For me it was about 1975 on the Ralston switch job in downtown Battle Creek, MI. I was hanging around, watching the action, then (I can say it now since the parties in question are deceased), Conductor Tom Shue invited me up for a ride. I rode with those guys all day on PC SW-8 # 8608. I'll never forget that day. The engineer was named Gale. I never cought his last name. This was when the old D.T&M was still intact to Rumely yard. Talk about some BAD track... 10 mph, thinking we would hit the ground at any minute. An entire afternoon bombing around with this job was FANTASTIC!!!! A few years after that riding the Amtrak to Kalamazoo, and later to Chicago, Tom Shue was the conductor on the train I was riding. We shared a Coke in the "Turbo-Dinette". On that SW-8, he pointed to the hatch on the cab floor, and told me that they kept their potatoes and carrots down there. I knew he was kidding, but I remembered that on the Amtrak, and offered to buy him a salad. We ended up getting chili dogs and milk shakes at Fabers in Union Station in Chicago.
Todd
Age seven, returning from the 1939 NYC World's Fair on the LIRR (10 mile, 10 minutes, 10 cents) mu engineer saw me peeking though the door separating the vestibule from the coach interior, invited me to ride the front platform with him. Scared wnen the wistle blew when approaching Penn Station, but still loved the experience and was the first of many such rides on the LIRR, NYNH&H, and NYCentral. The last, much later in life, included a B-Liner (RDC) through the Berkshires Albany - Springfield.
For a genuine locomotive, the very first cab ride was arranged by Bob Konsbrook for me and himself on a CERA South Shore fantrip, summer of 1952, Little Joe. Only time on steam, including throttle time was light engine move, 4-8-0, Pratoria "Engine Sheds," South Africa, around 1984. First diesel also 1952 in connection with work at EMD.
B&O Chicago Express #9 Garrett, IN to Chicago - #9 was about 1 hour late and left Garrett about 5 minutes ahead of the Capitol Limited, whose headlight could be seen arriving Garrett as we departed. Engineer quickly notched out to the 8th notch and left it there until 118 was seen on the Chicago Pneumatic Speed Recorder - and across Indiana we went, made a station stop a LaPaz (B&O's version of South Bend), leaving LaPaz it was all 8th notch until stopping a Gary - beyond Gary the speeds were reduced account all of the urban operations as well as operating over the Rock Island as the B&O's route meandered its way to Grand Central Station after a stop at 63rd Street. #9 was OS'd into Grand Central On Time.
I was 13 - my father was the Superintendent and his instructions to the engineers - Observe timetable and train order slow orders - if you are late and there are no speed restrictions - go as fast as necessary to get back On Time. The sensibilities of railroad speed were much different in that bygone era than they are today.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
My first cab ride came in 1965; I had written the superintendent of IC's Tennessee Division, asking about such a ride from Memphis to Grenada on the City of New Orleans on a certain date. His response was that I could--and he would be in the cab also. However, he was called away, and one of his subordinates took his place, sitting in the fireman's seat--I sat in the middle. Soon after leaving Memphis, I motioned to the engineer, indicating that I would like to handle the horn--and I did so until it became too dark for me to distinguish between mile posts and whistle posts (same size and shape).
As to speed, I noticed that the speedometer needle stayed about 90 most of the way--and we did not make up any time (ABS only).
I had also written the superintendent of the Louisiana Divisio, asking permission to ride the engine from Jackson to New Orleans; his response was that such permission was not granted.
I did have the pleasure of helping the conductor, who knew me, sort his tickets after we left Hammond.
My second cab ride came in 1969, right after Southern #41 and $42 were truncated at York, Alabama When I boarded in Birmingham, and told the conductor, whom I had known for a few years that I was going to go to York and back and then get off in Tuscaloosa, he refused to take my Tuscaloosa-York round trip ticket (I did use it later). While we were waiting for train time in York, I asked him about riding the engine back to Tuscaloosa--and he took me up to the engine, introduced me to the engine crew--and I stayed there until we stopped in Tuscaloosa, where I got off on the side away from the station (lest someone who would have been unhappy seeing me doing that should see me).
