Train of Thought

2012 Trains photo contest

2013-05-21T21:39:00Z

Thanks again for sending us more than 400 photos for our 2012 contest. The theme was the blue hour, or the one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. Check out the winners below, and please let us know what you think by commenting.

Grand prize: Robert Jordan's aerial image of a Canadian Pacific freight at Bellevue, Iowa.

First prize: Eric Williams shot of a Metro-North train crossing Moodna Viaduct at Salisbury Mills, N.J.

Second prize: Stewart Buck's stark photo of a switchman at Union Pacific's Short Line Yard in Des Moines, Iowa.

Runner-up: Dennis Livesey's Amtrak Empire Service train at Cortlandt, N.Y.

Runner-up: Bruce Stahl's Chicago Transit Authority Green Line train.

Runner-up: Greg Durling's photo of Amtrak's Blue Water at Durand, Mich., en route to Port Huron.

Runner-up: Renaud Chodkowski's photo of a Paris commuter train as it arrives at Persan-Beaumont station.

Runner-up: Ken Fitzgerald's image of a tower operator at Union Pacific's Davidson Yard in Fort Worth, Texas.

Thanks for checking them out! And thank you to those that entered and those that won! When you leave your comments, please remember to be courteous.

Watching Norfolk Southern trains at Shawsville, Va.

2013-05-21T13:51:31Z

I want to take you to a place that has become a favorite of mine to visit again and again. Shawsville, Va., situated along the westbound assault of Christiansburg Mountain on Norfolk Southern’s Christiansburg District, is a spot on the former Norfolk & Western main line between Norfolk, Va., and Cincinnati.

For those that regularly see my photography, you know that I love shooting at one particular location in Shawsville, just east of the downtown area. I stumbled upon the location several years ago, but never began shooting and taking advantage of its photographic possibilities until last year.

The compelling attributes include the sweeping S-curve, the white picket fence, the distant mountains, and the sound of a train traversing the grade. I am drawn to this spot.
Situated on the steepest part of the 1.5-percent-westbound climb, train flanges squeal and engines in notch 8 fill the air. The grade is lengthy, holding at a steady 1.5 percent from Elliston, Va., to Christiansburg, Va., a distance of 12 miles.

You can work with any type of lighting in this area, however, late afternoon light does compliment the location nicely, but early morning and afternoon will do from multiple angles.
I made a couple favorite shots in less than ideal conditions, such as fog or blue-hour lighting.

Not only do westbounds look nice at this location, but an ancient cemetery and an oak tree provide a unique composition for eastbounds descending the hill toward Roanoke.

One of my most memorable photographs was made on July 17, 2012. Early that day, I received word that Norfolk Southern's Virginian heritage locomotive was leading a train of westbound empty hoppers out of Norfolk en route to Norton, Va.

Watching its progress, I anxiously waited for the train to pass Lynchburg so I could head east and intercept it. At approximately 6 p.m., train No. 821 departed the yard at Roanoke and began the westbound trek to Bluefield. Roughly 45 minutes later, the train entered Shawsville with late-afternoon light glistening off the side of the freshly painted locomotive. I couldn't have asked for a better scene! The Virginian is my favorite of the 20 heritage locomotives, and I was elated to capture it.

The sun was setting behind the Virginia hills as train No. 811 ground upgrade with 160 empties en route to Mullens, W.Va. The engineer had the two General Electric wide bodies notched out, as they lugged the heavy train. The white picket fence framed the shot and made it stand out from the rest.

About 20 minutes after sunset, the sound of locomotives in notch 8 filled the air, as train 821 struggled upgrade with a Dash-9 leading a former Conrail SD60M, which had engine trouble. The train had 170 cars and was bound for Weller Yard in Grundy, Va., along NS's Buchanan Branch.

On a glorious fall morning, Norfolk Southern’s beautifully restored F units lead an office car special toward Bluefield, W.Va., as they pass through the autumn scene of fallen leaves and a tree that still gleams with color.

Just after sunrise, No. 23G rolls downgrade with two GEVOs holding the lengthy intermodal train back on the descent to Roanoke, as they pass through Shawsville, disrupting the stillness of a quiet Monday morning.

Led by an ex-Conrail SD60I, train No. M35 storms upgrade with a heavily laden manifest train that has been re-routed off the former Southern Railway to the ex-N&W for unknown reasons. Late afternoon light glistens and illuminates the scene, as the train slowly climbs the hill en route to Bristol.

Thanks for joining me on this visit to my favorite photo location, and be sure to leave your feedback and comments in the section below!

Their era ended long ago, but the last 40-foot boxcars endure

2013-05-14T18:20:03Z

A BN 40-foot boxcar in work train service in Missoula, Mont., in September 2006. Tom Danneman photo.

Just for the record, I like watching an entire train go by, from the power to the EOT. We all enjoy seeing locomotives pass, but I also like to see the rest of the train. The consist is 95 percent of a train, after all. Not watching the whole train, to me, is like buying tickets for a major movie and failing to stick around for the credits. You’re bound to miss something noteworthy if you don’t keep your eyes open to the end.

In the spirit of the American freight train, here’s an interesting fact, courtesy of friends at the Association of American Railroads: Of the 1.55 million freight cars in service in North America, we’re down to 18 or fewer 40-foot boxcars that are still listed in UMLER, the service that tracks freight cars in revenue service in North America.

Of the 18, eight carry Burlington Northern reporting marks, seven carry Canadian Pacific, two carry Ferromex, and one is listed at New England preservation railroad Naugatuck. Dozens of others are also preserved at museums or tourist railroads, but just not listed in UMLER.

That’s pretty amazing, considering that most 40-foot boxcars left the railroading scene about 30 years ago and that the peak for these boxcars goes all the way back to 1942.

The AAR shared details with us about the cars, which are all too old now for interchange service.

All of the BN cars, save for one condemned to scrap, are listed as active. The last one moved in June 2012 when No. 200147 was switched in Everett, Wash. Before that, the only movement of any of these cars was in 2009 when two were active, and one went to a steel mill in Pueblo, Colo., most likely for scrap. Prior to that, two cars moved in 2008, one in 1996, one in 1997, and one in, O.K., get ready for this, 1981. The other seven are BN 200112, 200161, 200184, 200194, 200223, 200294, and 281467.

All seven CP cars are shown as inactive, and the last move was in 1985. All are or were (if they still exist) in Quebec, save for one in Detroit. Again, they may be ghosts, but if you’ve seen them, they are Nos. 50020, 52525, 53496, 53547, 54849, 55587, and 55709.

Only one of the two Ferromex cars is active, and if you can believe it, No. 850007 moved earlier this month on May 2 to Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, and actually appears to have been under load. So this one appears to be the last active 40-foot boxcar in North America. Reporting marks are FXE and the other car is No. 850034.

Naugatuck’s car, No. 445, last moved in 2002 from Montpelier

Junction, Vt., to the tourist line and museum in Connecticut.

Boxcars have been around since the 1830s, and the height of 40-foot boxcars was in 1942, when the fleet peaked at 754,322.

“After 1949, you were beginning to have a very significant number of 50-foot cars joining the fleet,” says AAR’s John Gray. “Before 1940, the Great Depression kept the number of cars depressed and before the Depression you were in the 1920s when there were a very large number of 36-foot and smaller cars still in the fleet.”

Of the freight cars running today in North America, covered hoppers rule the day with almost 400,000. Tank cars make up about 300,000 (and are growing fast due to the crude oil boom). Gons come in third at about 200,000. Of the 90,000 or so boxcars, fewer than 18 40-foot boxcars are still around, and only one has turned a wheel lately, far out of sight, and out of mind, the last of its kind.

How WRI friendships grease squeaky wheels

2013-05-09T18:35:00Z

CHICAGO - You could describe the 2013 Wheel/Rail Interaction conference here in Chicago by highlighting the bright minds gathered in one room at one time or by the scope of knowledge each presenter offers to the audience.

Yet the connections forged during the four-day conference might be the most important of all.

Gordon Bachinsky, the electrical engineer at the heart of WRI seminars says as much almost as a mantra throughout the daily sessions.

"We want to develop those relationships and tear down some barriers," Bachinsky says, noting that other than in the seminars at WRI, the first time most track supervisors meet with car maintainers or wheel designers is when something goes wrong, as in a derailment.

"What our goal is, is to build these relationships so that people are willing to talk to each other in a more user-friendly manner."

There's evidence that his efforts are having an effect. Roadmasters from Norfolk Southern or CSX Transportation can, and do, talk with experts in rail fatigue, who happen to also be Federal Railroad Administration and National Research Council of Canada researchers. At other times, questions such as, "How often is rolling contact fatigue the cause of a rail break?" and "How long can you extend the life of a wheel by truing? Better to grind or use a lathe?" are topics addressed as much with a beer in hand as with a laser pointer on a projector screen.

And nearly all participants vied to meet one of BNSF Railway's new friction managers, whose job it is to, well, manage friction between BNSF train wheels and BNSF track. Nothing more, nothing less.

Other relationships are being built too, the kind made by suppliers and railroad purchasers and the ones made between a slick railroad recruiter and budding mechanical and civil engineers who are at WRI because they are top talent in the first place.

But this is also the conference where attendees commiserate while they learn.

