Am I A traitor?

[Murphy Siding]

Is there something genetically wrong with me if steam locomotives don't particularly interest me ? I have a somewhat extensive railroad library, but tend to flip through the chapters on steam. Is it because of age? I'm a 1960 model and have never seen steam actually working.

[JoeKoh]

Nah.you're not.you just like other trains.some people are car people.some of us like chevys and there are those that have fords.
stay safe
Joe

[Mookie]

I have so many thoughts running through my mind - from Dan to Ed to Tree - do I want to be straight about this or just go off the deep end as Dan would.....or gentle like Joe?

Genetic?

Which gene would that be?

[cherokee woman]

Murphy Siding, I don't think anything's genetically wrong with you. It's just
a matter of personal likes and dislikes; like Joe's comparison of people's
favorite type of automobile.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

To Murphy Siding:
I'm a 1952 model and also have little interest in steam, which may be a factor of my age and that the only everyday steam that I saw was NKP 2-8-4's, barely. My main interests run to Alco diesels, interurbans, suburban passenger service and unit trains. It's mostly a matter of personal taste and what you saw when you were growing up.
To Mookie:
I can't envision you addressing this issue in any way other than with gentle humor, it takes the edge off of a lot of things.

[jeaton]

Murphy Siding

I do not think your are a traitor or have a bad gene. It is probably a personality disorder.

Jay

[eolafan]

Traitor? Not at all! I will stop and look at a steamer but diesel-electrics are really my thing. Straight electrics don't do much for me either (except perhaps the legendary GG1 which oozes power even standing still somehow). You are in good and plentiful company my friend.

[jchnhtfd]

Eh, Murph, don't worry about it. I love steam, but I can get pretty wound up about some diesels (not all)... but if you look back through the various threads you will find that...

GG1's Rule Forever!

[daveklepper]

I agree with the idea that you have a railroad health problem. As a railfan you were simply not brought up properly. A few trips riding the the Cumbres and Toltec and the Silverton and the Cass is the medical theropy you need. That will make you a nornal railfan.

[adrianspeeder]

Sure steam is cool to look at in real life, but for me only a big block diesel engine gets me goin.

Adrianspeeder

[bnsfkline]

I don't care much about steamers.......though I have several of them on my "Most Wanted on Video" list....because its nice to have something diffrent every once in a while.....besides.....you mainly see UP SD70M's, UP AC4400CW's and BNSF/NS Dash Nines. I have only seen an operating steam locomotive thats Non-Narrow Guage only once, and that was early last year when 3985 came through on its way to Huston.

[tree68]

Nah - just look back at any of the EMD vs GE or "what's your favorite loco?" threads. You didn't say you didn't like steam - only that you just don't find it interesting. We all have our preferences. Bottom line is that if a train goes by, you're going to watch it. That's all you need - you're in the "club."

[Anonymous]

Hmmm... are you an ALCO fan of steam or their diesels? (Just starting a controversy here for the ALCO vs. EMD vs. GE folks.)

The short answer: No. There ain't enough of us railfans around to declare a set of them as traitors to society in general.

Enjoy yourself... for the diesels you see today will end up in "Classic Trains" in 45 years.

Erik

[vsmith]

YES YOU ARE

And your a Genetic Mutant

Anyone whos unmoved by the sight of a huge firebreathing behemouth like a steam locomotive roaring by at 50 mph or the shrill scream of the whistle is INHUMAN!!!!

REPENT REPENT YOU SINNER!!!!!!







hehehe, got'cha![;)][(-D][:-,]

[dharmon]

Traitor.....make your arrangements today...for tomorrow you will be shot, unless of course you desire to go to the Eastern front.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Traitor.....make your arrangements today...for tomorrow you will be shot, unless of course you desire to go to the Eastern front.

Is that....like......Iowa?

[halifaxcn]

I am with you, I have no real intrest in steam power. I like the diesel's these are what I remember as a child. I was born in 1957 and all I ever remember is seeing RDC's and Boston & Maine GP-9 & various switcher units.

Regards

[jimrice4449]

I recomend therapy. Unfortunately effective treatment isn't readily available at your location. Possibly an intervention trip for a shot of Milw 261 or one of the Soo Line engines in the upper Midwest might help. I doubt that the CNW R-1 in Wisc. would be sufficient. I, living in the great Pacific NW have the opportunity to partake of frequent doses of SP&S 700, SP 4449 and UP 3985 which keeps the juices first started flowing growing up in Chicago in the 40s and moving to Calif. in 1950 in their fluid state. This really works! When the American Freedom Train was in Spokane I took my two sons out to a rural grade crossing on the former GN and we watched it come roaring through. My elder son, after the dust settled and the night returned to its previous quite, looked over at my and said,"now I now what all the fuss about steam is about". He's a fan to this day and we chase the above mentioned "therapies" avery chance we get.