My third ride was in the fall of 1969 on the from the last stop of the northbound Birmingham Special from the last stop before Chattanooga until we had gone through the Lookout Mountain tunnel. After we left that stop I asked the flagman, who knew me, and he took me up to the cab, going through the baggage car and both engines. Going back, I walked through the engines in the dark.
My last cab ride was in December of 1970 when the Southern was moving the two consoldations from Atlanta to Birmingham for winter shopping.
Going over from Birmingham the day before, I asked the engineer who was going to operate the first engine about riding his engine, and he told me that the permsiion was not his to give. However, when we stopped in Anniston to take coal and water, I went up to the engine (#722), he beckoned to me, and I had a wonderful ride, even though I had to keep out of the way of the two men who were bailing coal.
When I boarded the engine, Mrs. Purdie (the wife of the Southern's man in charge of steam operations) who was sitting on the fireman's box, and complimented her on her makeup--and after we arrived in Birmingham, she told me, "Your mother wouldn't know you."
Johnny
I should have noted that I have had cab rides in Israel, the first in 1960, on my first visit, but none for the last 22 years, and all on the scenic old T. A. - Jerusalem line, not the fast T. A.- Haifa line.
My one British experience was on a Deltic diesel, London - Newcastle, the year before the line was electrified. Steady 100mph running, on-time departure, two or three miniutes early arrival. No Canadian cab rides, but Edmonton westbound to too sleepy to stay awake in a CN office car with Jack May and Bruse Russell, CN Continental.
It wasn't much of a ride, but back in 1976 (I was 16), my uncle took me to the old PRR (CR) Pitcairn engine terminal. There was an SD40/SD35/SD40 consist at the fuel racks and the hostler let me move them up and down the track a couple of hundred feet.
While working in Official capacity for the B&O I had numerous occasions to ride the cab. Some were memorable.
Riding from New Castle to Akron on the train known as DETR or Detroiter - a empty autoparts trains that originated at Cumberland with cars moving back to Michigan from the GM assembly plants at Wilmington & Baltimore as well as the parts distribution facility at Martinsburg, WV. As I recall, the train out of New Castle had approximately 150 cars and a single SD-40 for power - and even though the length of trains wasn't calculated in those days - the train was approacing 8000 or more feet in lenght - auto racks, high cube box cars - 89 foot empty frame flats. Engineer notched the train up to #8 and there it stayed from OA Tower at New Castle to Center Street Crossing at Haselton to make a statuatory STOP for the non-interlocked railroad crossings at grade. Getting the Green Highball from the Train Director at Center Street - the engineer notched back up to #8 and we were off again - with the knowledge that the locomotive with the train's tonnage of about 5600 tons was overloaded for Akron Hill, with Akron Jct being the pit of the 1% hill and having a permanent speed restriction of 10 MPH. Akron hill was a descent and ascent in both directions with Akron Jct. being the bottom. Each part of the grade was approximately 1 mile long. Short heavy trains frequently stalled - both Eastbound and Westbound. Long heavy trains would normally fare better as the rear part of the train would still be descending and 'adding horsepower' to the head end of the train that was climbing the hill. At 8K feet the DETR had the advantage of having its train help it over the hill - the engineer slowed to walking speed as we passed the platform at Akron Union Station and my boss and I dismounted. Maximum observed speed for the run was 24 MPH and the approximately 58 miles were covered in 2 hours 30 minutes.