Take, for instance, the stories told by an engineer who worked for a California light rail system in the late 1990s. Laced between coefficient of friction terms and premature gauge-face wear, were other equally hard facts: residents along the rail agency's northern line harassed track workers, threw rocks at them and called by the hour to complain about noisy transit cars. The transit system did not respond to requests for comment, so its name and the engineer's name are withheld here. Suffice it to say, the noise problems were bad. According to the engineer, the agency first tried wetting the tracks, then started greasing the inside of rails with paintbrushes to reduce the noise.

"It was inconsistent. The cost of labor to do it made it ineffective. It was dangerous," the engineer said of transit workers that lingered near live tracks during revenue hours.

What it took was system-wide track lubricators spreading a special blend of Teflon-like grease on the inside of rails to make squealing residents and wheels, go away.

Audience members' smiles and nodding heads signaled their understanding following the presentation. They followed this pause with still more questions: "Were you able to gauge the spread of the grease over the entire distance?"

Yes.

"Did you have problems with lubricant on the rail surface?"

No, it didn't migrate, but we also use this as a friction modifier in top-of-rail applications. So it would be unlikely to make a difference.

And so on... for three receptions and four days of sessions: seven for transit, 16 for heavy haul, and nine for foundational principles.

It's heavy material, made light by participants' shared desire to learn how to improve their railroads.

Tom Hoback on Wheel/Rail Interaction 2013: "brilliant"

2013-04-29T15:04:00Z

When something is important to Tom Hoback, he lets you know.

The Indiana Rail Road, of which he is founder, president, and CEO, is one. Railroading, in general, is another and lately, so is the Wheel/Rail Interaction Conference.

So important is the conference coming next week, that Hoback paused during a recent overseas trip to talk about it, fighting through spotty cell phone reception to get his message across.

“Here you have less than an inch square with all these contact forces that are so critical to us,” Hoback said of WRI’s focus on topics concerning what happens when flanged wheel meets steel rail. “This is really devoted to help us extend the life of the rail, life of the wheels.”

Hoback said Indiana Rail Road personnel attended the 2012 WRI conference. What he learned from them impressed him enough to become an advocate and agree to give the keynote address this year. The veteran railroader said he intends to share with the WRI audience how Indiana Rail Road transformed itself from a light-density spin-off into a heavy-haul railroad – with an emphasis on the little things.

“Had we only had to re-built our railroad to the needs of the day, where our traffic was – and substantially less than we’re moving today,” there would have been little ability to grow traffic, he said. “We’ve had to harden the infrastructure.”

As he tells it, re-building the Indiana Rail Road to thrive involved more than replacing track, but paying attention to neutral rail temperatures, investing in ballast, ties, rails and doing anything that would make sure the railroad was “adequate for today’s heavy axle loadings.

“In some cases, we’ve had to re-lay rail twice because our tonnage has grown so significantly,” he said.

Hoback’s words are an admission of how much forethought went into considering the business of the Indiana Rail Road and how much preparation it required. In recognition of this, Railway Age recognized Indiana Rail Road as its 2012 Regional Railroad of the Year. Proud of past accomplishments, but moving ever forward, Hoback said that the “bread-and-butter” issues WRI covers will affect how the company sustains its property improvements over the long-term.

Some topics, like the use of ‘friction modifiers’ that grease rails to reduce wheel strain, but without losing traction, would not have been considered even a decade ago, but are cutting edge this year. And then there’s research on how grinding certain rails more often leads to less wear and longer life.

“The one thing I would say is that the whole concept of putting this conference together, I think, is brilliant,” Hoback said. “On one hand, railway engineering has been with us 200 years. … What you’re doing is using that basic technology and making it efficient into the future.”

Hoback is scheduled to speak at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 8, during the first day of the Heavy Haul portion of the conference.

More details are available by visiting the Wheel/Rail Interaction website.

A new face with a new assignment: Wheel/Rail Interaction Conference 2013

2013-04-19T20:30:00Z

Hi Everyone!

Most readers are aware that TRAINS magazine just hired a new associate editor. That's me, Steve Sweeney. But since most of you still don't know much about me yet, fellow editors here thought it would be a good idea to blog an introduction.

But first, a little plug.

For the two weeks that I’ve been learning the ropes at TRAINS, memorizing names and editing copy, I’ve also been planning for my first big event: WRI 2013. For those of you who don’t know, the Wheel/Rail Interaction conference is an event co-presented by TRAINS with conference organizer Wheel Rail Seminars and LB Foster, an international supplier of infrastructure materials and services. The goal of the four-day conference is to give railroaders a practical bend on all of the railroad research and best practices available today – focusing on what happens when the flanged wheel meets the steel rail.

That WRI 2013 is going to be a nuts-and-bolts kind of conference featuring some of the best and brightest railroaders in the industry today is nothing short of incredible, from my point of view. It’s incredible because it dovetails with my own background.

Suffice it to say, my interest with railroads dates back to Christmas 1981, when a 6-month-old me sat watching his uncle's 3-rail O-scale Blue Comet zipping around the tree at Grandma's house. With the Blue Comet’s headlight on; puffing smoke fluid and that oh-so-fake, but satisfying pre-digital steam chug; I was hooked for life.

My first experience with a 1:1 scale railroad came a few years later at the newspaper.

You see, my father and mother both worked for the same newspaper in Jamestown, N.Y., so it was natural for me to grow up there as they grew older. The newspaper is where I learned to paste-up pages “working” for Dad, play hide-and-seek in the darkroom and even visit the railroad tracks behind the building. The tracks back then belonged to Conrail and represented the last dying remnants of the old Erie and Erie-Lackawanna main line between New York and Chicago. My Dad would take me along the tracks on sunny afternoons to pick-up discarded spikes and look for date nails (that went back to the 1940s, easy). He even let me run around inside a disused, rusted dinosaur of a boxcar, until Mom found out and put an end to it.

From then on, family trips included zoo trains and the few excursion trains that were available in the places we could afford to travel. With model trains, O-scale dreamlands gave way with time to attempts at HO-scale re-creations of an imagined reality. Childhood faded all too quickly into college, a new job at that Jamestown newspaper and the blessings of a new wife and family. The good news was that as a newspaper reporter, editors would let me report on railroads and old-time railroaders whenever I could justify the story. TRAINS magazine articles supported my thirst for more information on the industry, and what I liked best about it, the nuts-and-bolts.

Fast-forward 10 years to the present, and I found myself fortunate enough to have many rewarding years news writing, including two years as a contributing “Technology” column writer for TRAINS. It was enough to earn a spot on the TRAINS staff.

Beyond that there’s little left to write, for now.

And about the conference, there’s plenty of detail about WRI 2013 at the conference website and I’ll be blogging interviews with conference participants and interesting factoids in the days ahead. The important thing to know is that WRI 2013 is happening May 6 to 9 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

Hope to see you there!

Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630 visits Asheville

2013-04-17T19:20:00Z

Few mountain crossings in the eastern United States are as fascinating as Norfolk Southern’s twisting, climbing route between Old Fort and Ridgecrest in the western North Carolina mountains. Its amazing engineering to gain 1,000 feet of elevation via 13 miles of track using loops, seven tunnels, and numerous bridges; the incredible operations that get trains safely up and down the mountain’s 2.2 percent grade; and its magnificent southern Appalachian forest backdrop make it irresistible to anyone interested in railroading. And it’s about to get a lot more interesting for a few days.

This weekend, Norfolk Southern’s 21st Century Steam visits Asheville for two sold-out trips daily (carded for 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.) behind Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630 (and diesel helpers) between Asheville and Old Fort. With the steam locomotive visit, the loops will be amazingly busy with steam trains, regular freights, and with spectators eager to witness the first steam power on this line in 19 years.

This is also a homecoming for the 1904 product of Alco’s Richmond Works. No. 630, which was based at Asheville during the last part of its career in regular freight service (including service on the famous Murphy Branch), is back there for the first time since Southern dieselized and sold the locomotive to the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina short line in 1952. After Southern re-acquired the engine for excursions in 1968, the Consolidation roamed the main line and many portions of the SR system, but the engine never visited Asheville during its 1968-1977 stint as a Southern Railway public relations ambassador.

Now that is going to change, thanks to Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, which owns and operates the locomotive that was restored in 2011. It’s completing a 2-month tour that took it as far east as Norfolk, and now it’s heading home to Chattanooga.

For first-time visitors to the area, you need to know that between Asheville and Ridgecrest, U.S. 70 and Interstate 40 parallel the tracks that follow the Swannanoa River to the eastern Continental Divide, elevation 2,535 feet. You can catch the train leaving Asheville, climbing the hill out of Biltmore, but then your best bet is to head for the Loops and avoid the small town traffic of the communities of Swannanoa and Black Mountain. You should also know that Mount Mitchell, the highest point in the eastern United States at 6,684 feet, overlooks the region.

At Ridgecrest, the train will disappear into 1,832-foot-long Swannanoa Tunnel to begin its descent to Old Fort, 3 air miles away, but 13 miles via rail. The train will be going slow on the descent, but the roads that provide access are even slower, and a bevy of chasers will further complicate things.

Mill Creek Road is the narrow, twisting road that starts as the paved section of old U.S. 70 and continues as a dirt road down the mountain to Andrews Geyser. Be warned: If it’s dry, this road will become dusty and following a string of chasing railfans will be all about riding blind into a cloud of red clay dust; if it’s wet, the road will be muddy, possibly to the point of miring you axle deep and requiring a tow truck. Think if you decide to chase.

