Trains.com

Railcamp

2891 views
22 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Railcamp
Posted by alexweiihman on Sunday, August 12, 2007 8:42 PM

Hey guys, I know these arnt model trains but these pictures might intrest you guys.I attended the NRHS Railcamp at Steamtown in July, and these are photos from it....PS an Adult Railcamp is also held.

Heres 1361 kind of sad to see

1361s cab, outside on a flat car

We got to tour the Amtrak Wilmington DE shops, on this mp-15 we emptied it's air tank blowing the horn for like an hour  :oops:

the MP-15 again (the shop manager looked embarressed when an employee would walk bye due to the horn blowing :)


Heres the inside of the HP-8 ?

outside of HP-8?

wrecked and burned HP-8

Pantogragh man these are huge

Outside of shops

ex washington terminal switcher, Amtrak will try to sell the loco, but if not it will be scrapped.  I asked the shop manager If I could buy the bell, but he said no  :(

Then we saw track work

We had a presetation by amtrak on a train they were bought in, they were late (just like their trains!) to arive to the adutorium

train and big boy

privite amtrak car, we got to tour it and it is the nicest amtrak car Ive seen

We then got a hand at fireing (or at least trying to fire) this beauty

Cheers,
Alex

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Galena, Ohio
  • 149 posts
Posted by Big Walnut Railroader on Sunday, August 12, 2007 9:02 PM
Nice pictures. Shame about the bell though.
Craig Tomastik (Big Walnut Railroader)
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: Sunny So. Cal.
  • 3,784 posts
Posted by dbaker48 on Sunday, August 12, 2007 9:33 PM

Very good pictures, quite impresive.  Would love to hear some of your stories.  Hope you had a great time.

 

Don

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 12, 2007 10:35 PM
Great pictures!  Sounds like the experience of a lifetime!
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Monday, August 13, 2007 9:46 AM
It was a great time, sadly you are only allowed to attend it once. As for a little story, a shop worker brought in a live steamer, were were allowed to drive this up and down a straight peice of track.  Well one of the boys wanted to see how fast the thing could go, and he was going so fast he could'nt brake fast enough at the end of the track, and ran it right off about a footinto the gravel.....that was the end of our live steam operating sessionSigh [sigh]
K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Crystal Lake, IL
  • 8,059 posts
Posted by cnw1995 on Monday, August 13, 2007 9:52 AM
Wow, I would so do this if I lived out east. I've always noticed their ads in Trains. Thanks for sharing this great experience, Alex.

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Monday, August 13, 2007 11:47 AM

 cnw1995 wrote:
Wow, I would so do this if I lived out east. I've always noticed their ads in Trains. Thanks for sharing this great experience, Alex.

 

A camp is also held in Ely NV. at the Nevada Northern Railroad

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 13, 2007 11:59 AM
 alexweiihman wrote:
It was a great time, sadly you are only allowed to attend it once. As for a little story, a shop worker brought in a live steamer, were were allowed to drive this up and down a straight peice of track.  Well one of the boys wanted to see how fast the thing could go, and he was going so fast he could'nt brake fast enough at the end of the track, and ran it right off about a footinto the gravel.....that was the end of our live steam operating sessionSigh [sigh]


LOL!  There is always one in the crowd that thinks of something cool and then ends up ruining for everyone else!  Good job there Alex! Wink [;)]Laugh [(-D]Mischief [:-,]

Does sound like a good time.  Did you get to help with any of the restoration work?
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Monday, August 13, 2007 12:27 PM

 lionroar88 wrote:
 alexweiihman wrote:
It was a great time, sadly you are only allowed to attend it once. As for a little story, a shop worker brought in a live steamer, were were allowed to drive this up and down a straight peice of track.  Well one of the boys wanted to see how fast the thing could go, and he was going so fast he could'nt brake fast enough at the end of the track, and ran it right off about a foot into the gravel.....that was the end of our live steam operating sessionSigh [sigh]


LOL!  There is always one in the crowd that thinks of something cool and then ends up ruining for everyone else!  Good job there Alex! Wink [;)]Laugh [(-D]Mischief [:-,]

Does sound like a good time.  Did you get to help with any of the restoration work?