Another memorable run was riding with the Valley Local out of Cleveland one morning. Power was a SW-1 - 600 HP yard engine. The job was to take 84 loads of cement from Clark Ave. Yard to a customer out a Willow - about 5 miles from Clark Ave. The 84 load comprised about 8K tons - a lot for one of the earliest freight diesels to enter the B&O's roster. Once the train was doubled together it had to depart going over Clark Avenue's 'Hump' - not much of a hump compared to a genuine hump yard but a track of raised elevation. Our speed pulling the train over the 'hump' could be measured on tenths of a MPH or less - but the SW-1 just kept pulling and pulling - once the train cleared the hump it only took an hour to get to Willow and start putting the train away on the customers track. I didn't think a engine could go that slow, load that hard and not burn up - that SW1 did.
My one and only cab ride was in the late 11950s, I was maybe 12. I spent hours on the porch of the B&O YMCA at Brunswick, MD, across from the roundhouse. A hostler had seen me there all summer and motioned me down the stairs and invited me over to the roundhouse. We climbed onto a GP7 next to the roundhouse, track lined up with the turntable.
He showed me to the engineers seat, showed me the dead man switch I had to stand on. Told me to pull back the throttle three notches, release the brake, and off we went onto the turntable. Notch throttle back down to zero, and apply brakes once on t he table. They turned us to a dofferent track, and we drove over to another spot to leave the locomotive.
It only lasted a few minutes, but I still remembe the feeling of the power of the engine behind me as it wound up to move us. Didn't go fast, didn't go far, but I treasure the memory.
I remember trying to sound knowledgeable, "This is a GP7, right?" "Oh, this is a General Motors," he said.
BaltaCD: How many minutes altogether would you estimate that SW1 was really lugging at less than one mile-per-hour? The DC EMD motors had short-time ampere ratings roughly twice that of long-term; the limitation being heat dissipation and not cooking the insulation for motor-blow-out.
Although the SW1's horse-power rating was much less, the DC traction motors were the same as used on F-units of higher horsepower. With much lower-speed gearing, they could actually outpull the higher-horsepower F-units as far as low-speed lugging or starting a train.
daveklepperBaltaCD: How many minutes altogether would you estimate that SW1 was really lugging at less than one mile-per-hour? The DC EMD motors had short-time ampere ratings roughly twice that of long-term; the limitation being heat dissipation and not cooking the insulation for motor-blow-out. Although the SW1's horse-power rating was much less, the DC traction motors were the same as used on F-units of higher horsepower. With much lower-speed gearing, they could actually outpull the higher-horsepower F-units as far as low-speed lugging or starting a train.
Probably 20-25 minutes - I am aware that SW-1's were geared much lower than road power (B&O at one time had several sets of F7's that were geared for a maximum of 50 MPH that were kept in helper service on the grades between Cumberland and Grafton). I don't know what the minimum continuous speed for a SW1 was or what it's short time restrictions were. The B&O SW1's dated from 1940 and their electrical gear would be of the FT generation, most likely and Timetable limited them to a maximum of 45 MPH.
Many switchers were ballasted to give additional traction, our NW2 weighs more and will out-pull our F3A at low speeds, even though they are both geared for 65 mph.
No matter the gearing, operating at 1 mph in full throttle would definitely put the unit into the short-time ratings. The only upside of running in notch 8 is that the traction motor blower is also running at maximum speed, they were belt-driven off the crankshaft in older units.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
SD70DudeMany switchers were ballasted to give additional traction, our NW2 weighs more and will out-pull our F3A at low speeds, even though they are both geared for 65 mph. No matter the gearing, operating at 1 mph in full throttle would definitely put the unit into the short-time ratings. The only upside of running in notch 8 is that the traction motor blower is also running at maximum speed, they were belt-driven off the crankshaft in older units.
I don't recall smelling the characteristc smells associated with overheated electrical wiring.
BaltACD SD70Dude Many switchers were ballasted to give additional traction, our NW2 weighs more and will out-pull our F3A at low speeds, even though they are both geared for 65 mph. No matter the gearing, operating at 1 mph in full throttle would definitely put the unit into the short-time ratings. The only upside of running in notch 8 is that the traction motor blower is also running at maximum speed, they were belt-driven off the crankshaft in older units. I don't recall smelling the characteristc smells associated with overheated electrical wiring.