For your own safety and for the best photos, I suggest you find a spot early to watch the steam train; stay there and let the train come to you; and let the road warriors suck up the dust or mud. The signature locations for the S-line are in the Round Knob area close to the landmark Andrews Geyser that the Western North Carolina Railroad built in 1881 to honor Col. A.B. Andrews, its chief engineer and the man responsible for this railroad engineering feat. The traditional images to seek show the train with the geyser, crossing Mill Creek, and soaring across High Fill, 205 feet directly above Dendron, where the tracks are two miles rail distance apart. Other excellent locations that are easy to reach from public property are the east portal of Swannanoa Tunnel, coming into Old Fort next to the restored 1890 station, and by hiking along old U.S. 70 (now Point Lookout Trail) to vantages for the short tunnels near the top of the grade (such as Bergin and High Ridge).

During the day, the 141-mile S-line between Asheville and Salisbury can also see manifest trains, unit chip wood trains (for the paper mill on the Murphy Branch at Canton), unit rock trains (also from Enka on the Murphy Branch), and unit coal trains heading for Duke Power Co. steam plants.

Norfolk Southern’s operations on the Loops are a daily miracle of the spectacular genius of the men who designed and built this railroad more than 135 years ago and those today who understand this difficult piece of railroad and run it well. I hope to see you in the Loops next weekend as we enjoy this rare treat of a genuine Southern Railway steam locomotive on this remarkable piece of Southern Railway track in the Land of the Sky.

The climb to Clark's Gap via the former Virginian Railroad

2013-04-17T00:48:43Z

Some of you may already know that I have an affinity for the Virginian Railway. Something about the railroad has always intrigued me since my love for railroads materialized young in life. The former Virginian was one of the places I first visited as a railfan. When I first began taking pictures, my dad took me to the community of Whitethorne, Va., at the base of the climb to Merrimac. I remember watching loaded coal trains stopping for helpers, then taking off a few minutes later shaking the ground as the engines worked hard to get the heavy train rolling again. This is definitely one of my favorite experiences!

Since then, I expanded my knowledge of the Virginian by reading books and exploring new territory. This past summer, I embarked upon my first trip to explore the Princeton-Deepwater District, witnessing some of the most impressive trestles and stunning scenery I had ever laid my eyes on. I marveled at what I saw that day, and when I returned home all I could think was, "When can I go back?"

In this brief tour, I will examine my all-time favorite section of the Virginian, Clark's Gap Grade, spanning from Elmore Yard to Weyanoke (near Matoaka). I will explain why this location has become my favorite and what makes it so special.

History

Opened in 1909, the Virginian instantaneously became a prosperous railroad from Norfolk, Va., westward to Charleston, W.Va. The railroad was able to tap into rich coal country and transport immense quantities of coal to the coast quickly and efficiently. Henry Huddleston Rogers funded the railroad construction, using the best materials available at the time. His close friend, Col. William Page, oversaw and implemented construction plans, while Huddleston stayed behind the scenes.

Upon its opening, the grade from Elmore to Clark's Gap posed a huge challenge for the Virginian. The 2.07 percent Clark's Gap Grade immediately persuaded the Virginian to acquire some of the world's most powerful steam locomotives. The railroad implemented a plan called "Hill runs," denoting a move that would take 4,000 to 6,000 tons of coal up the grade to the small yard at Clark's Gap several times daily. Later in the day, a train would fill out at the gap with 8,000-10,000 tons before proceeding to Princeton and eventually Roanoke.

Trains usually operated with a 2-8-8-2 on the head end, assisted by a pair of 2-10-10-2s on the rear. Even with three powerful locomotives, the process was slow, moving at a steady 7-mph pace while climbing the mountain in good conditions. When rain slickened the rails, the process was slower. The operation worked, but was slow and posed hazards for the crews. Another major problem was lack of ventilation in tunnels Nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, which meant crews almost suffocated.

In 1923, the employees went on strike until the railroad improved what strikers dubbed “hellish conditions.” In response and hoping it would solve the issue, Virginian management decided to electrify 133.6 miles of the main line between Mullens and Roanoke.
The Virginian’s competition, the Norfolk & Western, had already electrified part of its Pocahontas main line (between Iaeger and Bluefield, W.Va.) to move coal over Elkhorn Grade more quickly and efficiently.

In 1925, the Virginian completed electrification and a fleet of EL-3As (dubbed Squareheads) arrived from Alco-Westinghouse to start work in the electrified territory. Operating in sets of three, each unit produced 2,375 hp along with 92,500 pounds of tractive effort. The Squareheads were a success and exactly the solution the railroad sought. A 6,000-ton coal train powered by electric locomotives could climb the grade at 14 mph, double what steam-powered trains previously did!

Historians say the Virginian operated one of the most successful electrified railroads ever. I must agree. The Virginian used the electrification to overcome a plethora of problems posed by the mountainous territory and operated with the best equipment available.

The Virginian acquired a noteworthy electric locomotive in 1948, the General Electric-built EL-2B (the railroad dubbed them Streamliners). Operating in pairs, they were 6,800 hp and produced a tractive effort standing at 275,000 pounds. They became known later as the world's most powerful electric locomotives.

After the Norfolk & Western acquired the Virginian on Dec. 1, 1959, the electrified portion managed to survive only 2 1/2 years. In July 1962, the last electric-powered train arrived in Roanoke, and the power was turned off. Shortly after, everything from electric locomotives to catenary poles were either sold or scrapped, thus ending the Virginian’s era of electric railroading.

Today, few signs of the electrification remain within the 133.6 mile stretch from Mullens to Roanoke. A few catenary poles have managed to survive on viaducts east of Elmore, but other than that, most all signs have been eradicated. Several Virginian searchlight signals still remain along the P-D district, but they are falling fast to the new Safetran Systems signals, which are quickly replacing old signals across the U.S.

While signs of the past disappear, the Virginian will live on in the hearts of many forever. Old viaducts that denote the Virginian's well-designed railroad remain intact along the route, along with an old depot and multiple tunnels, making this a unique railroad even today. And lets not forget the infamous Clark's Gap Grade that still poses a major challenge for Norfolk Southern operations!

Present day operations on the assault to Clark's Gap

Situated at the bottom of the grade lies Elmore Yard in Mullens at former Virginian milepost 374. Elmore Yard is a crew change point and helper base, along with the beginning of the Guyandotte River Branch, which spans 42 miles south to Gilbert, W.Va. When eastbound loads come off the Guyandotte River Branch or Winding Gulf Branch (at the west end of the yard), they will pause here to acquire a set of three helpers for the climb to Clark's Gap. Eastbound loads coming from Deepwater already have helpers attached because of severe grades that lie timetable west of town.

Norfolk Southern still uses the hill-run method of operation, except that most trains are much longer and heavier than the ones the Virginian ran. Using four to six units, NS usually runs anywhere from 50-100 loads at a time up the hill, where the cars are set off for a later train to use to fill out to at least a 150-160 loads before journeying east to Roanoke. However, not all fill out at Clark's Gap. Some trains are run throughs that will keep just 100 loads for the journey east.

On a snowy afternoon, two NS 4,400-hp GE ES44ACs lug a string of 50 loads off the Guyandotte River Branch and into the yard at Elmore to be used for a hill run set to depart within the hour. This day, the train will only take 50 loads up the hill with five motors due to the fleeting conditions that will cause wet-rail and hazardous conditions on the hill. Even with 5 high-horsepower motors, it will take the train more than an hour to climb the hill to Clark's Gap.

This panorama gives an individual an idea of the track-layout at Elmore. The track in the near foreground is the east leg of the wye, which connects to the Guyandotte River Branch. The track in the backgroud is the main line, and the brick building is the yard office, which sits near the west leg of the wye and helper-storage track. The yard was empty this balmy fall day, as maintenance of way was working on the single-track portions of the railroad, tying up most of the operations.

Covel, W.Va.; Virginian milepost 366:

The first impressive trestle outside Elmore lies within the town of Covel, situated 8 miles east of Mullens. Covel was constructed when the Virginian was built and new mines opened, becoming a town for the miners and railroad workers to reside. Although the community used to be a booming place, nothing more remains other than a post office and several houses beneath the viaduct. An old mine used to occupy the hillside behind the structure, but has since been abandoned and vegetation has taken its toll.

A snowy trackside view perched above the town of Covel yields to the passing of westbound empties returning from the coal fields behind a set of AC motors on the descent to Elmore. The train battles fleeting conditions as snow piles up and gets deeper and deeper while descending the hill from Clark's Gap. The train will soon arrive at Elmore and the crew on board will tie it down just east of the yard office.

On a stunningly beautiful Autumn afternoon, train U86 grinds uphill across the town of Covel, permeating the air with engines in notch 8 struggling to keep the train of 100 loads rolling uphill. EMDX 2012 makes a surprise visit to the former Virginian, as it proudly leads the train eastbound toward Princeton. Scenes like this show why I love the area so much. The impressive viaducts and the sound of trains on their knees climbing the grade just makes me want to go back again and again!

Garwood, W.Va.; Virginian milepost 365:

The next impressive viaduct and first tunnel east of Elmore lie within the little community of Garwood, which is situated roughly 9 miles east of town. Garwood is smaller than Covel, just a couple of houses and a sign denoting the small area is all that would make one aware of it. The viaduct itself is 720 feet long and is one of the few that still has catenary poles intact, making it a place that still screams "Virginian."

