I keep hearing on posts of people starting off replays with things like "well last time I rode in a GP38" or "Dash 9's are pretty fun to ride on" or "the SW1500 cab is fairly roomy". Are there that many engineers/former engineers on these forums are is it really that easy to nab a ride on a working frieght train?? The few locals still get rail service and lately they've been using either the GT GP40 pr the older SW1500 and I'd love to have an afternoon trip on these or any engine they use for spotting by us. I would even hop on at the main yard and hop off when we were done. I want the hook ups! I need some I can call "my people". Where can I get "connections".
And just as a reminder the National Rail Road Museum in Green Bay Wisconsin now has Milwaukee Road #767 Fair-Banks Morse H10 on display. It's absolutely beautiful.
Here's a short checklist you might try:
You may or may not receive an answer. If you DO receive an answer, the very worst thing they can say is, "No."
I happened on my one and only cab ride on a USAF 44-tonner almost three decades ago. I happened to be driving past the spot where it was usually parked, the crew was present and I stopped to ask about the loco and base rail service. Can't say that Master Sergeant stripes got me into the cab for the run to the then-SP interchange. I don't doubt that they helped!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with center-cab diesels)
Oh. Insert four-letter cus word that is also an actualy object. The local rail service is CN. I think my chances just went to near zero. At least I think it is. I have pictures of BNSF, GT, and Wisconsin Central loco's. I've also seen them use a Norfolk Southern and caught a glance of what I'm pretty sure was a Sesquahana switcher. But still most of the locos are CN, so I'm sure it's CN. I suppose I could try WSOR, but that's a long drive just to get to any WSOR offices. But thanks for the advice. I will now have to teach mysef hor to a letter. And not mispell .
I'm a retired engineer of 39 years and I used to be able to give rides. Since the 911 happenings that all came to a halt. Liabilities also are a big factor.
The CN won't even let you on the property to shoot a picture let alone allow you in the cab of their engines.
Some short lines may still allow riders but it's becoming very rare these days............. and that's too bad!!! I've always enjoyed letting someone ride and most times it was a memory of a life time for them. How many people ever get to ride the cab or even maybe pull the throttle back.............?
Bob
hawghead1 How many people ever get to ride the cab or even maybe pull the throttle back.............? Bob
How many people ever get to ride the cab or even maybe pull the throttle back.............?
ME!
I need to try this with my local branch line. They park the locos a couple miles from my house. I always see the crews talking with the fuel truck driver while they're getting topped off. Just never stropped to talk with them.
A few years ago, one of the tourist railroads in Nevada was offering to let customers run as engineer in one of their steamers over their entire line, a 28 mile round trip if I remember right. Price tag was somewhere in the $700-800 range. A little pricey for me, but I was sorely tempted to look into it when I went to my nieces wedding last August.
jecorbettA few years ago, one of the tourist railroads in Nevada was offering to let customers run as engineer in one of their steamers over their entire line, a 28 mile round trip if I remember right. Price tag was somewhere in the $700-800 range.
A few years ago, one of the tourist railroads in Nevada was offering to let customers run as engineer in one of their steamers over their entire line, a 28 mile round trip if I remember right. Price tag was somewhere in the $700-800 range.
That would be the Nevada Northern in Ely, Nevada. It's operated by the Nevada State Museum as a historical preservation site or some such. They run steam engine excursions.
I have heard that you can also pay extra and be the engineer on the Santa Fe Southern, a short line that runs between Lamy, New Mexico and Santa Fe.
But since the Chatsworth, California Metrolink incident and all of the brouhaha over the engineer's allowing railfans to run the train, these policies may have changed.
Sometimes it's just a matter of luck,or being in the right place at the right time. My brother and I were taking pictures down at the Ocala (Florida) Amtrak station one day in the early 1980s when the SCL/Family Lines local happened along with a BQ23-7 (the odd-looking "crew cab" loco by GE) at the point. He paused in front of the station and we struck up a conversation with the crew, at which point we were invited into the cab for a ride while he did some switching moves. The "Q" had a very roomy cab, but the thing that most impressed me about it was that the Family Lines logo was embossed in each of the cab seats!
On another occasion, SCL put a GP7 and some freight cars on public display for a day at an LCL facility in a local industrial park in Ocala. We went down to check it out, and the guy who was guiding tours of the Geep (who we knew) said he had to go somewhere, and asked us if we'd take over. So we spent several hours in the cab of that engine showing visitors the workings of it (granted, this doesn't count as a "cab ride," since we didn't go anywhere, but it was still fun being in the "driver's seat" for a while).
I would also note that several railroad museums now offer cab rides for a slightly higher fee than their normal train ride tickets, and -- if you've got bigger bucks -- some will even let you actually run the engine.
hawghead1 The CN won't even let you on the property to shoot a picture let alone allow you in the cab of their engines. Bob
Uuuuuuum, about half my pictures were taken in the CN yard parking lot. They do have a we small 'no trespassing' sign, which has had orange flags placed on (I hope not because of me). Now that I just take the snap shots I'm never there more than a few minutes, but that one time I sat there and watched a crew spot cars around the yard for almost an hour. Not one person even looked at me funny. For that matter the one crew guy even looked straight at me in my car after he moved a turn out and I don't even think he realized I was in the car! I almost stopped today to ask. It was at the very end of the yard where I got one pic today and there was another loco just sitting there down a siding a bit. The engine was in the yard property but there was a maintainance road that had a gate. It came out to the street with enough room to park my car and not be on property, but back to the point I drove past, thought that I should have parked and asked the crew if I could walk down the maint road a bit to get a good pic of the loco, but by the time I was at a spot to turn around I looked back and saw the loco/crew haul off into the yard so I just kept going on my way.
But I kind of figured it wouldn't happen since it's all a big company. It's called Canadian National but they should rename it Canadian International. I mean they do serve Canada and America. That's two nations. Could call it CIN
here's the link to my train album.
I've had similar experiences to BHirschi's. SCL was generally railfan friendly in my area (Florida west coast). I've had cab rides in U18Bs, GP7s, a GP38-2, and even an Amtrak SDP40f! Also sat in the engineer's seats of a GP40-2, U36B, an EMD SW "something" (7,8, or 9) and an Amtrak F40.
As mentioned above, we're in the post 9/11/01 era and live in a lawsuit epidemic society. It's sad but understandable that Class 1 railroad managers typically don't want unauthorized visitors on railroad property. Especially with stories, such as:
1. The locomotive that was taken for a joy ride in the Miami area recently.
2. The two idiot skateboarders a few years back that were electrocuted by an Amtrak Catenary wire, sued, and won an obscene amount of money.
3. The boy in the northeast (New York?) who went through a cut hole in a fence to spray graffitti on a signal box, was struck and killed by a train. The parents sued and kept stating that "he was a good boy!" So much for accountability.
4. The woman walking on Florida East Coast Railway tracks that was listening to her IPOD, struck by a train in which the engineer was "wailing" on the horn. She survived but lost her legs...........and is suing the railroad! Twenty years ago a judge would not even want to have heard her case. Now......many in the public have the "entitlement" mentality.
If I were a railroad yard foreman or terminal superintendent, I'd be nervous too.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
MILW-RODRAnd just as a reminder the National Rail Road Museum in Green Bay Wisconsin now has Milwaukee Road #767 Fair-Banks Morse H10 on display. It's absolutely beautiful.
One option for you is to contact the nearest chapter of the NRHS (National Railroad Historical Society). While you won't be out on the main line......... Many of the Chapters own and operate working RR Museums. At the Rochester, NY Chapter, we own the Rochester and Genesee Valley RR Museum. You can join the Chapter and go through a certification "Rules Course" and training program, to become an engineer at the museum. Our chapter has a 2 mile long demonstration track connecting it and the New York Museum of Transportation. Even if you are not a member, we commonly give (and encourage) cab rides in our antique locos. We currently have 9 or 10 operating locos from a tiny little Plymouth to an RS3 (Lehigh Valley #211) running there. Soon we hope to have a little 0-4-0 T steam loco running and a fireless "steam" loco as well.
More info: http://www.rgvrrm.org/
Good luck!
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
i wish you luck in your endeavor but railroad management in general is a lot different these days. i worked at several different jobs on several railroads in my life and even though i was not always in train service, i did manage to hitch a few rides even when i was not. most unusual ride was a GG1 Harrisburg to Philly. worst ride of my life was on the second unit of SV-5 on the old NYC. Bellefontaine Ohio to E St Louis Il. it was one of the early GE u-boats and it rode like a buckboard on jointed rail. my back hurt for days afterward. best ride of my life only cost me a pack of dutch masters cigars. i was a teenager and bribed the engineer of CBQ 4960 on a fan trip from Beardstown Il to St Louis. took a week to get the cinders out of my hair and ears. should have worn a cap ! steam at night was a hoot. I never worked on or around steam since i was born too late, but i can see why the old heads missed it.
grizlump
Being that its CN and being that its a Class1 railroad, I would doubt that they would give ya a cab ride. If that crew was caught by a Railroad Official. Well its their jobs. I would suggest trying a shortline or a museum out first. You have a better chace with them rather than CN, CSX, or The NS. Class 1s arnt to friendly with foamers. Heck, NS has been known to come up to you and take your film or Card from you or even made yo deleat the pics. This was even before 911! I hope that you have luck. Ya know, I worked on the railroad and it wasnt al that glorious! When I worked on the railroad, I didnt even do any modeling cause I was around it all of the time. Kevin
Don't forget your local tourist railroad. Many tourist trains sell cab rides for a small premimum from the regular ticket. If not listed as such it never hurts to ask.
At the LM&M here in Lebanon Ohio they stopped listing a separate cab ride ticket because of a lack of interest, but I'm sure if you wanted to ride in an ex-C&O GP7 they could hook you up. While freight railroads have an actual job to do, when it comes to tourist railroads cab rides are just another way of making the riders happy.
and remember on a tourist railroad the speeds are low and there are rarely any conflicting movements.