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

Traitor? Not at all! I will stop and look at a steamer but diesel-electrics are really my thing. Straight electrics don't do much for me either (except perhaps the legendary GG1 which oozes power even standing still somehow). You are in good and plentiful company my friend.

wow, thats the same as me. YAY!

[coborn35]

Well, actually I love steam but majorly prefer diseil. (i spelled it wrong but dislocated arm so give me a break, i cant remeber things today,lol)

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

Murphy Siding

I do not think your are a traitor or have a bad gene. It is probably a personality disorder.

Jay

Thanks. I feel better now.[;)]

[blhanel]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Traitor.....make your arrangements today...for tomorrow you will be shot, unless of course you desire to go to the Eastern front.

Is that....like......Iowa?

Hey, hey, hey! Watch it there!

I'm of the same ilk, MS. I will go out of my way to get shots of a steam excursion going by, but only because it's rare. If I were given the choice to sit alongside, say, the Grand Canyon Railroad or the SF transcon, I'd choose the latter. I do believe it's the result of growing up watching nothing but diesels (born in '54).

[Anonymous]

No. If it has steel wheels and operates on steel tracks, then you are still a railfan. Steam or diesel or otherwise (motor car or hy-rail) still counts.

I was born in 1950 when steam was still around (somewhere) but didn't become aware of trains until 1955. By then diesel was operating in the area where I lived, so consequently I took a liking to the F-series locomotives. Steamers are neat and have a romantic aura about them plus the fact that it took a real hogger to run them. Videos and photos of steam engines are a fascinating way to explore railroading history.

[gacuster]

Yes. You need to get trackside when a steam locomotive roars by and see the side rods working and feel the cinders raining down. A steamer is alive, the diesel is a painted metal box on wheels, although it is all we have to look at in daily operation these days unless you live by a tourist line.

[PBenham]

Heavens no! You are/were hooked by what you have experienced in your life. Man, what a pile of psycho babble. I figure that's a fragment of my disjointed education at work[:0]. I was hooked when, as a little tyke my mom (rest well, you're son's still as nuts as ever) would walk to the New York & Northern Englewood depot for the excercise. Well, other moms did the same thing. When an Erie pacific, or RS2 arrived, the little ones would put out a scream of protest at the noise and smoke and so on. NOT ME![}:)] I cried when mom decided to leave! Dig what you can, while you can. Defend the rights of railfans! When we get harrassed, the terrorists win a battle without firing a shot, or murdering innocent people.

[edblysard]

No!
No!
Anywhere but Iowa...please!

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

Traitor.....make your arrangements today...for tomorrow you will be shot, unless of course you desire to go to the Eastern front.

Is that....like......Iowa?

[Anonymous]

a steam engin is a living breathing thing ;an external combustion engin (the fire on the outside).... they are about as diffrent an a horse pulled wagon and a high performance racing car... most steam engins did not even have a speedodemeter; the engineer had to judge speed by the seat of his pants; being an engineer ment something then ;the driver had to keep all sorts of engineering data in his head when operating a steam engin.. for example if you creat enough draft (by using the blast pipe)you can pull small burning embers of coal up the fire tubes and doubbling or tripple ing the grate area; and thus have a hotter fire and more steam and more power, but do this too much and the tubes will become fowlled and the engin will clog up and die on the spot..running a steam engin is like juggeling; keeping 27 balls in the air at the same time. so i say what ever floats your boat >>>>you can do it the hard way ,or the easy way, some people just enjoy the process...glennbob[^][;)][angel][2c][soapbox]

[CopCarSS]

Murphy,

I don't think you're a "traitor" unless you actively seek the destruction of remaining steam locos to meet the steel needs of Red China. If that's the case, I think I'd not hang around here! [;)]

Seriously, though, it is kind of interesting to me. I'm a 1980 model, and I live to see steam. Diesels are OK to pass the time between infusions of steam in my life, and I won't lie and tell you that I don't get excited when I see a Geep 9 or an ALCo diesel running around. But the thrill of watching even small steam is an unmatchable experience to me. Shoot, I'll hang out for hours at the Colorado Rail Museum just to watch G-scale live steam!

And then there's the big guys. Witnessing 844 and 3985 double heading at 40-50 mph? There's nothing in the world quite like that. Now if they could just re-open Tennessee Pass and run the double header up there, I would be the happiest guy ever!

Whatever interests you is what counts in your world. Railfanning doesn't have many rules. Stay safe, be legal and have fun are about the only three I can think of. As long as you follow those, its all good.

[Anonymous]

Chris : nice pic of you and the challanger[C):-)]glennbob

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Originally posted by glennbob

Chris : nice pic of you and the challanger[C):-)]glennbob

Thanks glennbob. Actually its the 844 (though the 3985 is behind it). My cousin saw the picture, and said I should add the following text to the pic:

"My other car is a Northern."

Oh how I wi***hat could be true!

Chris
Denver, CO