With gorgeous autumn colors popping, thus making the hillside behind the trestle appear "on fire," train U86 roars eastbound across the curved viaduct while assaulting the hill with roughly 100 loads in tow. Three C40-9Ws working on the head end permeate the surrounding valley with a sound that is heard several times daily, engines in notch 8 climbing the hill and flanges squealing when the train enters the tight curve in the middle of the structure. Tunnel No. 9 is beneath me, and I remember the ground shook violently as the train penetrated the hill below my feet.

Several minutes later as they slowly approach my location, the helper locomotives begin permeating the surrounding valley with their sound. Soon, a trio of GEVOs (operating as J92) in notch 8 emerge from the woods and start across the massive structure. Norfolk Southern's Interstate heritage locomotive makes a surprise visit making the already colorful scene even more so; also note the fallen leaves in the coal hoppers.

Micajah, W.Va.; Virginian milepost 362.8:

The old town of Micajah is situated about 1 1/2 miles west of the top of Clark's Gap Grade at CP Algonquin. Once an actual community and prosperous town, the hamlet seemingly disappeared and was lost in time back in the ’40s or ’50s. Nothing remains today at the site other than a lengthy viaduct and Tunnel No. 12 situated on the west side. The location is only accessed by a long walk and/or an ATV. There is a plethora of ATV trails and roads throughout the hills surrounding this location, but it is challenging to find the one that actually leads from the highway to this spot!

On a chilly January afternoon, train U86 emerges eastbound from Tunnel No. 12 and crosses over what used to be downtown Micajah with a trio of horses commanding the train. Three ES44ACs are shoving hard on the rear of the move, but even with all the horsepower, the train is currently moving at just a "fast walk." After the train tops the hill just ahead, it will stop at CP Clark's Gap to fill out to around 160 loads (equivalent to 21,000-23,000 tns), before proceeding toward Princeton. I could hear the two EMDs on the head end for a solid 20-30 minutes before they reached my location; this is definitely mountain railroading at its best!

Weyanoke, W.Va.; Virginian milepost 358.1:

Weyanoke is small community situated just west of Matoaka, W.Va., that hosts nothing more than several old buildings along with a small neighborhood of houses. Weyanoke also marks the top of the westbound assault from Rock, W.Va. Eastbounds have officially topped Clark's Gap grade at this point and are on a complete downhill run into Matoaka. Weyanoke is also the beginning of a 4-mile stretch of double-track that runs westward to CP Algonquin along with the small Clark's Gap yard where "hill runs" often leave their loads.

A duo of old standard cab EMDs puff out some exhaust while climbing the final leg of their westbound assault from Rock, as they come past the Virginian searchlight signals at Weyanoke with hopper train U89 in tow. Since this photo was taken on Sept. 1, 2012, the searchlights have fallen to new Safetran signals. The changing of the guard took place Dec. 3, the sad day another Virginian relic fell.

Conclusion

The magnificent trestles and scenery along with intriguing history make the Virginian my all-time favorite place to railfan. Even though traffic can be sporadic, just witnessing one train climbing the hill to Clark's Gap and passing through some of these pictured locations make the trip and time totally worth it.

After exploring this railroad last year, I know I will have an affinity for this area the rest of my life. The urge to return to the P-D is constant, and I am always itching to get back. Thanks for joining me on this tour of what once was the amazing Virginian Railway.

Thanks for looking and hope you enjoyed the read and photos. Please leave your feedback in the comment section below.

Inside the Barriger Library: When the government took over the TP&W

2013-04-11T18:42:00Z

[caption image="http://cs.trains.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/3618.TPW-photo.jpg" position="right"]John Barriger’s World War II diary, his draft report on his management of the TP&W for the Office of Defense Transportation, and two files on the railroad from his papers. Photo by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library/St. Louis Mercantile Library[/caption]

For the past few years I’ve been researching railroads of Pittsburgh, Pa. When I moved to my new job at the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library in St. Louis, I found myself with direct access to a collection of materials directly related to my research. John W. Barriger III was the former President of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad and his papers contain a wealth of information about that company and its operations. However, I wanted to know more about certain decisions made while he was president, so I decided to pull his diaries in from our off-site storage facility. After reviewing the items for the time period when he was running the P&LE, I idly started poking through other items in the box and discovered that Mr. Barriger had had his World War II-era diary transcribed. On a whim, I opened it up and learned about an event in railroad history that I had never heard of: the federal takeover of the Toledo, Peoria & Western.

Barriger was appointed federal manager of the Toledo, Peoria and Western for 6 months in 1942. He had been working at the Office of Defense Transportation for just a few months when he was sent to the TP&W. The railroad was a small bridge line that linked Western and Eastern trunk lines using its bypass around Chicago. Cars routed this way could save 24 hours of travel time by avoiding Chicago’s yards and interchanges. The government had taken over the TP&W because of the prolonged labor strife between workers and the railroad’s owner, George P. McNear. The crux of the dispute involved work rules for road crews. McNear wanted them to work for 8 hours, regardless of whether or not they had covered their 100 miles. The labor unions wanted the same deal they had with other railroads: 100 miles OR 8 hours of work, whichever came first.

The conflict continued despite the outbreak of World War II, and thus what normally would have been a nuisance labor issue became a threat to the war effort, at least as far as the Roosevelt Administration was concerned. The government took over the railroad to keep traffic flowing. Barriger ended a strike and returned operations to normal. Although Barriger left in 1943, the government kept the TP&W until October 1945, when McNear (who consistently and vocally criticized the takeover throughout the war) successfully won a lawsuit against the government contesting its seizure of his railroad. (Two years later, amid more labor strife on the railroad, McNear was shot and killed. His shooter was never found.) I had no idea any of this had happened until I came across Barriger’s diary from World War II. That led me to his files on the TP&W and a wealth of information on the event, Mr. Barriger’s role in it, and the aftermath.

The details of the story are fascinating and it was just waiting for me to find at the Barriger Library. We’ve got more stories to tell and hopefully you’ll enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy discovering them.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: One reporter’s journey to Milwaukee and back

2013-03-05T19:55:00Z

Chicago Union Station. Steve Sweeney

For a recent business trip to Milwaukee I had to fly to make connections, meet the bosses and get a good night’s sleep before the scheduled all-day meetings. On the way home, however, I consciously chose Amtrak as a return route. It’s the first time in years that America’s passenger railroad and its once-daily eastbound Lakeshore Limited fit into my scheduled return trip to Erie, Pa.

Erie, Pa., 5:30 p.m. February 27:
At the airport. My wife left me here around 2:30 p.m. because I refused to tag-along on an extended bargain-grabbing tour at Target. We exchanged affections and I promised her, that, “No, I don’t need anything,” and, “Yes, I will be happy with my Kindle reader.” By 5 p.m., I was through security screening and waiting to board a Detroit-bound regional jet. “Attention passengers on (airline withheld) Connections 5:45 flight to Detroit. There is a ground-delay in Detroit and we will be boarding in half an hour.” Whatever, more time with the Kindle (A Game of Thrones 3% complete).

6:20 p.m., runway at Erie airport:
We’re loaded, de-iced and ready to rock and roll.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” called a warm friendly flight attendant. “We missed our take-off window for Detroit and we’ll be waiting for the next opportunity. In the meantime, we will be offering a service and the captain has agreed to comp all drinks.” Open bar! I took a ginger ale and peanuts. The back of the plane took enough alcohol to change grumbling whispers into overloud talk about vacations and Las Vegas.

7:30 p.m. Detroit Airport, Gate C-39:
We took-off from Erie about 6:45 and made a quick trip over Lake Erie to the Motor City where we found snow squalls galore upon landing. Thank heavens I carried only my overnight bag and a camera for I had 20 minutes to find the connecting flight to Milwaukee, which was mysteriously “On-Time.”

A quick glance at an arrival board told me that the plane would depart from Gate B21 – a half-running, panting, sweating and red-faced journey to the other side of the terminal.

8:00 p.m. runway at Detroit Airport:
Phew! Made it. With a seat next to an emergency escape exit. A curt flight attendant approaches.

“Sir, I need verbal confirmation that you are willing to accept responsibility for assisting us in an emergency if you sit in this aisle.” YES! I have legroom! So, in another regional jet scooting around the Detroit airport, we park underneath giant frost-covered cherry-picker trucks with fire hoses. De-icing commences. Five minutes go by, and nothing. Ten minutes more, and still nothing. Finally, we are de-iced. More nothing. Movement, then nothing. “This is just a reminder that the fasten seat belt sign is still on and we ask that you keep all portable electronic devices turned completely off.” No more Kindle.

8:30 p.m. Detroit runway:
“This is just a reminder that the fasten seat belt sign is still on and we ask that you keep all portable electronic devices turned completely off.” I think I heard this tune already.

9:00 p.m. Detroit runway:
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain ‘Smith.’ There is a significant backup here for take-offs and landings. We are de-iced and finally in line for take-off. We’ll get you to Milwaukee as soon as possible.” Ugh. Still can’t read the darned Kindle. No wonder airport bookstores can sell so many paperbacks.

9:25 p.m. Detroit runway:
Snow is falling more quickly now. I think we’re just not going to make it tonight. And then ... the plane moves almost imperceptibly, then quickly. We swing around and stop. Sounds of full jet engine thrust fill the cabin and within 10 seconds we are airborne. Somewhere over Lake Michigan the time changed, so this should be 8:25 Central time.

