So, my fellow steam locomotive fans… we have an issue here. No famous locomotive is going away. No locomotive is being defiled with a pink paint scheme with purple handrails (although I swear I dreamed about this not long ago). No, this time we have too much of a good thing. And we all remember what Mae West said about that… ok, well some of us old geezers do. Anyway, suffice it to say that Ms. West was right. More is better. Here’s the situation.
Just this week, tickets for Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 No. 611’s 10 trips over four weekends in April and May went on sale. Just this week, tickets for Western Maryland Scenic’s restored Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, expected to start running July 1, went on sale. And just this week, Lake Superior Railroad Museum announced that its debut operation of Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 No. 28 will run to honor donors June 10 and 11, and then it will run weekends for John and Jane Q Public in the summer and fall months along beautiful Lake Superior.
And just this week, there were more good vibes flowing. I hear that folks involved with the care and feeding of another one of America’s favorite big steam locomotives shut themselves in a room for hours and refused to leave until they’d talked about their plans for trips this year. When they’ve inked all the deals, they’ll have something else to add to this true embarrassment of steam choo choo riches.
And then, early next month, tickets go on sale for Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449’s trips June 24-25 out of Portland for an exciting Saturday night in Bend, Ore. Heck, the Daylight, yes, the most beautiful train in the world as SP would have it, hasn’t been out on the main line in 5 years. That, friends, is truly exotic.
Superimpose all of this over top of what is already running on a regular basis at tourist railroads and museums across the country, and you will be ready to ask the ultimate question: How is a steam fan supposed to 1. Physically survive four months of such non-stop intensity. 2. Afford it all, not to mention pay for recovery afterwards and 3. Borrow enough time off to stay employed but also show up on board or trackside?
Priorities, man. Where are your priorities? That’s the only solution. Pick what matters most to you, and go for it. So, there’s my dilemma … what to leave in, what to leave out. I bet it’s your dilemma too. 2017 is just going to be one of the best years ever for those of us who love steam.
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