Steam & the Trains Magazine Staff

[Anonymous]

A while back i was reading Don Phillips Column and the subject was the Railfan Generation Gap. He said that there were not many of the trains staff that grew up in the steam era. So heres a question to the staff. Are you Steam fans?
-justin

[orsonroy]

Yup. And only 34 years old, so I missed the steam era.

For me, there's no contest between steam and diesels, especially modern engines. Given the choice between driving 25 miles to spend the day at Rochelle, or driving eight hours to watch a steam engine for a couple of hours, I'm on the road!

First generation diesels are OK too, but I have no idea how anyone can be a fan of today's class one railroading scene. Since 1980 the character of the railroads have changed dramatically, to the detriment of character.

[Anonymous]

Of course! We're fans of everything that has to do with railroads: Class I, short line, Amtrak, streamliner, interurban, trolley, light-rail, steam, diesel, old, new, U.S., foreign.

I have never seen any railroad or any facet of railroading I did not appreciate and did not find fascinating.

[Anonymous]

I'm not staff, but I am 20 years old, and nothing beats the sight of a good steam engine going by.

When the Royal Hudson used to run on the BC Rail main line berween North Vancouver and Squamish, I used to ride it a few times every summer. If I was at my Grandpa's house, we could take a quick 5 minute walk to the grade crossing and watch it go by in the morning.

There was truly nothing like seeing this loco go by at the crossing. You could hear the Royal Hudson from a good mile away. I would sit at the crossing just waiting to see it come around the bend, watching for it's headlight. Then there it would be, steam spewing out from all angles, whistle blowing, the constant chugging.

It was a sight to see when it crossed the crossing, I could never figure out how this enormous machine could stay on two tiny little rails. I remember it was so enormous all shiny metal, polished with care. Then I would look up at the cab and see what seemed like theis tiny little engineer looking out the smallest of windows. It was always hard for me to believe that the little guy in the window was controlling all of this power.

Those were the days.

Check it out here http://www.wcra.org/hudson/

[Kathi Kube]

I've got to second what Mark says. Trains grab my almost-undivided attention the moment I see or hear them. If I'm driving, I turn off the radio, open the windows and race to the crossing so I can watch and listen uninterrupted. Even if I'm in my house or in a parking lot somewhere and I hear a whistle from who knows how far away, I'll stop where I am to listen.

As for steam, I've never seen an operating steam engine—and I want very badly to—but they still fascinate me when I see them at a museum or watch them on a video.

Yeah, I've gotta say we're just a wee bit nutty about all things running steel wheels on steel rails.

Kathi

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark W. Hemphill

Of course! We're fans of everything that has to do with railroads: Class I, short line, Amtrak, streamliner, interurban, trolley, light-rail, steam, diesel, old, new, U.S., foreign.

I have never seen any railroad or any facet of railroading I did not appreciate and did not find fascinating.

OK, i should word that a little diffrently (shorta like saying i'm the editor of a Railroad magazine but I like Boats alot better) I should say would you drive all night for 13 hours to see steam? I know i would[:)] Wasnt there an annual all steam issue back in the 60's and 70's? That would be a neat subject.
-justin

[Anonymous]

Justin: I commend you on your energy and enthusiasm. It's good to see another young person entering into this passion for railroads. I certainly did plenty of all-night drives when I was your age in pursuit of railroads. Today, I just work long hours.

[kenneo]

I remember the last years of the Big Boys when they just did summer overload work. Every month in TRAINS there would be photo's of them. I begged my dad to take me to Sherman to see them, but no go. I even earned the money to take myself, stay in a motel, buy my meals. Something about parental responsibility and the exuberance of youth. I stlll have not seen a 4000 in the flesh.

Steam is really great to watch, but to work on them, I have never worked with such a dirty thing in my life. For that reason, I'm glad they are "gone" and my friend Doyle is the one running the 4449! Yes, I love steam - a good distance away!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:
Steam is really great to watch, but to work on them, I have never worked with such a dirty thing in my life

Come on now, surely some of the oil burners weren't as bad as the coal.

[espeefoamer]

I'm not on Trains staff,either,but I do love steam.[:D] I have only seen steam on fantrips,tourist lines and in museums but between the choices given would take the 8 hour trip to see steam![:p][:p][:p]

[sooblue]

[(-D] Steam engines fling grease, oil, soot, steam, and water at ya (not in that order)
ten minutes after climbing aboard an operating steam engine you can look like you've rolled in a dirt pit (if your a real fan of steam[:p]) All though, there isn't any coal dust blowin around [:)] Ya gotta love it.
Sooblue

QUOTE: Originally posted by macguy

QUOTE:
Steam is really great to watch, but to work on them, I have never worked with such a dirty thing in my life

Come on now, surely some of the oil burners weren't as bad as the coal.