9:30 p.m. CENTRAL Time, Milwaukee Airport:
I was supposed to arrive at 8 p.m. (Central) and go out to dinner. Now, even potato chips sound OK.

But there’s the rental car to get. Would you believe there is a line of four people at the same car service I chose and no line anywhere else? A boisterous, maybe overly friendly counter attendant took time to explain to every customer every option imaginable: “Extra insurance? Auto-fill up? You know, I see that you are a frequent guest with us, would you like me to see if I can find you an SUV? Yes? Great, let me go out back and double-check for you!” Miraculously, a self-check-in screen appeared in the corner of my eye. Woo-Hoo! Credit card ... um, hmmm. Yes. One day. No insurance. No extra stuff. PROCESSING.

Now, where is this hotel?

February 28, Milwaukee:
Breakfast, lunch, a day full with meetings, serious work and good natured ribbing. Mission accomplished. I returned the rental car and proceeded to the Amtrak shuttle near the Milwaukee airport.

5:22 p.m. Milwaukee Airport Amtrak depot:
The shuttle dropped me off at the intriguing almost mission-style depot with minutes to spare for a 5:45 p.m. departure on Amtrak’s Hiawatha to Chicago. A young professional gives me side-long stares. In five minutes, I quick-changed from a sport coat and slacks to jeans and a cotton twill shirt. I’m snapping pictures with my Nikon D40X, and looking every bit the railfan that I am.

5:40 p.m. Milwaukee Airport Amtrak depot:
There are about 30 of us out here on the platform and in the cold waiting for the train – all except the young professional who has a nose buried in her electronic device inside the warm depot. One-by-one, we wander back to the warmth and wait for a train horn sounding our rides’ arrival. I wander back too, seeing that it’s now too dark to get good free-hand shots. The train was delayed 30 minutes, but came after then, as expected. I saw the smartly dressed professional still sitting, moving only occasionally to find paperwork or a pen. “You’re the only smart one of us here,” I told her. Her self-satisfied grin told me I had done my good deed for the day.

6:15 p.m. On the Hiawatha:
Most everyone on this train is headed to Chicago. The beverage-and-snack cart goes by twice while I recline, yes recline, in my coach seat and read a recent TRAINS magazine. (I lost the Kindle at the hotel.) Most everyone else is contentedly thumbing a reading device, smartphone or clicking away at a laptop.

There’s some talking, some snacking but mostly quiet. A disk jockey gave his business card to a couple of Milwaukee college girls, offering them free passes to anywhere he’s playing the next time they are in his part of Chicago. Networking, the old-fashioned way.

7:01 p.m. On the Hiawatha near Chicago:
Signal towers here resemble horse-track starting gates in the nighttime glow of sparse yard lights. As Hiawatha slows, most of downtown Chicago comes into view: old neighborhoods, old storefronts, the Sears Tower and the Chicago River.
Cool.

7:45 p.m. Chicago Union Station:
I wandered the belly of Union Station, forgetting exactly where I was. Rush hour has long been over so half of the restaurants and fast-food counters down below were closing. I grabbed a quick chicken salad sandwich and bowl of soup, then searched for the gate where the Lakeshore Limited is schedule to leave at 9:30, returning me to Erie.

8:30 p.m. Great Hall at Union Station:
With my gate found, I wandered more, exploring the nooks and crannies looking for good places to take more photos. Of course, the station was quickly emptying for the evening and nothing shouted “train station” where I could also get people in my shots. The best photo ops would have made the great train depot resemble an escalator in a Macy’s department store, little more. So I wandered upstairs, turned and found the back entrance to a mostly empty restaurant and bar and turned again. “Oh. There it is.”

I’ve been to London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral and Vienna’s St. Stephen’s. Union Station’s Great Hall seems bigger. And to the left staircase, or the one on the right, was where filmmakers shot the final scenes for the Kevin Costner movie, The Untouchables. And there, the perfect shot for my trip home: A man sleeping on a bench in the Great Hall, but lined-up just so with the staircase. Sorry Detroit, this was a much better stop-over point.

9:30 p.m. On board the Lakeshore Limited:
This train is scheduled to leave at 9:30 p.m. With seconds to spare before 9:31, we are moving. No de-icing required. In 15 minutes, a young train crewman walks through my car offering disposable pillows to anyone who wants one. In one hour I’ve read half of the Trains magazine I took with me and decided to take a few more notes. Time for a Heineken in the cafe car.

Somewhere between Cleveland and Erie. 6:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) March 1.:
My watch alarm woke me up. Darn. At least the cafe car is open with hot coffee. Daylight is breaking over the fields in these lakeside towns: Ashtabula, Ohio, Conneaut, State Line. Soon enough there are grape vineyards and familiar fields where local farmers grow strawberries in June. “The dining car is open, behind all the coaches and just ahead of sleepers. The dining car is open and ready for business.”

Too late for me today. It’s time for my personal countdown: Girard, Pa.; Fairview; Erie Airport; city limits; and finally downtown Erie.

7:28 a.m. Erie Union Station:
Erie’s station with its shared New York Central, Pennsylvania and Nickel Plate railroads heritage is not half as nice or big, or busy as Chicago’s depot, but is quaint in its own way. A minute on the platform, two minutes to walk through the station corridor and I’m out. Loading my duffle into a relative’s car. Now, time to dodge potholes all the way home.

Chasing NS' Norfolk & Western heritage unit across home rails

2013-02-13T19:53:00Z

Overview:

With Norfolk Southern’s announcement of Norfolk its 20 “heritage fleet” of new diesels in March 2012, I immediately thought, "I have to catch the N&W engine (NS 8103) on former N&W rails and the VGN unit (NS 1069) on former Virginian rails." Since I reside near some of the most well-known and famous sections of the former Norfolk & Western, I have an affinity for that railroad and anything related to it. Thus, catching the N&W heritage unit on home rails was high on my list.

After a few months of tracking the unit and having little success at capturing it, my day finally arrived on July 28, 2012, as No. 8103 led an eastbound coal train across home rails. It was a surprise encounter — I was not expecting its presence in the area, nor was I out hunting it, but after I saw it leading, the chase was on!

The chase: Willowtown, W.Va., to Salem, Va.

The day started out with blistering heat and abundant sunshine, along with the usual hazy conditions associated with summertime in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. Heavy NS traffic pounded the old Norfolk & Western Roanoke–Bluefield main line during the morning and early afternoon hours, as a mixture of time freights, intermodals, and coal trains constantly permeated the hollows of West Virginia.

Mid-afternoon gave way to an approaching line of severe thunderstorms and a major dip in traffic. As I began thinking about moving west, I heard the Princeton Deepwater District dispatcher — the old Virginian — give a train of eastbound loads permission to depart Princeton, W.Va., and be governed toward Roanoke on former Virginian rails. Hearing that, my gut told me to hang around and at least see what the power was before moving west, so I did.

As the train approached Oakvale, W.Va., a thunderstorm slammed the area with heavy rain. I decided to pass up shooting the train and settle for watching it go by, just to see the power. Soon, I heard the sound of full dynamic braking permeating the air as the loads, train No. 768, descended the 1.5% grade from Princeton, and then a headlight began shining through the thick fog. The train got closer, and I began to make out what appeared to be a deep blue color on the lead motor. "This can't be the N&W engine, can it?" I mumbled to myself. Sure enough, Norfolk & Western heritage 8103 paraded by my car in a heavy rain.

From this point on, all I could say was, "The chase is on!"

My first stop was the hamlet of Willowtown, W.Va., just east of the Christiansburg/Princeton Deepwater District junction. With light rain falling, 768 rounded a sharp turn and glided past a set of classic Norfolk & Western color position light signals. The milepost on the signal denoted 342 miles west of Norfolk, Va., via the old N&W main line. At this point, the whole train was off the Pocahontas Division and on the Virginia Division, with crew on board an inter-divisional one allowed to operate on both divisions. Sometimes, trains will stop at P-D Junction for a crew change when non inter-divisional crews are involved.

At Glen Lyn, Va., under a 10-mph speed restriction, 768 passed the massive trackside coal-burning power plant. A string of empty coal cars lined the main after being unloaded by the plant’s own switch engines.

Before the Norfolk & Western–Virginian merger of December 1, 1959, both roads served this power plant, though VGN did so from the hillside situated behind 768 and the plant itself. Directly behind me and timetable east, the Virginian crossed above the N&W and the New River on a massive steel bridge. When built in 1909, under the supervision of Colonel William Page, the viaduct was the world's largest bridge with concrete piers.

The segment of the former Virginian between Narrows and Kellysville was abandoned in the early 1970s, when the Virginia Department of Transportation acquired permission to construct route U.S. 460 on the railroad right-of-way. In return, the state provided N&W with money to build a connection from the Christiansburg District to the former Virginian at Narrows, and a connection between the P-D and Christiansburg Districts at Kellysville. Even 40 years after the abandonment, the old concrete piers still are visible at Glen Lyn as one looks across the New River.

Clearing the 10-mph slow order, the engineer on 8103 began notching out the throttle to get the heavy coal drag up to track speed, and soon the train was clipping along at 35 mph. Within 15 minutes, it would bear down on the quaint community of Narrows, Va., where I set up again to capture it.

Heavy rain had just cleared and a layer of fog hung on the top of the mountain as 768 roared into Narrows, where the beautiful mountains surrounding the scene all but “shout” this is “Norfolk & Western country.”