SD70Dude Many switchers were ballasted to give additional traction, our NW2 weighs more and will out-pull our F3A at low speeds, even though they are both geared for 65 mph. No matter the gearing, operating at 1 mph in full throttle would definitely put the unit into the short-time ratings. The only upside of running in notch 8 is that the traction motor blower is also running at maximum speed, they were belt-driven off the crankshaft in older units.
Depending on the unit, you can run for a surprising amount of time with the ammeter in the short-time ratings zone before something gives.
Not sure exactly what a SW1's ratings would be, but on most DC locomotives they seem to start at around 1000 amps, and the ratings for 1 hour, 30 minutes and 15 minutes are normally listed on the control stand, along with the continuous rating.
A locomotive geared for 65 mph will have a minimum continuous speed of around 12 mph. I would think a lower gear ratio would result in a lower minimum continuous speed, but am not sure.
I'll let you know if it ever happens for me.
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Ain't happened for me yet neither. Maybe one of these decades.
In the meantime, I just live vicariously through the You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHIJBAP9l_I
Better than nuthin'...
Becky, I think you would have enjoyed the cab rides I had in freight locomotives. Except for one round trip to Aliceville, they were all in the yard in Reform, Alabama (where I lived for nine years). I came to know the men who ran between Reform and Aliceville very well, and they did not mind my riding--and even let me run the engine around the wye on two occasions. The trip to Aliceville and back took two hours each way for the twenty miles, and was after a December sunset. They ate in a restaurant in Aliceville, and paid for my supper.
I would also play brakeman or switch tender; apparently they had confidence in me.
I regret that I did not take my wife with me at least one time and ask if she could run the engine.
I got my first cab ride late in life. In 2005 during the bicentenial of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition, they ran a train along the Colombia River from Portland to Astoria. It was three RCDs. I was looking out the door window thru the vestibule and out the front center window. The engineer noticed me and motioned me into the front vestibule cab. Soon other passengers were invited in.
In 2007 we rode the Rio Grande Scenic out of Alamosa. It was a true mixed train, wih a ballast car and a side dump car. As they were starting up the grade, they stopped, uncoupled the side dump car from the passenger cars, went ahead a little and dumped some rip-rap along a fill. I was walking back thru the train between cars when the conductor was letting a passenger out onto the ROW. The conductor asked if I was going too. Figuring it was to take photos, I said yes. I was following the other passenger forward, when the Conductor got on his radio to the engineer, to say he was sending two to the front. It was only then that I realized I had stumbled into a cab ride. I called back to the conductor, to tell my wife where I was going. The loco was an ex-Amtrak F40. The ride going up LaVeta Pass around sweeping curves and the loop at Fir was scenic, but the ride down the east side with its 3% grades and unbelievably tight curves was spectacular. It's hard to believe 2-8-8-2's ran on the line back in the day.
My last cab ride was on the Eureka Springs tourist RR, riding the switcher around the yard and on the turntable.
I rode a BN helper out of Crawford in 1979. Before the Orin line opened there were maybe 15 coal trains a day up the hill, and four helper sets (and seven helper crews) were based at Crawford. There had been a work window somewhere to the west, and the four sets were on duty at 15-minute intervals around dark, when traffic resumed.
I was astonished-- my first cab ride, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Apparently engines do that to you.
Riding on the tender of Disneyland Railroad's #1 when I was eleven years old. As a teenager I would also get the chance to ride in the cab of an RS-4-TC used in inustrial switching service at a local salt plant.
Living in railway stations I can't really say precisely when I had my first cab ride. I am going to guess and say I was about 8, at Irricana. My brother and I had sereral rides over the course of one summer while the crew of the mixed switched cars at the elevators. I would guess the total one way distance would be less than a 1000 feet.
