Meanwhile…

Re: Scranton stop.
-Might R&N 2102 join the party?
-Will Baldwin 26 be ready?

Asking for a friend.

"Learn to be a bigger person and put politics aside."

umm... tell that to UP!!!!

You made it personal by injecting your personal opinion (presumably based on politics) into the matter.

I personally wouldn't cross the street to greet or talk to one past White House occupant, but I dutifully waded through massive security checks and difficult crowds to cover three media events involving him--one railroad related, one very remotely rail-linked, and one as a favor to a client (who similarly didn't care for that fellow politically but knew when to set that aside). This is called "being a professional."

The individuals I know that work with and for government agencies for or about railroads--the NTSB, FRA, state rail boards, Amtrak, etc.--have an amazing ability to flip the "toggle switch" from ranting political talking head in private to completely apolitical professional on the job. I've seen guys who can argue against the mere existence of Amtrak off the clock and still find the best way for Amtrak to address its technical needs or rolling stock problems on the clock.

Another point: Could you tell the political affiliations of such individuals as Jim Wrinn, Jim Boyd, Steve Barry, J. David Ingles, Kevin Keefe, David P. Morgan, Karl Koenig, Tom Nemeth, Mark Smith, Mark Hemphill, Mike Schafer, and other rail magazine editors? I worked closely enough with most of the above to regard us on a "first-name basis," and even I couldn't tell you the political leanings of most of them. And it just doesn't, and shouldn't, matter. (The late Jim Boyd was the lone exception, but what little he leaked was only on a personal, joking, face-to-face basis.)

If Union Pacific deciding to dedicate a locomotive to Trump during a war (a tacky move, IMO) is enough to dissuade your interest in the Big Boy tour, it means politics (more specifically, "letting Trump live inside your head rent-free") is more important TO YOU that what may probably be the grandest railfan event North America has seen since Railfair 1981, the Chicago Rail Fair of 1949, the NRHS 611/1218 Roanoke Convention of 1987, or the 1975-76 AFT............ with the very real potential to blow all of those out of the water, as far as the general public is concerned about trains.............. then, fine. One less "foamer" among all the "daisy pickers" we will have to contend with.

Meanwhile…

Re: Scranton stop.
-Might R&N 2102 join the party?
-Will Baldwin 26 be ready?

Asking for a friend.

Dude, you think that was a personal attack? At risk of veering too far off topic here, must I remind you that YOU single-handedly harassed, heckled, trolled and questioned Strasburg's former shop manager and walking encyclopedia Kelly Anderson? You not only drove him off this forum, but he deleted his former presence here. Quite sad, C-Z. I, for one, miss his expertise and knowledge that he shared. On the bright side, we have you and your worldly knowledge.

Have your friend ask Steamtown NHS and the Reading & Northern. UP's steam team will have enough on its plate, I'm sure.

However, IF I may personally speculate:
UP's publicists seem to keep their focus, and that of the media, exclusively on Union Pacific (and by extension on this junket, what they consider to be the "future UP" i.e Norfolk Southern). It would be my wager, if forced to make one, that UP will focus exclusively on posing 4014 and 4012 side by side and promoting the UP merger message to the public; Steamtown will be little more than a stage for them. Disregarding any supposed animosity and/or competition between R&N and Steamtown, I see zero prospect of R&N steam showing up in the mix.

But strange things can happen with a grander occasion such as USA 250. Those with long memories or large stacks of back issues of train magazines may remember a ferry movement doubleheader staged with both AFT 4449 and UP 8444 after repairs at Cheyenne during the AFT tour. UP wasn't as "focused" with its PR image back then, and you can get away with just about anything by saying "Hey, we promise not to ask you for another fifty years, okay?"

UP has made some pretty cool photo op's happen in the past - not sure if that was partially Jim's doing?

I could see a big to do happening at Steamtown if the stars aligned. Heck even at Strasburg!? But we don't think 4014 is going down the Keystone right?

I recently read some serious speculation on both possible routes (disregarding ludicrous detours):

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Lehighton--Allentown--Reading--Philadelphia would involve some Reading & Northern trackage AND involve either turning the train at Allentown (I don't see any trackage that makes that possible anywhere in the Lehigh Valley), OR towing the train backwards from Allentown to Reading to turn it on a wye in downtown Reading.