Eastbound coal, grain, ethanol, and heavy manifest trains usually hit the former Virginian at the Narrows connection because of the more gentle grades on the Whitethorne District, 0.6%. apposed to 1.6% on the old N&W. However, owing to trackwork, 768 kept to the former N&W all the way to Roanoke. This meant it would stop to attach a set of helpers at Walton, Va., at the bottom of Charleston Grade, near Christiansburg.

After completing a meet with westbound empty coal train No. 821, our coal loads proceeded east, popping out of the Pembroke, Va., tunnel, where picturesque cliffs loomed above the engine. The sun was finally beginning to come out as the line of thunderstorms exited the area.

In the 1960s and 70s, Norfolk & Western downgraded its infrastructure, one result being that the portion of the Christiansburg District between Walton and Pearisburg was single-tracked. Two exceptions are passing sidings at Pembroke and Belspring, Va., roughly 10 miles east. The rest of the district is double track.

At Milepost 295, just after stopping to acquire helper locomotives on the rear of the train, 768’s two big GE's on front throttle up to get moving up the 1.6% toward Christiansburg,. The old N&W coal dock made for an interesting backdrop as the train moves through the hamlet of Vicker, Va., in late-afternoon backlighting.

Beautiful late afternoon light illuminated the picturesque valley of Shawsville, Va., as 768 dropped down the eastern slope of Christiansburg Mountain, the engines whining in full dynamic braking mode. A curve just behind me marks the steepest part of the westbound assault from Elliston to Christiansburg. If a westbound is going to stall out, it will do so here.

My last stop was in the beautiful community of Wabun, just west of Roanoke. The sun was beginning to set behind the hills and the towering mountain behind the train caught the last rays of light as 768 eased through another slow order just outside Salem. Another 20 minutes later, the train will be in Roanoke, where this crew will be relieved by another. This crew had been on duty for 10 hours now, and will have put in a full day of work before stepping off the lead motor.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed my second blog. Be sure to check back next month for another installment, and leave your feedback about this one in the comment section below. – Samuel Phillips

In search of steam (and vintage diesels) on a western road trip

2013-01-29T00:26:00Z

My father, to whom I owe my interest in railroads, was a long-time subscriber to both Trains and Model Railroader. He and I made many trips during my childhood to watch trains at various places in central Massachusetts, where I grew up. But he didn't take many photos of trains, so the two below, which I believe he took during the winter before I was born, are very special to me.

This Boston & Maine passenger train is passing the Norton Company, in Worcester, Massachusetts, en route to Gardner. This was close to the first house I lived in, which was within sight of the B&M. Years later, in 1970, I would start my railroad career at B&M's Worcester yard, about two miles from this location.

But I did not grow up with steam. The railroads that served Worcester (B&M, New York Central's Boston & Albany, and New Haven) were early adopters of diesel power. There were steam locomotives still operating in New England during my childhood, but my Dad was more model railroader than railfan, and we didn't venture to B&M's New Hampshire branch lines or other locales where we might have seen the last of steam. I do recall riding in the car with him, pacing a steam-powered train on short line Grafton & Upton, but that's about the only steam-specific memory I have from our railroad trips. The bottom line is that I grew up with diesels.

I know that growing up with steam is not a prerequisite to becoming a steam fan in adulthood. But for me, there was fascination enough in diesels and the trains they hauled. When I went to college at New York University in the late sixties, my horizons expanded to include Pennsylvania's GG-1s, New Haven's EP-5s, and New York Central's P-, S-, and T-motors, and steam receded even further into the background.

Still, I did have some exposure to steam over the years. When I was in high school, Canadian National 6218 made several trips south from Montreal over the Central Vermont Railway, and I am fortunate to have seen it and to have taken a few photos. I recall encounters with other famous locomotives like Nickel Plate 759 powering the Golden Spike Centennial Limited in 1969, and Southern Pacific 4449 (dressed in red, white and blue) leading the American Freedom Train through Chicago in 1975. And living in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, within walking distance of the Southern Railway main line, I had plenty of exposure to that company's wonderful steam program. Still, steam remained a curiosity to me; I enjoyed it when it was right in front of me, but I didn't put much effort into seeking it out.

In recent years, I've come to enjoy steam more than I did in those earlier decades. Part of it, I suppose, is that having lived in California since 1990, I've found that some of the steam-powered tourist railroads in the West provide a good way to see hidden corners of this vast landscape, while at the same time offering a lesson in how challenging it was for the builders of these lines to overcome mountain ranges, deserts, canyons, rivers, and other natural barriers. And the dedication of all the volunteers and paid staff who keep these railroads and their locomotives in operation is impressive.

So, when my wife Marcia and I take road trips in the West now, I try to visit as many tourist railroads as our itinerary allows; if they're steam-powered, all the better. Marcia's no railfan, but after 37 years with me, she has learned to tolerate my railroad obsession, and she does enjoy a scenic train ride.

Last September, we made a road trip with Park City, Utah, as our destination. From our home on California's central coast, we drove to the San Francisco area, then to Yosemite National Park, across the Sierra Nevada and down U.S. 395 to Bishop, California, the western terminus of U.S. Highway 6. We took U.S. 6 across Nevada and into Utah, drove through Provo Canyon to Park City, and returned home by way of Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

Our first rail-related stop was the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. Located just outside Yosemite National Park, the YMSP operates over a four-mile portion of the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company's logging railroad, which operated from 1908 to 1924. Motive power today consists of two three-cylinder Shays. Number 10 is a 1928 LIma product, built for the West Side Lumber Company of Tuolumne, California. YMSP says that it's the largest narrow gauge Shay ever built, weighing in at 81.6 tons. Number 15, a 1913 locomotive also built by Lima, was used by various logging railroads including West Side; it weighs 59 tons.

The day we visited, we were fortunate to have number 10 as our motive power. Even standing still, it's an impressive locomotive.

But when a Shay is operating it's an incredible machine, offering both visual and sonic entertainment. Though the YMSP's four-mile route is short, it's got enough grades to give the locomotive a good workout.

The diesel fan in me was pleased to see the railroad's work engine, a 50-ton General Electric switcher built in 1951 (originally for Algoma Steel) sitting outside the engine house. Those picnic tables are used for barbecue dinners, offered twice a week during the summer as part of the railroad's Moonlight Special excursions.

En route to Park City, we went through Lynndyl, Utah, and followed Union Pacific's Sharp Subdivision north toward Provo. I had a personal connection with this line, because in 1980 I had hi-railed it as part of a consulting team that was putting together a transportation plan for the Intermountain Power Project. At that time, we visited the future site of the IPP generating station near Lynndyl, and it consisted of nothing more than a sign stuck in the ground. Today, the two-unit, 1900-megawatt plant generates electricity for Los Angeles and other California cities, and for more than 20 Utah municipalities and power cooperatives, as it has been doing since the first unit came on line in 1986.

Just north of Lemington, we – or more accurately, I – had the good luck to encounter UP's Lynndyl local, powered by two clean, recently rebuilt SD40N locomotives. Finding these two former SD40-2s, wearing this classic livery, and without any visible trace of dirt or graffiti, was enough to make me think the clock had been turned back to the 1970s.

Looking for a place to have lunch, we pulled into the town of Nephi and drove around for a while before coming upon JC Mickelson's restaurant. When we walked in, it was as though I had planned this stop well in advance: an extensive G-gauge railroad ran throughout the restaurant, winding around each of several dining rooms. If you're on Interstate 15, about 85 miles south of Salt Lake City, pull off at exit 222 and take a look. The food's good, too.

Park City doesn't have a railroad today (though it did once have a UP branch line, and the UP station is now a restaurant in the heart of the town's tourist district). But there are a couple of rail attractions nearby: the UP main line through Echo and Weber canyons, and the Heber Valley Railroad, based in Heber City, about half an hour south of Park City. I didn't spend much time on the UP; on the day I went, the weather wasn't good, and rail traffic was lighter than I expected. But before the rain started, I did get a photo of a westbound grain train in Echo Canyon.

I had better luck with the weather on the day I visited the Heber Valley Railroad. The railroad's ex-UP Consolidation 618 was sitting near the Heber City depot, not under steam; it's due for a boiler inspection. The railroad has another Consolidation, ex-Great Western 75, which is currently undergoing major boiler and firebox work in the railroad's shop. Mark Nelson, the railroad's general manager, told me that because the work required on number 75 has been more extensive (and expensive) than originally anticipated, it has set back what should be a relatively limited amount of work to restore the 618 to service. However, he is hoping to mount a money-raising and volunteer-recruiting effort this year to accelerate the work on both locomotives, and if everything falls into place, at least one of them could be back in service by September 2013. Still, I was delighted to see what the morning train did have for power: ex-U.S. Army Transportation Corps EMD MRS-1 1813, in Heber Valley's adaptation of Rio Grande's black-and-aspen gold paint scheme.

I followed the train from Heber City south along the edge of Deer Creek Reservoir, and caught up with it near the north end of Provo Canyon, with Mount Timpanogos in the background.

On the way back, I got a photo as the 1813 crossed the Provo River, in the middle of Provo Canyon...

... and passing the historic Tate Barn near Soldier Hollow, a few miles outside Heber City.

Nearby, good luck struck again as I came across Heber Valley 4028, a BLH/Whitcomb RS4TC (also ex-Army), on a work train with mobile crane C-260. The crane was being used to place a station sign at Charleston, about four miles southwest of Heber City.

