Locomotives......

[J. Edgar]

 

 with 15 posts in this new forum i see its slanted toward diesels.....pity.....although im not old enough to have witnessed the mighty Iron Horse tame both time and distance i have seen smelled touched and tasted enough of them and read more then my share of books on them to realize they are the true motive force.......there is more magic and wonder in lighting a fire under a boiler then in all the gory story of the burning of Troy.....from the Bestfriend of Charleston to the American Standard 4-4-0 to the A1 2-8-4 to the mightiest in the world 4-8-8-4 Bigboy.......nothing stirs the soul more

[jkubajakiii]

 I understand where you are coming from. As one being born in the seventies, I never witness steam in action, except for in museums and on excersion runs. Steam locomotives are refered to as Iron Horses! They are alive in a very unique way. Sadly, nostalga in lost on this site. Hi-tech is ruling here and I, sadly, am also on the band wagon.

 Diesel fumes in the afternoon smell like progress.

[rjtul]

I am just old enough t o remember the old steamers. We lived just a half block from the main lines of both CNR and CPR. I remember most clearly of my mother complaining of the prevailing wind bringing smoke and soot onto her clean laundry on the clothesline. She for one never missed the old steamers on wash day.

[dldance]

lots of good steam stuff on the Steam & Preservation Forum next door.  My steam comments (I fire a steam locomotive) are there.  My diesel comments are here.

dd

[ragnar]

   4-8-8-4 bigboy mightest in the world.....lol snort!

[Anonymous]

I understand where you are coming from . I am just old enough to remember the old 4-8-4 steam Locomotives on the L and N main line . We lived just a half block from the main lines of L and N north of Nashville TN. There is nothing that stirs the soul more than a lone steam engine whistle in the quiet of the night headed north , on the way to Louisville KY by way of Bowling-green . America's native son headed north on the old line that supplied General Grant in his victory's in the west during the War between the states. I loved the smell of coal smoke in the morning and in the cold night air of a winters night I like the old railroad watches and early stuff the railroads invented. Originally Posted By: TNDEERHUNTER A watch used to mean Life or Death on the Railroad as the trains ran on Timetables and specific train orders that said when a train was going to be where at a a certain time and a certain place and it was the conductors job to keep up with the time and the engineers job to make it on time to a specific place. Everytime a train went on duty the whole crew had to synchronize their watches with the standard time clock at the on duty location and that is how the railroad ran smoothly. Know a days it is not as important. There is still a rule in our rule books that says our watches have to be synchronized with a standard railroad clock and each others . But since the evolution of radios and phones and so forth the railroad is run by a dispatcher at a central office that keeps up with every train within their assigned territory. So it is a lot safer. I am a locomotive Engineer with CSX Transportation and know the importance of the dispatcher our lives are in there hands. you know where you are God knows where you are But if the dispatcher doesn't know where you are then you better hope god is with you Quote by UNICAM Here is a picture of my great great grandfathers railroad watch. Its solid gold and my dad had it cleaned and serviced about 15 years ago. I wind it a few times a year. Still holds perfect time. Someday I will hand it down to one of my sons. http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=481575&page=1#Post481575 My father had a Railroad watch similar to yours Unicam . I have it and wish to give it to my son some day also. He also had a Waltham raillroad watch he carried during the 1950's also. My father was a Gandy dancer or track maintenance worker for the Nickle Plate Road rail road in the 1940's and 1950's . The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Company (NYC&StL) had a storied 83 year existence. My father and a foreman got gold watches as a reward for preventing a derailment on the main-line going to Chicago. The train got switched to the line that was being worked on accidentally and when the men saw it coming they all ran except my father and the foreman who stayed with the maintenance car. My father was a very large strong man and with the help of the fore- man he managed to pick up the loaded with tools car and move it off the right of way far enough for the train to pass safely. The gold Elgin watch was his reward for the deed at least that was what I was told in the 1950's by my father and uncle . The uncle was a conductor on the L @ N railroad and made runs to Scotsville KY my fathers home town . As a boy I made a trip on the old now abandoned run to Scotsville KY with my uncle behind a steam locomotive . I can remember the last steam trains running on the L @ N line threw Inglewood TN back in the 1950's and the fast diesel streamliner passenger trains that did run to Nashville back then. I was only a Stationary Engineer TNDEERHUNTER and my boilers stayed in one place . I appreciate you TNDEERHUNTER for the job you guys do keep the trains moving. http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=481498&page=1#Post481498

[Prairietype]

They have a fire in their belly, they breathe and snort, perspire, moan, and their drivers are like arms or legs (take your pick). Damn right they're like a living thing.

[Kurn]

The only example of mainline steam was when I was, at the most,5 years old.I was in the back seat of a car stopped at one of the B&O crossings in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,and it was at night.The screaming,shrieking,smoking beast scared me to death!After 50 years that image is still with me like it was yesterday.

[Lord Atmo]

lots of good steam stuff on the Steam & Preservation Forum next door.  My steam comments (I fire a steam locomotive) are there.  My diesel comments are here.

dd

exactly. steam has its own category on this forum 

[AlcoRS11Nut]

Even though I was born in the mid-80's. I can see where you are comeing from.  I was lucky enough to see the 3985 in operation, and the 261 high-balling west at 60 MPH the other year in central Wisconsin. Both were pretty much a religous expeirance. I only wish I could have seen these locomotives in everyday service.

[Ulrich]

The screaming,shrieking,smoking beast scared me to death!After 50 years that image is still with me like it was yesterday.

I can't say that about any locomotives that I've met...but a few women I've met would qualify.. 

 

[wjstix]

lots of good steam stuff on the Steam & Preservation Forum next door.  My steam comments (I fire a steam locomotive) are there.  My diesel comments are here.

dd

That's what I was going to say, I think the "Steam & Preservation" part of this forum is where steam questions and comments usually end up. "Locomotives" is more slanted towards current or recent (diesel) locomotives.

[espeefoamer]

 I was born at the wrong time.I saw steam as a baby,but it was gone before I was old enough to remember it. The first big steam I saw was the 4449 in 1975.It was en route from Portland to Chicago to pick up the Freedom Train.I first saw 4449 south of Dunsmuir,and chased it to Sacramento.After a one day layover,I then chased 4449 over Donner pass with a friend,then got to ride behind it from Truckee to Sparks.This weekend made me a confirmed steam fan.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

[tegemu]

I too know what you mean, my heart is primarily in Steam.  My brother was a Fireman and then an Engineer for the New York Central - Hudson Division.  I grew up next to the tracks of the Long Island Railroad.  As a boy I was lucky to have ridden the head end of several LIRR Steam Engines and on the NYC, I got to drive Hudsons, Niagara's, Switchers, Diesels and even some Electric and One time a Metroliner.  I was a lucky kid with many great memories.

[chefjavier]

Even through steam were special breed on their own. We need to appreciate their history and devotion to horse power. I would love to see 4-8-8-4 big boy in action. Now, we could look at the new G.E. locomotives.

[JonathanS]

Being too young you didn't have the chore to sweep the cinders off your porch and sidewalk every morning.  You didn't have to wear clothes that smelled like sulfur because of the smoke that got in them while they were hanging out to dry.  And you never put up with the mornings that were so smoke filled that you couldn't see half a block down the street.

Yes, steam locomotives put on a good show.  But they sure came with a huge environmental and health price.

[switch7frg]

  ragnar; do you know what has become  of bigboy 4018?? Some few yrs. back it was resting in a train shed with a few other engines waiting for what ever. 

                   Respectfully, Cannonball