Now, the other way to run it all-NS to Philly is a longer way: Down the former PRR/PC/D&H/CP/StL&H, now NS, from Wilkes-Barre to Sunbury, down the PRR "Buffalo Line" to Harrisburg, turn left at CP Capitol to the Reading Line, and through Reading to Philadelphia. Pointed the right way all the way into Philly. I know the lines and have checked the maps--it works. I have heard allegations from sources I trust that plans are underway to send the Big Boy this way, but I can't tell if it's a sure thing or wishful thinking.

Now, I have no clue where they think they're displaying UP 4014 in Philly--the "High Line" past 30th Street Station? Port Richmond? The Delaware River waterfront trackage (home of the Penn's Landing Trolley ages ago) is a potential mess, and is all accessed via CSX's Greenwich Yard to the south, but I remember D&H/CP had trackage rights there in the past.........

UPDATE: I've now read some people pronouncing as "fact" that 4014 will be sent down the Reading & Northern "all the way from Bridge 60 at Scranton to Reading" to turn for Philly. Well, stranger things have happened, but I'm sure not putting my money on that happening......

I've personally read over the damage reports in the (insurance-repaired) aftermath of a low bit of catenary arcing with a former British Rail diesel locomotive at high speed on the East Coast Main Line years ago. The damage ran deep into six figures, UK pounds.

Now, a steam locomotive doesn't have traction motors and generators to fry. But it DOES have Positive Train Control hardware and software. AND a crew. AND it's bigger (taller) than most Eastern steam.

I don't see either Amtrak or UP (or SEPTA or NJ Transit) going along with running 4014 "under the wires" unless someone starts cutting catenary power block by block as they run. But who knows? Remember, we're the bozos that said "UP will never restore a Big Boy" and "NS will never let steam tie up Horse Shoe Curve again"............... yes, some of us are looking for double-distilled Crow Sauce now..............

Beyond the fact that the PRR regularly ran steam “under the wire”, UP 4014 has already run under live 25kV 60Hz catenary in Denver Union Station. As long as the clearances are checked and double checked, 4014 should have no trouble operating under wire (provided that’s the route she takes). She is 16’6” from top of rail, which is about 1’ taller than an M1a or T1, but the catenary on much of the Corridor is above 17’.

The much bigger clearance concern is high level platforms. At 11’, 4014 is too wide to clear any high-levels in the Northeast. This precludes any route via Paoli or via Mount Joy. The cab signal filing with the FRA indicates that she will use, in some capacity, the PRR Columbia and Port Deposit up to Shocks Mills, PA. If we are to believe that 4014 will be on display in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, with the locomotive leading in from the west (on the east/south end of the train), this leaves two options:

1) An extensive reverse move up the CSX Phila/Trenton Subdivisions to PARK JCT, where the train could be wyed, followed by a leading move up the NS Harrisburg Line from PARK JCT to CP NORRIS, followed by another reverse move from CP NORRIS through FORD to access the Trenton Cutoff. From there, 4014 would lead west along the Cutoff and Amtrak Harrisburg Line to Lancaster, from which she could use the Colombia Secondary to reach Shocks Mills.

2) A shorter reverse move from the Navy Yard to ARSENAL via the 25th Street Viaduct, followed by 4014 leading from ARSENAL to PERRY along the NEC (using the Shellpot Secondary to avoid Wilmington). From there, 4014 would use the entire Port Road to Shocks Mills.

Both routes have their drawbacks, but I see № 2 as more likely.

I will once again mention that Mr. Dickens was up in Pittston, PA at the Reading and Northern's wye/station area. Random place for him to visit, railroad-wise, unless things were being looked at/in the works...Scranton to Pittston to Port Clinton (need any work done?) to Reading and then to Philly...?

I'd heard from a pretty reliable source that there was talks of doing the boiler wash at Port Clinton.

He's a railroad buff. With professional credentials. Like none of us have ever swung by another "preservation operation" just to "talk shop"?

You would hope so for both.

It's also been assumed that it will take the NKP route from Chicago to Buffalo... notably passing through Fort Wayne.

What in the world are you talking about? I loved Kelly! I figured he deleted his presence cause of all of the John "I have no last name just John" posts.

Is this directed at me? I haven't seen many other posters sign their posts as "John" so it would seem to be. So the user crying about personal attacks decides to throw in an unwarranted personal attack? WTF! I have never posted anything that Mr. Anderson, or most anyone else, would find even remotely offensive. I think former users like Mr. Anderson would have been more annoyed by snarky, antagonistic posters who bring little of value to a forum such as this and hide behind anonymous screen names like Mr. Zephyr. John is my real name and I have occasionally used my full name when posting here. The reason I don't more often is because of unhinged posters like Crescent. Get a grip! haha!

John