[M636C]

Steam lasted until 1973 in my home state in Australia, and we were caught up in the need to photograph before steam disappeared. When I was younger I had good hearing, and a whistle close up or safety valves lifting could actually be painful. It was harder to photograph steam in winter, with drifting clouds everywhere that you mightn't see until you got the photo back! The smoke could blow the wrong way and block out an otherwise perfect shot. I was reminded of this following a special recently. In the cab in a tunnel, the air pressure dropped noticeably with each exhaust beat. But as someone said, a steam engine is the nearest thing man has produced to a living thing. They had character.

And an off subject addition for the editor, it could be dangerous! About 35 years ago, I was in the forward boiler room of HMAS Brisbane, a DDG-2 class ship with 1250 psi boilers (none of this weak 300psi like a Big Boy). A steam pipe cracked, and nobody could move until enough valves were closed (manually) and the cloud forming above us stopped. At 1250 psi, you can't see it until it cools down enough to condense. When given the all clear, I went up so many ladders so fast that I was on 02 deck before I worked out where I was.

But gas turbines or not, our steam DDGs could outrun any other ship in our Navy, and did so to prove it from time to time, even if each ship used more fuel than our then six boat submarine squadron.

Steam is just different. You couldn't use it today for running a railroad or powering a new ship (nuclear subs and carriers excepted for operational reasons), but it did a good job for many years when nothing else was available and we shouldn't despise it or forget it.

Peter

[Anonymous]

Like kenneo I witnessed the end of the steam age. Yes they do put on a good show, but I sure do not miss having to sweep the cinders off of the porch every morning, or my clothes always being dingy from the soot that was constantly in the air.

[daveklepper]

I made a trip to Britian, my first, in 1962, just to catch the last of big-time main-line British Steam before it folded. I inspected the Gresley A4 (Flying Scotsman type) Pacific Kingfisher at the Aberdeen engine house and then rode behind it from Aberdeen to Dundee. I also rode the Bournmouth Bell behind a Bullard Southern Railway Pacific. And lots of mileage behind 4-6-0's, which were the most common remaining passenger power. I felt I just had to see what it was like where steam railroading was born, and I'm really glad I did. Being born in 1932, I had the privilege of riding behind lots of steam, beginning with a Hartford - New Haven local, age 3!

Of course I love trolleys, and regarded LaGuardia's (actually O'Dwyer's) and GM's destruction of my big red and yellow electric train set as the crime of my youth. So, when steam fans in England told me about Manx Electric and Snaifel Mountain, I had to see that too. And got the whole Isle of Man Railways, narrow gauge, three lines, as an added bonus. I really went nuts over steam narrow gauge. Rode with Maurrey Kleibolt from Alamosa to Durango and Silverton and back three times (three times round trip plus one rt Frarmingtn) Also with him on the Newfy Bullet, but that was already diesel. I had to buy an extra copy of the TRAINS Mt. Washington issue because a ride on that operation is truly Heaven on Earth for any steam fan, even if the locomotives are so different than big modern steam power.

I never had a steam cab ride in America. Only once in South Africa. Lots of diesel and electric cab rides. Possibly over 100 if you count the front platform of MU cars. (Pennsy and LIRR MP54's, NYC, DL&W, IC, SSS&SB, CA&E, SNS&M, NYNH&H, SEPTA, WCF&N, Ratian RY, British Rail) But I inspected the cabs of lots of steam engines and crawled over quite a few. Dave

[Anonymous]

As I'm sure you know, I'm not a member of the Trains staff. However, I am a huge steam fan. I'm only 17 now, so I was born way too late to see any "real" steam. There's just something special about a steam engine! I've always preferred steam and first generation diesels to modern trains (but I still love modern trains, too).

[Anonymous]

There's "real" steam in the world today -- in fact, in the U.S. I don't know how the Mount Washington Cog Railroad,the Durango & Silverton, and the Cumbres & Toltec cannot be considered real steam railroads: 100 years ago, they made a business out of hauling tourists, which happened to be behind steam engines. Today, they make a bigger business hauling tourists, and still use steam engines. The function of those railroads has not changed, nor has their operation, nor has their methods, nor has their technology, nor has their problems, nor has their solutions. If you want to see "real" steam, go there. You'll see plenty of it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mark W. Hemphill

There's "real" steam in the world today -- in fact, in the U.S. I don't know how the Mount Washington Cog Railroad,the Durango & Silverton, and the Cumbres & Toltec cannot be considered real steam railroads: 100 years ago, they made a business out of hauling tourists, which happened to be behind steam engines. Today, they make a bigger business hauling tourists, and still use steam engines. The function of those railroads has not changed, nor has their operation, nor has their methods, nor has their technology, nor has their problems, nor has their solutions. If you want to see "real" steam, go there. You'll see plenty of it.

Mt. Washington Cog is a great place to spend time at, My father and i spent a day there in October of 2002. Trust me that is as real as it gets. Yet there is still plenty of other places that have steam. the Ji-tong Railway in northern China is still running 2-10-2's on fright and in Germany there are still steam hauled passenger trains. Now if I could only get to those places............[:)]
-justin