Neither of us liked the sound of the air brake releasing on the first ride. But I was proud of myself for quickly figuring out when it was going to happen on my next ride. I got the sense of the rhythm of starting, pushing, and then stopping to couple or uncouple the cars.
It was in several GP7's or 9's and one end cab switcher that I found out much later had been set up for road service. Even though we lived there for a couple of more years I never did have any more rides.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
timzI was astonished-- my first cab ride, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Apparently engines do that to you.
Worst ride I had was 'bird dogging' the Local crew that worked from Clark Ave at Cleveland to Sterling and back to Cleveland, a job that was consistantly going on the 16 hour law before making it back to Cleveland.
Sunny Winter day after a several inch snow fall the day before. We got the train together at Clark Ave - 15-20 cars and got to moving out on the Cleveland Sub - Max speed 25 MPH - jointed rail - outdoor temerature about 20 degrees - cab heater going full blast - the Sun's glare off the new fallen snow was blinding. Between the cab heater, blinding glare and rocking along on 25 MPH jointed rail - was all worse than being a baby in a cradle. Took every trick I could think of to keep the eyes open and I don't know if I was entirely successful.
Worked several customers while inroute to Lester. From Lester we operated on the Medina Sub to Medina to work the 'Pickleworks', max speed on the Media Sub was 15 MPH. Leaving Medina we continued at 15 MPH to Lake Jct. where we got on the CL&W Sub, a 30 MPH railroad to Sterling, working a couple of customers along the way. At Sterling we set off a cut of cars that were desined to locations on the Lower CL&W that ran between Warwick and Holloway, OH, which would be picked up by a mercandise train that operated from Willard to Holloway and performed local work on the Lower CL&W. While at Sterling we also picked up a cut of about 50 loads of coal to take back to Cleveland; those cars having been set off by a Holloway to Willard (and beyond) coal train, we also had to hold on to several cars that we had picked up out of the industries we had serviced.
On the trip back to Clark Avenue we worked a couple of industries between Lake Jct and Lester on the CL&W Sub and then 'hightailed' it to Cleveland. We went on the law at RD Tower (the edge of Cleveland Yard Limts) and were pulled in by one of the Cleveland Yard Crews.
Crew was on duty 16 hours - didn't 'dog' it in performing their duties. Marked off after 17 1/2 hours; crew claimed their 8 hours rest, moving their assigned call time 1.5 hours ahead for their tour of duty the next trip. Note - Hours of Service at that time was 16 Hours on duty and 8 hours being the minimum required rest period. There was a caboose to be handled and a Engineer and 3 man train crew.
Oh, Those old SW-1's! I have read from several sources that they never had traction motor blowers because EMD deemed them unnessesary due to the low H.P. rating. I do recall seeing a single SW-1 pushing about 90 cars from Rumely Yard to Hinman Yard past Nichols Tower about 1976 or so. That thing was just barely moving, and I thought it was going to blow-up. It made it through the interlocking after about 45 minutes though.
xboxtravis7992Riding on the tender of Disneyland Railroad's #1 when I was eleven years old
Look something like this (not my photos)?
If you're VERY lucky, and the crew is in a good mood...
3rd rail ... This was when the old D.T&M was still intact to Rumely yard. ...
... This was when the old D.T&M was still intact to Rumely yard. ...
I have long been interested in the old DT&M, even though it disappeared into the NYC System over a hundred years ago, and was largely abandoned in the 30s. I see on old topo maps where the line ran in Battle Creek, and I see there were remanents south and west of the city. Where was Rumely Yard? Was Ralston (plant?) on this line?
