I've been a rail buff since I was a kid. I grew up un the Columbus,Ohio area and saw precious few trains as a kid, I never saw a Steam engine other than on model railroads. So when I went to the Van council meeting in Green Bay 3 years ago. I jumped at the chance to go to the rail museum there. They have a large collection of old steam in restored and unrestored condition, My absolute favorite was the UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. Always fascinated by the largest steem locomotive ever built, I was in awe to actually sit in one. I could just imagine how the ground would shake when it rolled by. how you could feel the heat coming off that giant boiler.It is an aweome machine just sitting still and I feel sad that I will never actually see one rolling down the tracks If you ever get to that part of the country, this is well worth the time to see.
2 comments:
Love that Aerotrain. GM at it's Fifties best... not! Passengers complained that the cars were like riding in a bus and not fun over long distances.
As for the Cab Forward, it's a 4-8-8-2 and they were exclusive to the Southern Pacific (now part of the UP). My dad rode in them a number of times with his grandfather, who was a locomotive engineer, east from Sparks (Reno) to Carlin (not quite to Elko).
There's just something about a steam locomotive when it's fired up. Comes alive in its own way. I miss that a whole bunch...
Wow COOP, you're a railroad fan too?! 50% of the stuff I have stored in my basement is model trains, from Z-scale up to #1 gauge. I can't wait to unbox it all when our son Diego is old enough to appreciate them (and not break them!).
Oh, and yes, packed away are a few scratchbuilt and custom painted engines and rolling stock. It's how I got started in my never ending quest to build stuff.
You definitely need to book a ticket for a steam ride. About 12 years ago I rode a steam passenger train up in Duluth, MN. Boy was that fun. If I had been smart about it I would have brought a pair of goggles so I could get a better look when I stuck my head out the window... lots of cinders! I think your best bet for a steam ride is the Milwaukee 261 which runs in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Chris
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