The bottom line at the Heber Valley Railroad, for this trip at least, was no steam, but a couple of rare diesels along with lots of sun and some gorgeous foliage.

Leaving Park City, we spent one night in Salt Lake City and the next morning headed west along Interstate 80 toward Nevada. Soon after passing the Great Salt Lake, as we were paralleling the UP (former Western Pacific) Shafter Subdivision, I noticed a headlight and pulled off at Timpie, where a local with a pair of SD40Ns was doing some switching. If the name "Dugway" rings a bell, it's because it is home to the Dugway Proving Ground, the U.S. Army's center for "for testing weapons and defenses against chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction."

West of Timpie, Interstate 80 became one of the straightest, flattest roads I've ever been on. I wasn't surprised when I realized we were passing the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Our destination this day was the final railroad stop of our road trip, and one where I knew I would find steam: Ely, Nevada, and the Nevada Northern Railway, which bills itself as a Historical Operating Railroad Museum. Marcia decided she would use the afternoon to catch up on reading in our hotel room, while I explored the Nevada Northern yard and shops.

The railroad lived up to its billing. I was told that I could wander around the yard as long as I was careful and didn't climb on equipment. In the shop, a volunteer who was working on a passenger car told me much the same thing. And what a treasure trove the Nevada Northern's shop is! A partial list of its contents includes:

• 2-8-0 93 (operational, this engine is a 1909 product of American Locomotive Company's Pittsburg Works)

• Rotary snow plow B (built in 1907)

• Former Kennecott Copper electric 81

• Former Kennecott switchers 801 (Baldwin VO1000) and 802 (BLH S-12)

• GE 25-ton switcher 310

• Former Kennecott RS-3 109 (operational)

And not least among the residents of this historic building is coal-fired steam Wrecking Crane A, which is operational, and is here being moved by SD9 NN 204, formerly SP 4426.

On the day I visited, Nevada Northern 40, a 1910 4-6-0 built by Baldwin, was the power scheduled for the afternoon train to Ruth. I paid for a museum membership, which made me feel better about not generating any revenue as a passenger on the train, and when it left at 4:30 PM I followed it out of town. It wasn't a long trip but there was enough scenery to make for some nice backdrops as the train headed toward Ruth, a former mining town.

At Ruth, the train was wyed and headed back toward Ely. It was midweek in September, but the train was well-patronized, even though Ely is quite far from any population centers.

Before wrapping up this report, I think it's appropriate to mention one other western steam operation that I've had the pleasure of seeing. It's the Black Hills Central, and it operates out of Hill City, South Dakota, over the former Burlington Keystone Branch. On the day I was there in the fall of 2009, the power was 2-6-6-2T articulated Mallet 110, a 1928 Baldwin product built for the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company. I had no idea there was anything such as an articulated tank engine until I saw this one, although in 2011 I saw a variation on this concept in the form of the Garratts operated by Welsh Highland Railway in northwest Wales.

During 2009, I was also able to visit the Durango & Silverton and Cumbres & Toltec, too, which were both fine experiences, but would require a separate post to cover them adequately. There are a few photos from each on a trip report on our travel blog.

I'd be happy to make another road trip to visit any of these railroads – and savor the sounds, sights and smells of steam power – whenever the opportunity presents itself.

How the rain and fog can infuse your photos with mood

2013-01-10T19:27:00Z

I am 17 years old, and I live in the remote and beautiful countryside of Southwest Virginia, in the small community of Indian Valley. My main interests are photography and railroads; both have intrigued me since I was 5, when I acquired my first camera. Honestly, I don’t know where these interests came from, because I am the only one in my family who enjoys photography or railroads.

I remember taking my first train photo in early 2002, at Montgomery, Va., at the twin tunnels made famous by O. Winston Link. It was a hot and hazy morning when I captured that westbound intermodal blasting toward Bluefield as it charged up the 1.5 percent grade. Shortly thereafter, I was officially hooked on railroad photography and began taking trips to shoot more photos.

Perhaps my favorite weather to shoot in is the rain and fog. Some may think photos taken during dreary weather do not produce anything good, but I beg to differ. If executed right, rainy/dreary photos can be powerful and moody. Some of my favorite photos have been taken under such conditions.

Also, I love that these conditions pose a challenge for a photographer. As you know, it’s pretty hard to mess up a shot in perfect light and bright sunshine. But under dark and dreary conditions, a photographer has to worry about locomotive ditch lights fuzzing the focus, water getting on the lens, the train blurring due to slow shutter speeds, etc. Each could easily ruin an image.

A photographer has to be determined and has to accept that there will be many more failures than successes when shooting in rainy or foggy conditions. Hard work and persistence pay off, though. If you push yourself to shoot in such conditions, you will likely get rewarded with a few images that come out well.

Let’s look at a few of my rainy day rail photos:

As a layer of fog hangs over the valley and the peaceful sound of rain hits the fall leaves, Norfolk Southern No. 272 drops downhill through Shawsville, Va., with a long auto-rack train destined for Winston-Salem, N.C., on Oct. 28, 2011.

How it was captured: I hunkered down underneath a tree to keep most of the rain off my camera while pulling the lens cap off at the last minute and aiming straight ahead. Body: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 24-105F4L IS, Shutter Speed: 1/200th, F-Stop: 5, ISO Speed: 1000

It is a rainy and quiet Friday evening in the historic community of Abingdon, Va., when Norfolk Southern No. 38Q roars into town with No. 8099 proudly leading the way on its maiden voyage on March 23, 2012. This is the former Norfolk & Western Radford Division that spans from Walton, Va., to Bristol, Va.; Norfolk Southern calls it the Pulaski District today.

How it was captured: Standing on a pedestrian bridge that spans the tracks in Abingdon, I threw a blanket over the camera to keep it dry until the train rounded the curve. Using manual focus, I quickly focused the scene and fired off a few images. Body: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 24-105F4L IS, Shutter Speed: 1/500th, F-Stop: 7.1, ISO Speed: 800

Continuing farther east, Norfolk Southern No. 38Q grinds uphill through Atkins, Va., during a light rain shower. The trio of ES44ACs is getting a workout keeping the heavy manifest train rolling uphill on wet rails. The train will be going in the siding ahead at Crockett to meet opposing westbound Nos. 37Q and 15T, approaching quickly from Roanoke, Va.

How it was captured: While a friend was driving, I saw a small window of opportunity to acquire a pacing shot of No. 8099 working east in the rain. I grabbed my camera, set the shutter speed, and fired six images — this is the only one that turned out. I love how you can see the logo blurring through the puddle of water in the lower section of the image. Body: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 24-105F4L IS, Shutter Speed: 1/25th, F-Stop: 7.1, ISO Speed: 250

A layer of fog carpets the beautiful New River Valley just west of Narrows, Va., as Norfolk Southern No. 77A rumbles down river on Aug. 25, 2012. The fishermen have just fired up their boat’s engine.

How it was captured: As the sky began to lighten up and I saw the layer of fog lying along the New River, I thought about this location and arrived just minutes before No. 77A. Quickly jumping out of the car, I ran to the river to frame my shot and set my shutter speed. Shortly thereafter, the train thundered west through the scene. Body: Canon 5D Mark II, Lens: Canon 24-105 F4L IS, Shutter Speed: 1/320th, F-Stop: 8, ISO Speed: 1250

As dawn breaks, Norfolk Southern No. 67N struggles uphill through Shawsville, Va., entering a tight S curve under light rain and heavy fog on Dec. 16, 2012. Signal trouble and a broken rail ahead will cause this train to traverse Christiansburg Mountain under a restricted speed of 10 mph, making it a slow go for the crew.

How it was captured: I arrived at this location early in the morning and, to my surprise, a layer of fog and drizzle was creating a dramatic scene. Then the train passed through it! Body: Canon 7D: Lens: Canon 70-200F2.8L, Shutter Speed: 1/400th, F-Stop: 7.1, ISO Speed: 800

Traversing the former Virginian Altavista District, Norfolk Southern No. 820 passes through Stone Mountain, Va., under a thick fog and light rain during its trek from Roanoke to Crewe, Va., on Dec. 16, 2012. The two 70ACes on the head end provide more than enough power for this 150-car Norfolk-bound coal drag as it travels a flat section on the former Virginian.

How it was captured: Standing on a small wooden overpass freezing my tail off in the cold, I grabbed my camera and set up for No. 820’s arrival. After five minutes, it rounded the turn. Body: Canon 7D, Lens: Canon 70-200F2.8L, Shutter Speed: 1/320th, F-Stop: 5.6, ISO Speed: 500

Just minutes behind Norfolk Southern No. 820, No. 764 moves along at track speed as it passes through the rain just outside the town of Moneta, Va. Unlike No. 820, No. 764 is bound for the Hyco Power Plant in South Boston, Va.

How it was captured: Much like the way I got the previous photo, I was standing on a small wooden overpass awaiting the train in the bitter cold. It was worth it, though! Body: Canon 5D Mark II, Lens: Canon 24-105F4L IS, Shutter Speed: 1/500th, F-Stop: 6.3, ISO Speed: 1250

I will be blogging monthly about my trips and photography. I also plan to write about the rail lines near my home. Please share your thoughts in the comments, and if there is a particular subject you’d like me cover, let me know. Thanks, and Happy New Year!

Illuminating the dark side of steam

2012-12-13T17:09:00Z

Editor Jim Wrinn interviews photographer Olaf Haensch in Wernigerode, Germany in September 2012. Olaf Haensch photo.

