Both videographers did an awesome job, I'm jealous that they were able to get out there and catch this!

Does the possibility exist for any off-season steam freights? Or if the load is too much for 8618 will you just split the consist into multiple trips?

And is there any way to get some heads up next time? ;)

The videos are proof that it’s possible, whether it happens depends on what is convenient for the operating department on a given day.


I didn’t hear about it until after it happened, and I work there…

Well, this happened still "during" the operating season...I meant something along the lines of end of January or so, when there are no scheduled trains for weeks. 475 was already scheduled to pull trips, so naturally she was available.

Oh, I see what you mean. I would think that would require extraordinary circumstances such as having a steam engine already fired up for some other reason or #8618 being down for maintenance, for two examples.

NS is hitting us with a "rogue wave" of freight tonight, so if all goes according to plan, #89 will team up with #8618 to bring twelve cars up to Strasburg in the morning. The plan is to have the engines leave Strasburg around 7:45 am, so the train should be heading west by roughly 8:30. If NS delivers, that is.

As far as I know, seating will not be available.

Awesome!
Thanks for the heads up!
/Mitch

Thanks for doing this!!
/The rest of the World

Here is a grab with my phone from this morning. Little #89 had a hard pull on the grade to Carpenters.



Also on YouTube.

Kelly -

Quite a train! Looks to be about 10 cars.


Les

The clarity of the video is amazing! Thanks for sharing.

I've seen recent pictures on Facebook, seemingly that steam power is being used more often on various freight trains - whether taking empties outbound or loads inbound - is this happening on a more regular occurrence now (as opposed to earlier this year)? Or were railfans there on lucky occasions to see these steam-powered freight consists?

For the most part I think people are getting lucky.

Steam has been used more to handle freight this year, but it has been a last minute decision. There have been several instances this summer that we did offer the opportunity for mixed freight trains. But those mixed freight trains coincided with 8618 going down for maintenance this summer. Other times it was just easier to deliver to or pick up from NS using steam power instead of calling in another crew to work interchange.

The biggest issue why we don't regularly offer the mixed trains now is because of how unpredictable NS can be. Which 9 out of 10 times it is not NS fault. They are at the mercy of Amtrak. But also NS business has picked up at other places which at times leaves them with no rested crew or power available.

A perfect example is like today. NS is suppose to deliver late last night. Well between other work in the Lancaster area and Amtrak they could not. Even by 7am I had no movement on our equipment. It wasn't till 7:30am that NS notified me that they would deliver and our cars were delivered at 8:30am. But there have been other days they have not been able deliver and then everything gets pushed back to the next interchange day.

If we know ahead of time we are going to use steam we try to put the word out. But in today's time it is very hard to predict and usually becomes a last minute decision.

Hope this answers your question.

Chris Edwards
Trainmaster
Strasburg Rail Road Co.

Ahhhh the good old days. Has NS gotten any better with their delivery schedules this year, to the point where something like this can start to be offered again? Or are the mixed trains likely not to happen with the pulling power and ease of the Maine Eastern Geep around?

NS has improved their reliability on delivering cars to us, but not at a time of day that is conducive to running mixed trains. Previously NS delivered cars to us in the wee hours of the morning, allowing us to use steam for the mixed, and release the engine in time to pull the passenger trains.

Currently they are delivering to us too late in the morning to use a steam engine, so we are stuck with running diesel freights mid-day.

Of course, NS schedules are nothing if not subject to change, and should they resume delivering cars to us at a time that we can work with, we will be happy to resume sunrise mixed trains.

The geep doesn't play into it in that any diesel is easier to use than a steam engine, but not nearly so cool. BTW, the geep is serving its last days for us since the replacement wheel sets for our SW8 have finally arrived, and she will be back in service in a couple of weeks.

I always like pics from Strasburg shops. A 60-ish year old diesel up on stands with brand new AP roller bearing combos between it and a link-and-pin coupler. Had there been a freshly turned spoked-driver wheelset with a wisp of steam drifting about in the background I'd call it perfect....

Thanks Kelly.

If you walk to the other end of the diesel, you will find a driver with a freshly turned tire.

For a wisp of steam, you have go next door to the engine house.........