success.

I've heard all sorts of stories about what is wrong, several of which I know can't be true as they wouldn't sideline a locomotive, but I'm under the impression that the exact problem is yet unknown from an inside source.

With the 1225 down, there will be a guest engineer for part of the trip tomorrow, Doyle McCormick of 4449 fame. My dad says that he pulled the 765's throttle back in 1980...but he grew up on the NKP and is a major reason that the NKPH&TS has a Portland chapter.

Tonight we're going to have a railfan trip to the depot at Durand, MI...and the modern 4-6-2 parked there. Earlier today, I was unsuccessful at locating the old pacific in Jackson, MI. We will have a shorter night due to the 765's excursion tomorrow.

If you see us there, say hi...
I'll be wearing a brown shirt... I'm young, 6'2 and thin. My wife is 5'10" and similar. We'll have our baby in a running stroller...probably be a part of a group of 9.

1225 went down due to a cracked flue. 765 will be in Owosso until October as it will be running with 1225 on the fall color tours from Cadillac to Alma.

I was supposed to go today, but issues arose and I will not make it. So bummed....

Sometimes the passenger cars are as interesting as the locomotive, but get far less attention.

Is the 4449 pulling a mixed consist of passenger cars instead of the Daylight cars she usually pulls. It looks like a Milwaukee Road Hiawatha train behind the locomotive but it also has what looks to be a B&O car right behind the tender and some NYC cars mixed in.

Thanks for posting those pictures, Michael. I made a side-trip to Owosso on my way home from the IRM on the 19th, hoping to see something, even if it wasn't in steam. The grounds were locked-up, so I got only a few shots through the fence, these among them:




Wayne

GREAT SHOTS SO FAR! , i hope MORE are added to this :mrgreen: .

I think I'm more interested in the Hiawatha passenger cars then i am the steam though ...please, no hate mail on that one .

UP SD40-2 Wrote:GREAT SHOTS SO FAR! , i hope MORE are added to this :mrgreen: .

I think I'm more interested in the Hiawatha passenger cars then i am the steam though ...please, no hate mail on that one .

Deano, you're a good man for caring about the passenger cars...I have no comment of not seeing the beauty of steam

The cracked flue rumor made its way around, but I'm under the impression, having better sources than the rumor mill, that it was something quite different and there's a good chance that she won't be under steam until after her big overhaul. Besides, a leaky flue doesn't sideline a locomotive.

The photo Wayne posted is of an F-unit that came all the way from the Spencer shops in North Carolina. NS was excellent in helping her make the trip.

The 261 train was picked up by the Daylight at the Twin Cities. The 261's tool car, a sleeper, and a KATY private car were parked in the festival. The 1225's crew car was used on each trip. There was a beautiful NYC private car that was at the end of the train in front of the full dome and the skytop lounge. A couple of the cars had an interesting story...they were owned by the 765 crew 20 years ago...and are currently own by Jerry Jacobson (the Ohio Central's former owner). A couple weeks ago, the F-40 and the former VIA cars returned from Ft. Wayne to eastern Ohio but he left these with the 765 for Railfestival. Keep in mind, just because a car is wearing a particular paint scheme doesn't mean that it is from that railroad. The 765 and OC cars have long been painted N&W maroon...regardless as to their history...and this is the case with most of the 261 and the 4449's cars. The only cars that I'm 100% certain were originally from the Milwaukee Road are the full length dome and the skytop. I know with 100% certainty that some of the others were not.

The 765 will be staying there for some photo charters. We'll have to wait and see what happens with the 1225. Odds are fairly good that they won't disclose the full nature of their troubles due to the sensitivity of such things...but I hope that it can be mended.

Here's the 765 covering for the 1225 on Saturday morning...


Rich ran most of the trip...

But Doyle and a couple other distinguished guests pulled the throttle on the photo runby. Ross Rowland was also on board...nearly a who's who of celebrity engineers. On Sunday, a younger member who is also an NS engineer was at the throttle for the trip...he is being trained and previously ran a couple excursions a month ago. Steve Winicker was in the fireman's seat on Sunday while Mark St. Aubin was in the seat on Saturday.

This shot is as much for kf4jqd as for everyone else:

She truly is a NG locomotive with sg axles!

The family


The brand new Leviathan.

The owner acquired the patterns used to build the Jupiter replica (Promontory Point, Utah)...and so she's a sister. He's also, or so I hear, acquired the partially completed replica of V&T #1...the Lyon.

1225

Twice she has been involved in similar events. Both times the 765 had to cover for her. Hopefully she'll get a good overhaul in and they'll have her back in just a few years. She was cold by the time I got there to see her, but I've seen her before.

This 1 1/2" scale Southern PS-4 was amazing.

Unlike other 1/8th scale locomotives, her whistle sounded as good as she looks

At the end of the day on Saturday, the 3 saddletankers teamed up to move the cold 1225:


They accomplished it with lots of slipping. You ought to be able to find a video somewhere on the net.

After chasing the 765 on Sunday morning, we headed over to the Huckleberry Railroad

Of course, it was an excellent ride. I greatly enjoyed talking with their crew and the supervisor, Paul. I was very impressed with how well run their operation is. Our train was powered by one of the two remaining D&RGW K-27 mudhens (the same engines Blackstone and B-man offer). The first car on the train was an 1882 Jackson & Sharp coach which was used on the Chili Line.

My little boy loves trains...and he loved his ride...

Gotta love those mudhens! I've ridden behind several of the K-36's but neither of the lighter 27's.

Here's someone's video of the triple header...
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cMHFHLH9t0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cMHFHLH9t0</a><!-- m -->

Great pics added

I too am a fan of those mudhens :mrgreen:

nkp_174, dont get me wrong, i REALLY like steam :mrgreen: , i just happen to be a BIG FAN of the Hiawatha cars, i knew the steamers would get lots of cheers so i just had to stick up for the Hiawatha cars .

UP SD40-2 Wrote:Great pics added

I too am a fan of those mudhens :mrgreen:

nkp_174, dont get me wrong, i REALLY like steam :mrgreen: , i just happen to be a BIG FAN of the Hiawatha cars, i knew the steamers would get lots of cheers so i just had to stick up for the Hiawatha cars .

Deano, anyone whom sticks up for passenger cars is a good man in my view! The only higher calling than protecting passenger cars is protecting wooden passenger cars!

Thanks for the complement!