Harz train steams by the Quedlinburg, Germany, railway station. Olaf Haensch photo.

A Harz 2-10-2T steams at the summit of Brocken, with the lights of Wernigerode, Germany, visible in the valley below. Olaf Haensch photo.

Olaf Haensch is a lucky man. He was born near Wernigerode, Germany, 36 years ago. His family did not own a car, so they traveled by bus to visit nearby relatives, which meant that at an early age he discovered the Harz narrow-gauge railways in a particularly charming part of rural Germany. Thus began his lifelong passion for this meter-gauge steam mecca.

Fortunately for all of us, his love for this railroad evolved over the years, and in 2011, he published his 128-page, 100-photo book of night photos taken between 2005 and 2010. The oversized volume, written in German and called NachtZüge, or Night Train, is compelling because of its amazing breadth of images made after dark. To say they are masterfully creative is a disservice to both the man and the fruit of his imagination — the photos range from the perspective of ballast with an approaching train in the background, to the bottom of the ashpit as a fireman cleans the grates, to a bird’s-eye view of an engine terminal from atop a sand tower, to the dizzying view of an overhaul from a shop crane perched directly overhead. But the railroad is not the focal point as much as it is a thread permeating daily life in this mountainous region — the steam trains become the backdrop to everything from soccer games to couples sharing a drink or a lovely fräulein luxuriating in a bubble bath. Such a striking book met with success: The first printing sold out in a month, and it is now well into its second printing.

I had met Haensch two years ago at the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual spring conference in Lake Forest, Ill. When I told him I would be visiting Germany for InnoTrans 2012 and making a visit to the Harz after the trade and technology show in September, he was receptive to meeting me at the railroad that has made him the European O. Winston Link of our time. So, I visited with Haensch on a Saturday afternoon when no fewer than five coal-burning 2-10-2Ts were in steam. We sat on a station bench, within feet of where some of the book’s most dramatic images were made. We talked about the railroad, his book, and his passion for the subject matter.

“I’ve known the Harz since childhood, and it is truly special,” he says. “No other railroad in the world is like it.” That statement is true, given that regular steam in China died just a few years ago. The Harz rosters 25 steam locomotives, 16 of them operable, and it is not uncommon for eight or 10 hot engines to crowd the engine terminal at Wernigerode on a typical night. The Harz is best known as a scenic railroad, carrying tourists to the top of 3,800-foot Mount Brocken, where they hike, bike, and enjoy the view. But the railroad’s U-shaped system also regularly transports locals between towns, either by steam train or motorcars — doodlebugs to those of us in the U.S.

Like many such railroads, the Harz runs most trains during daylight hours, but Haensch sought out the handful of trains that run after nightfall and created 150 to 200 images, from which he chose the best for the book. Many took hours of setup time. He most often set up in daylight, carrying in equipment by foot, waiting in knee-deep snow and bitter cold, and hoping that everything would go right. It usually did, but from time to time, radio-synchronized photographic equipment didn’t work properly, steam trailed off in the wrong direction, or the train was late. Retakes were frequent, and disappointing when some images took five to six hours of preparation. Making things easier, the railroad cooperated by granting Haensch access and opening up as never before. But it was a project that consumed hours, days, and weeks.

Inspiration came from many sources. Link, whom Haensch hadn’t heard of until after the great American night photographer’s death in 2001, was one. Another was the late American photographer Richard Steinheimer. Yet another was a most unlikely source: Hollywood. “I love Hitchcock movies with their dramatic lighting,” Haensch says. “That and The Lord of the Rings.”

The increasing availability of exceptionally good-quality digital cameras is creating a new generation of action night photographers around the globe. Haensch’s advice: “Be creative. Never stop developing ideas for new images. Know what you want to try to create, and go for it.”

Haensch, who is an editor at the German version of Model Railroader (not related to the U.S. version published by Trains’ parent company, Kalmbach Publishing Co.), lectures in Germany frequently on his night photography of the Harz. Inevitably, fans of his work and the railroad ask if there will be a second volume. To this the photographer replies that it is possible, but he makes no promises. The first volume required a lot of time and a tremendous emotional commitment. After a health scare last year that left Haensch hospitalized for two months, he is once again enjoying life. As I told you from the first, Olaf Haensch is a lucky man.

Just like old times

2012-12-11T14:58:00Z

Cars from the Union Pacific business train fleet were on display in Sacramento for the 150th anniversary event. John P. Hankey photo.

It was how things used to be, and may never be again. Over the last weekend in September, the Union Pacific Railroad and the California State Railroad Museum celebrated UP’s 150th anniversary in Sacramento with equipment exhibits, performances, free museum admission, and old-fashioned railroad spectacle. We rarely see traditional railroad celebrations like this nowadays. According to the official count, more than 25,000 people showed up.

When was the last time you heard of 25,000 people in a major U.S. city turning up for a party to celebrate the history and heritage of the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, or financial services industries? At this point, are there 25,000 people in the entire United States who would willingly come together to celebrate any anniversary of Congress?

Plenty of folks who attended UP’s Sacramento celebration wouldn’t call themselves railfans. But they were curious enough to contend with traffic, find parking, and deal with unseasonably hot weather for the chance to see an iconic steam locomotive, 4-8-4 No. 844, UP’s fine exhibit car with its anniversary presentation, and another dozen or so railroad-themed entertainments. It was especially nice to see so many parents who brought their kids to see real railroading up close.

Railroading still has great appeal to the American public, and UP clearly understands its place in our nation’s history.

It doesn’t matter how much money a new corporation spends; you cannot buy 150 years of presence in the public consciousness, or purchase a role like the one UP (and railroading in general) played in making us one nation, indivisible. It’s earned. Even today, people understand that.

The rest of the railroad industry might take note: People are still predisposed to like trains, if for no other reason than railroading became part of our shared experience over 180 years.

For the past 20 years, my colleagues at business schools and in other industries have wondered why railroads seemed willing to squander one of the most precious assets an industry could possess: A deep reservoir of public goodwill.

“Why,” they would ask, “does the railroad industry seem so intent on ignoring and alienating the American public?” These colleagues understood that the railroads operated in a public sphere, and were always just one catastrophic accident or government action away from being cast in a harsh light. Accumulated goodwill can help deal with those unforeseen events.

UP understands that. At the least, it deeply respects its heritage. Its Sacramento anniversary party was just one stop on its extensive, rolling 150th anniversary celebration for 2012.

Over the past three decades, UP has had more than its share of corporate drama, growth and change, and pressure to produce shareholder returns. Still, the steam locomotives, classic diesels, and bright yellow passenger cars remained in our viewfinders and offered a remarkable link to the big-time railroading of a half century ago. We assumed that because it always had been so, it always would be so.

Nothing could be further than the truth. UP’s program of special trains and heritage operations is a rare treat. See it while you can, and do not take it for granted. It is a gift. Contemporary railroading is a cold, hard business. With a few notable exceptions (such as UP, the NS efforts, and the CP steam operations), the folks in charge of major railroads have little use for the industry’s heritage.

Which brings me back to Sacramento in late September. That party didn’t just happen. It represented a great deal of commitment, effort, and sacrifice. I don’t think we give the folks who make them possible the thanks they deserve.

This was a meticulously planned, major public presentation in the manner of traditional railroad industry events from the past 100 years. It took thousands of hours of UP and railroad museum staffers’ time, a great deal of skill and dedication, and the work of hundreds of volunteers to make the weekend unfold so successfully.

The dozen or so members of the railroad museum track crew who labored mightily in coordination with UP crews to finish critical track work and safely usher No. 844 into position are “exhibit A.” Few visitors saw their work, but, without their efforts, the weekend could not have unfolded as it did.

In my view, it was an ideal partnership. UP knows how to make big-time railroading happen. The California State Railroad Museum knows how to connect with people, share railroad heritage, and put on a show. Together, they created a kind of old-fashioned magic. I watched the crowds. It worked.

There were snags and things that didn’t unfold as planned. But UP responded in ways we hope all major corporations would: It honored its commitments, and put on a classic — and classy — exposition that made the entire railroad industry look good.

I also saw the toll the event took on the California State Railroad Museum staff. This was like a small “Railfair” event, layering complex obligations on top of the everyday grind of operating a major museum in the face of diminishing resources and increasing expectations. Cathy Taylor, then the district superintendent for the Capitol District of California State Parks; Paul Hammond, the railroad museum’s director; and the entire museum staff dealt with a bewildering — and dynamic — series of challenges.

Union Pacific — especially Ed Dickens Jr. and UP’s steam and special-operations crews — deserves our gratitude. It’s clear that UP understands its unique position in American history, and doesn’t hesitate to embrace it.

UP’s history and heritage are part of its corporate presence. Defending that position in today’s cutthroat business environment takes a level of vision and courage that is now rare in any U.S. industry. UP is proud of its past, and willing to assert that its history is part of its future. Few U.S. corporations have any claim to such stature in American history, much less so pivotal a role in the expansion of the country.

UP runs a splendid railroad. It partnered with the California State Railroad Museum to present an enjoyable celebration of traditional railroad heritage, and made at least 24,900 new friends at a time when railroading needs every friend it can get. No one can predict what the outcomes might be, but the event will pay dividends.

UP deserves our sincere, collective thanks. It was UP’s birthday — but our party. On behalf of the many thousands of people who may not have the means to say it: thanks, Union Pacific.