I need someone with a long memory and/or good notes. A part of my negative collection, including all the Strasburg files, got caught under a leaking water pipe. While I was able to salvage everything in pretty good shape, I had to soak off the envelopes and in the process lost all the data. In most cases, it isn't critical, since I remember approximately when, and in normal SRR operations a precise date usually isn't too necessary. But there were some special occasions that I'd like to pin down more precisely -- just two, in fact:

- When did they operate the antique PRR 1223-7002 as doubleheaders? (I see that in at least one case, the 1223 led the 7002, while in another, the 7002 led.)

- When was the excursion involving the restored PRR GG-1 4935 and SRR 89 and 1223 at Leaman Place?

And while we're at it, does anyone know approximately when the SRR leased and ran the PRR 1223 by itself?

Infinite thanks for any clues.

Herb Harwood

Herb,

I believe that the Strasburg lease of the 1223 commenced circa 1965. I remember seeing pictures of it on an excursion to Quarryville about 1967.

Kevin

1223 went to Quarryville? Tell me more. Which line, the Low Grade or the other one?

Herb,

I contacted a noted Strasburg RR historian and elicited these responses:

"The 7002 always led on main line excursions. They ran a few doubleheaders just on Strasburg rails so I suspect this was when 1223 was ahead of 7002, though I've never seen any photos. I wonder if the engine was switching in yard and somebody snapped a photo?

4935/1223/89: I believe this was on one of the Potomac Chapter NRHS trips, I believe, in 1977.

The original lease with the PRR of No. 1223 to SRC was signed in 1960; the engine arrived in late October 1960 but wasn't put into operation until August 1965; the lease lasted through PC years until 1979 when the engine along with the rest of the PRR Historical Collection was donated to the Commonwealth of PA. From 1979 until 1990 it was handled as a long-term loan to SRC by PHMC; I believe the loan was renewed in 1985 for five years.

The post that 1223 ran an "excursion" on the PRR Quarryville branch isn't quite correct. The SRC ran some "Santa Claus Specials" from Strasburg to Watt & Shand department store in downtown Lancaster in 1965, 1966 and 1968 (PRR couldn't supply P70s in 1967 and SRC just sent 1223 by itself; the final 1968 trip used George Hart's ex-Reading steel coaches). To access downtown Lancaster the 1223 ran down Water Street on the upper end of the Quarryville branch but that's as far as it went."

The big mainline excursion for 7002/1223, of course, was for the national NRHS 50th anniversary convention in Lancaster in 1985: Lancaster-Columbia-Shocks Mill Bridge-Enola-Rockville-Harrisburg-Lancaster. To add to this "offline" running list, there was also the event for filming a TV commercial in Harrisburg station sometime in the late 1980s, as well as one time when 1223 ran down the Delmarva peninsula to Seaford, Del. to participate in a DuPont anniversary.

Sunday, October 30, 1977. The 4935 train originated at Washington Union Station. The Potomac Chapter got cold feet on this one and the trip was actually sponsored by the Washington, DC, Chapter, NRHS.




Among my prized possessions is a 1966 "Revised Edition" of William Moedinger's "The Road to Paradise" ("47 Natural Color Photographs"). The 1223 is featured prominently throughout, including two photos of the 1965 Lancaster Christmas trains.

Alan Maples

Sandy and Alan, thanks for your efforts! I'm guessing that those 1223-7002 doubleheader trips on the Strasburg were late 1970s or early '80s. Anybody know more precisely?

Herb

Yes, I was on that trip, though I don't remember the exact year. We were flying along, that's for sure. We did a photo runby inbound at Paoli.

Video of 7002 & 1223 in 1987 .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKWPXOmtCJ8


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x68fu_90-leads-1223-and-7002-to-strasburg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDFDVTFAGc

Enjoy.
Len

The trip to 30th Street was the same day, I believe, as the Great Dismal Swamp wreck.

The two trips to Rockville were the previous June and September. (Or maybe it was June 1985 ...) On the June trip, the train crossed Shocks Mill Bridge and ran up the A&S to Enola. In the September trip, the route was Main Line - Columbia Line - Port Road - Main Line to Rockville and return on the same to Lancaster, and then to Strasburg. I remember this one better because I was on 1223. At Landisville, we were passing cars on Route 283 ...

Old men reminiscing in their cups ...

And the NS Great Dismal Swamp derailment was May 18, 1986.

It was the same day as the wreck. I was chasing the SRR trip when we heard the news about #611 on the radio.

BTW watching the SRR train scorch the ballast was the most amazing, tangible link to 1910-era mainline railroading that one could ever hope to see. My God how I would like to see that again.

Rob

What engines from that era are FRA-legal today and could do that? W&W's 98, maybe? But she's later, isn't she?

If anyone is actually still listening, I just located my 1985-era magazines..........

The first trip with 7002/1223 on the main line was a Lancaster Chapter NRHS trip on June 8, 1985--10 cars, 750 passengers. This was the one that went across the Susquehanna at Shocks Mill and through Enola to Rockville Bridge--this is the one I chased with a friend. On Friday, Aug. 20, 1985 there was the NRHS National Convention trip which operated by way of the Port Road westbound and back on the PRR/Amtrak main.

The same issues of Trains, etc. show the other trips of that year, including eight trips in May 1985 out of Mechanicsburg, Pa. to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Cumberland Valley RR. Three of these trips operated to Harrisburg and back. These trips featured George Hart's 972, and this is the occasion when the tender picked up the "Cumberland Valley" lettering that it still sports today, instigating recent rumors of a CVRR "replica" loco under construction at Strasburg.........

W&W's 98 just turned 100 years old, she was built in 1909. She would look great on the head end of a mainline train!

Ahh ... so it was August 1985. Thanks, ADM. The dates were foggy. The memories are still in living color ...