Yes Mike, The D.T.&M origionaly went right past the old Ralston cereal plant on the north side. Until about 1974 there was still a diamond across the GTW there, I remember a small tower there. The D.T.&M. did exist through town as far west as Bedford Road until Clark Equipment, and Eaton shut down in the early 1980's. Battle Creek has changed a lot since those days. Of course, things on the railroads have changed too... No longer can a kid on a bicycle hanging out by the tracks get invited to ride in an engine.... But I will never forget those times. Wasn't just riding on the switcher, was also having free-run of the GTW engine shops (them knowing that I respected RR safety rules), And several cab rides there, and lots of time hanging out in Nichols Tower. The thing that really sucked, I wanted to hire out on the RR, but at that time there was the "Reagan Ression" and the GTW had guys with 20 yrs senority laid off.. I finally ended up enlisting in the US Army since you couldn't find a decent job in B.C. in those years. Turned out to be a good decision, To this day, my veteran status helps me out from time to time. But, I still wish I could have gotten a job with GTW. I had lots of fun riding around with the guys though..Memories that I'll never forget.
Walt Wilson, Tom Shue, Dick Enos, Pete Sabolic,Bill Pontius, Bob Spillner, Les Willey, all these guys are long since retired, or deceased, that is why I can publish their names without fear of any reprecussions that might do them any harm.
Good times for sure........
That's not Disneyland, is it, Penny? Looks like a 2 foot gauge to me. My first and only ride was in thev cab of Santa Fe Southern GP-10 in 2006. We stopped to pick up freight cars on the way out of Santa Fe, so it was also my first mixed train.
Fr.AlThat's not Disneyland, is it, Penny? Looks like a 2 foot gauge to me.
The DLRR (or Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad as it was named from 1955 to 1974) is 36 inch gauge.
The E.P. Ripley was built by Disney staff at the Burbank studio:
As was the C.K. Holliday:
The roundhouse got a second story with the addition of the Monorail in 1959:
Yes, picture 2 here clearly shows the gauge. I rode the Florida Disneyworld line during our honeymoon in 1975. I honestly don't remember if the track there was 3 foot. I've ridden 3 foot gauge track at the Huckleberry RR in Michigan.
Yes, the WDW RR is also 3 foot gauge.
The 5 locomotives were purchased from the Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatánfor $32,750 ($8,000 for each of the four locomotives in the boneyard plus an additional $750 for the fifth locomotive) The locomotives, along with an assortment of brass fittings and other spare parts given away for free, were immediately shipped by rail back to the United States. They were restored at the Tampa Ship Repair and Dry Dock Company.
From Wikipedia: "The general idea for the restoration was to make the locomotives appear as if they were built in the 1880s.[9] The original, dilapidated boilers of the four locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works were replaced with new, smaller boilers built by Dixon Boiler Works.[9][10] Their worn-out wood and steel cabs were replaced with new ones made of fiberglass, and they were given new tenders, which used the trucks from the originals.[5][9] Many of the smaller original parts on the locomotives such as the domes and brass bells on top of the boilers, the wheels, and the side rods were successfully refurbished and retained.[5][10] The locomotives' fireboxes were also modified to burn diesel oil.[10] Replicas of their builder plates were also made to replace the originals.[11]
The Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car Works locomotive acquired along with them could not be restored.[10] Built in 1902, this locomotive was the oldest of the five locomotives purchased and was determined to have too many problems to be rebuilt.[4][10] It was stored out of use in California for a period before being sold to an unknown locomotive broker.[10] Some of its parts were used to help restore the four Baldwin locomotives, including its smokestack, which was fitted to the WDWRR's No. 4 locomotive.[12]
When working on the line, each WDWRR locomotive consumes 25 US gallons (95 l) of fuel and 200 US gallons (760 l) of water per hour, and each tender can hold 664 US gallons (2,510 l) of fuel and 1,837 US gallons (6,950 l) of water.[16][48] In the past, all four locomotives received overhauls at the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.[17] Each of the four locomotives pulls a set of five passenger cars with seating capacity for 75 passengers per car, for a total of 375 passengers per train.[13] Steam-driven generators at the rear of the tenders supply electricity to the locomotives and passenger cars.[49] The locomotives do not contain brakes, but the passenger cars do.[17]
Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!
Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter