Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
I've only been in one cab (besides the tours at special events), but never had the chance to take a ride. I was on the pass at Cajon when I pulled up on a UP train sitting on the Palmdale Cutoff, when after conversing with the engineer, I asked if I could climb aboard for a few shots. The crew had no problems letting me in. They were two young guys still in their 20's so we all hit it off, me being in my 20's as well. We must have sat for an hour just BS'n about trains and stuff. It was a special moment for me and I appreciate those guys letting me come aboard.
--Zak Gardner
My Layout Blog: http://mrl369dude.blogspot.com
http://zgardner18.rrpicturearchives.net
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I have enjoyed a good number of cab tours and cab rides by simply asking the engineer if I could come up into the cab. It helps not to ask if other people are around because no one wants to be reprimanded. Night time is a good time to ask and older men are usually not so worried about the rules.
Twenty years ago on The Lake Shore Limited the senior engineer on the division gave me the cab ride of my life one sunny morning on an FL-9 between Albany and Croton-Harmon. He was even willing to let me ride in the cab up to the bumper posts in GCT itself if I had wanted to. The best part was his letting me blow the horn for the grade crossings. He talked and taught the entire 140 miles. His fireman seemed to have less to do than I did but was also very pleasant. And all because at Albany I simply walked up to the cab, looked up at the hogger and asked if I could come up and take a look around.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." It never hurts to ask.
Got 2 relatives who work on the local Short Line (EIRC)
shhhhh were not suppossed to tell.but having a young lad curious about trains does help.
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
A couple years ago I got a cab ride in a narrow gauge mogul in Mt. Pleasant, IA.
As a kid, I was allowed up into the cab of a way freight on the New Haven RR while they switched out a couple of cars in my hometown. I even blew the whistle for a crossing!
Since then, I have been up in the cab of a couple of switch engines at railroad museums; the Heart of Dixie railroad museum in Calera, Alabama, and the Georgia State Railroad Museum in Duluth, Georgia. I was invited up into a brand new (less than six week old) NS locomotive while he was doing his air test. (And yes, there is definitely a new locomotive smell!) The NS locomotive was painted in primer with road numbers spray painted on the nose and side.
Operation Lifesaver did a class for police officers in the area, and part of that class was a ride on an NS freight train through our patrol area. That was interesting.
Erik
I've was invited into the cab of five different locomotives back in the 1970's. Let's see B&M SW8, B&M NW2 both of those were in the yard in Manchester, NH. And an SP GP9, SP GP35, and a C&O GP30 all of those were in TEXAS. I rode in the C&O GP30 on a Dodger train over to Greenville, TEXAS and then back to Commerce. See Photo Page 1 of my website http://home.earthlink.net/~cooper2001/trainsarewhereyoufindthem/ for a shot from the cab of the GP9.
There has been several times recently where I was invited up into the cab to report some sort of trouble to the railroad like sticking brakes or dragging equipment.. They appreciate that sort of information, although in this day and age it is likely better to just phone it in.
I went to a NS hiring session 10 years ago, and ive been doing it everyday since then.
-Engineer Norfolk Southern
Have been reluctant to reply to this as my one and only cab ride was probably the shortest of all time but....
In 1998 I decided to take a short railfan trip over to Mississippi. Turned out to be a lot longer than anticipated. I found myself in Greenwood at the Columbus and Greenville Railway where they have a small shop area and a small yard.
It was a Sunday afternoon and "no one was around" and this was pre-9/11 and yeah I was trespassing as I walked down the tracks about 200 yards to get a photo of a C & G GP7 (mighta been a 9) that was idling in the old blue & gray paint scheme. Never had seen the C & G before so I really wanted to get a photo of the locomotive.
Well I was so excited to get a shot of the locomotive that I didn't notice how I'd wandered into a grassy ditch full of fresh clover, and I was surrounded by bumblebees!
Suddenly the door to the geep opened and (unknown to me) there WAS a C & G employee in the cab...he was smiling pretty big when he asked if I was interested in a ride out of there!
So I jumped on the steps, didn't get stung, and got my one and only cab ride in an early to mid '50s GP7 or 9 on the Delta Route all of 200 yards or so. Still counts though, right??? Man that was one fine day of railfanning.