I got my face sandblasted -- and loved it!!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

The long awaited day finally arrived, Big Girl's first train ride!! We got up bright and early, and grabbed the gear we had laid out last night. Only the essentials for rail travel. Radio, camera and food!

Twenty minutes later, we were standing in line, listening to the radio and waiting to get a glimpse of 261. A cloud of smoke on the horizon. Nope, it was only 2816 out for her morning jog. What a tease, the lighting and the chain link fence made picture taking worthless. A few minutes later another cloud of smoke, and 261 backed into the track along the fence. No pictures please, and we climbed aboard, along with about 400 other people.

All aboard! And we chose our seats in the second car, which was really about 400' back from the engine because of all of the other equipment that made up the train.

As we waited for traffic to clear, the rails were incredibly busy this Friday morning, the car attendant came into our car and told us a little about the train. He advised that, if we wanted to stand in the vestibules, and look out the dutch doors, we should have eye protection, as 261 being coal fired, throws off a lot of cinders. He also said thet there were still a few sets of safety goggles for sale in the consession car.

I got lucky and managed to get the last ones available. Eye protection had never crossed my mind for this trip, but boy was I glad to have them. By the time I returned to our seats with the goggles, the train had managed to get into the traffic pattern, and we were slowly working our way out to the main. I sat there with Big Girl for a few minutes, and had a sandwich, as in our excitement we had run out of the house without even thinking about breakfast. As the train picked up speed, I figured it was time to try out the new goggles, and politely excused myself, leaving Big Girl with the radio. Here is a photo of Big Girl enjoying her first train ride.



The vestibules were crowded, and I waited for my turn to look out and get some pictures. When my chance came, I lowered my goggles, and leaned out, camera in hand. I was instantly greeted with what felt like a continuous pelting of grains of sand. The goggles helped a lot, but cinders were still getting in my eyes, though it was tolerable.[|)][^]

There's one slight problem trying to take pictures of a train that you are riding. The only time you can see it is when it goes around a curve, and then only if the curve is toward the side you are standing on. I ended up spending the better part of the trip hanging out the window, cranking off photos whenever the train went around a curve on my side, and getting sandblasted as it clipped along at speeds sometimes in excess of 60 MPH. [:0][:p][8D]

On the curve you can see how far up the front of the train is. 261, her tender, her spare water tender, 2 Amtrak Genesis engines, 2 crew cars in Milwaukee Road paint, the first coach and our coach. The Amtrak units look very much out of place, but they were a part of the deal. Amtrak was providing the insurance coverage for all of 261's tour. Also as part of the package a regular Amtrak conductor was in charge of the train.



Behind us were 5 more coaches, the the consession car, a diner for the first class section and the first and premier class cars. BIG TRAIN!



A quick stop along the BNSF to pick up a pilot for the run into Lacross.



Over the river and through the woods, back to the Minnesota side of the Mississippi.



Opposing traffic waits to head east into Wisconsin, as we cross back into Minnesota for the return run on the CP.



It looks like a tornado coming out of the stack, as 261 cruises north along the Ex Milwaukee main on the return leg of the trip.



Yes, that's me hanging out the window, getting cinders in my eyes, ears, nose , mouth and hair, and loving every minute of it!!![:D][:p][:0][B)][;)][8][|)][^][:I]



Time to chase the double header. I hope I'm up to the task!!![|)][swg]

By the way, much of this trip was research, as I am modeling a good chunk of the lines we traveled.

[dave9999]

Elliot,
Sounds like you had a great time. There is no better feeling than riding behind steam.
Ain't it fun!!!!!! Dave

[lupo]

Elliot thanks for the story, must have been be a blast!

[eng22]

I know the feeling! I took my four year old on his first ride a few months ago, it was GREAT! Enjoyed the story!

[Don Gibson]

PARDON me Elliot. I enjoyed the pictures (Was that a Santa Fe 'Red Nose' on the "ex Milw. Rd. tracks). You caught the flavor.

But for this dense far Western boy, WHAT is the 26l?
There were no closeups

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

PARDON me Elliot. I enjoyed the pictures (Was that a Santa Fe 'Red Nose' on the "ex Milw. Rd. tracks). You caught the flavor.

But for this dense far Western boy, WHAT is the 26l?
There were no closeups

Don sorry, 261 is a Milwaukee Road 4-8-4. I have gotten so used to talking about it in the last few weeks over on the Trains Magazine forum, where I originally posted this. This engine has spent the last couple of weeks touring Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. I shared this story here on MR, but it is slightly out of context. There are more photos over on Trains. Here's a link to the first topic.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18111

I don't usually triple post material, but this was a story for all people who like trains regardless of size.[swg]

Lupo, Dave, and Craig, Glad to share it with you and glad you liked it. By the way, we have some new pics taken today, of the double head with CP 2816. We are just going to look and see what we caught.[:p][;)] If there is anything good, I'll share them too.

[Roadtrp]

Elliot...

All I can say is AWESOME!!

-Jerry

[dragenrider]

Wow! Thanks for posting those pictures! It looks like you both had a great time! That was a very interesting post with a flavorful amount of personality thrown in. [tup]

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

Elliot,
Sounds like you had a great time. There is no better feeling than riding behind steam.
Ain't it fun!!!!!! Dave

Dave, there was a guy on the train Friday wearing a Florida Gator's hat, and I immeadiately thought of YOU![swg]

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

Elliot,
Sounds like you had a great time. There is no better feeling than riding behind steam.
Ain't it fun!!!!!! Dave

Dave, there was a guy on the train Friday wearing a Florida Gator's hat, and I immeadiately thought of YOU![swg]

Well it's nice to know that a Gator Fan can be found north of the Florida
border!![8D] I only wish I had been on the train to see him for myself !!!! Dave