 

I didnt do any resteration, but we did learn general stuff like locomotive inspection, replacing brake shoes, and field switching operations (both radio and hand signal). One of the workers that was assigned to 1361 (my favorite loco) gave me a broken bolt that had been on the boiler.Smile [:)]

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Monday, August 13, 2007 12:35 PM

Heres another shot of 1361 boiler

 

Amtrak 1001 dining room

 

TLM feild trip

 

Climbing into loco at Amtrak shops

The Amtrak guys got to run 2317 a little after their presentation

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: Highland, Mi
  • 582 posts
Posted by J. Daddy on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:37 AM

To Cool!

I am totally Jealous!!  

When the men get together its always done right! J. Daddy
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: New England
  • 6,241 posts
Posted by Jumijo on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:42 AM

 

 

One time, at Railcamp... Laugh [(-D]

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

  • Member since
    March 2006
  • From: Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • 2,306 posts
Posted by kpolak on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 5:09 AM

Great photos, and story Alex!  Maybe you should have just bought the switcher, scrapped it, and saved the bell.  Laugh [(-D]

Looks like they got the to fire 2317 afterall.

Kurt

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: North of Philadelphia
  • 2,372 posts
Posted by tmcc man on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:41 AM
You wouldn't believe how hard it is for me to look at 1361. I wish.........
Colin from prr.railfan.net
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:54 AM

 tmcc man wrote:
You wouldn't believe how hard it is for me to look at 1361. I wish.........

 

Yeah 1361 is my favorite loco so it was pretty sad seing her in the state that she was.

Alex

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:21 PM
 alexweiihman wrote:

 tmcc man wrote:
You wouldn't believe how hard it is for me to look at 1361. I wish.........

 

Yeah 1361 is my favorite loco so it was pretty sad seing her in the state that she was.

Alex

Alex,
Are they scraping her or restoring her?

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: North of Philadelphia
  • 2,372 posts
Posted by tmcc man on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 3:35 PM

Brent,

Jefelectric sent me an email, and the funds have been yanked out from the restoration. So sad.

Colin from prr.railfan.net
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 3:49 PM
 tmcc man wrote:

Brent,

Jefelectric sent me an email, and the funds have been yanked out from the restoration. So sad.

 

I agree, now it wil be going into storage

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: 15 mi east of Cleveland
  • 2,072 posts
Posted by 1688torpedo on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:15 PM
Hello All!     Alex- I'm in Scranton,Pa right now typing this at 12:12 am. I had dinner with a Cousin of mine & his wife & I'll be going upvalley to Jermyn for a visit with a friend until monday morning. I plan on going to Steamtown tommorrow as it is only a couple of miles down the road from here. You're one lucky teen to experience railcamp at Steamtown. Take Care.
Keith Woodworth........Seat Belts save lives,Please drive safely.
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Thursday, August 16, 2007 7:15 AM

 1688torpedo wrote:
Hello All!     Alex- I'm in Scranton,Pa right now typing this at 12:12 am. I had dinner with a Cousin of mine & his wife & I'll be going upvalley to Jermyn for a visit with a friend until monday morning. I plan on going to Steamtown tommorrow as it is only a couple of miles down the road from here. You're one lucky teen to experience railcamp at Steamtown. Take Care.

 

Have a great time at steamtown!

 

Alex

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: 15 mi east of Cleveland
  • 2,072 posts
Posted by 1688torpedo on Thursday, August 16, 2007 10:34 AM
 Thank You Alex!Smile [:)]
Keith Woodworth........Seat Belts save lives,Please drive safely.
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Friday, August 17, 2007 1:07 PM

 1688torpedo wrote:
 Thank You Alex!Smile [:)]

No problem!

K-Line The Difference is in the Details

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month