I'm sure everyone knows and/or has seen already but just in case. 425 was out in style this weekend running out of Jim Thorpe on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. She looked, smelled and sounded great. The new paint job isn't so bad either ;-)

DBD

https://www.flickr.com/photos/57825581@ ... en-public/

My thanks to you for posting a photo of the new paint color.

Wesley

I think Malcolm Ottinger would approve.

Nice interpretation of a Reading color scheme. Not all locomotives were black, nor do they need to be.

I agree she looks great! The herald on the tender and Reading & Northern lettering on the tender collar looks really good. I'd like a better view of the herald. Any posting of that?

Les

Mr. Beckman - Here you go. Cropped and full view.

Scranton Yard -

Terrific! Thanks much!



Les

Les,

I have to say, I was one of the peanut gallery hoping she'd be painted all black. When I saw the first images of the new blue paint, I was skeptical. I was hoping for something more like the Packard blue worn by the Blue Comet. Upon seeing her in person on Saturday morning, I was charmed. It is a very rich, pleasing blue. Once the wheels and assorted "under the running boards" pieces are painted black, she will easily be a candidate for best-looking operating steam. It is an elegant look and even though she is still blue, I don't think you will hear the "Thomas" nickname any more.

The best part, of course, is that she is LOUD and has a railroad and caretakers who aren't afraid to make her work. Anyone between Coalport and Hetchel's in the Lehigh Gorge this weekend got quite a show 3 times a day.

There are some videos on Facebook that capture this. She roared through the rock cut at Glen Onoko. It was wonderful.

We rode her last trip of the weekend, the only one of the six that met #765 in the gorge. The crew put on a fantastic show with #425. To hear the cacophony while feeling the acceleration was incredible.

The Reading & Northern has turned the Jim Thorpe operation into quite an effective use of the railroad. In addition to the regular trains each day (3 with steam, 1 with diesel) they ran "bike trains" to White Haven. Passengers and their bikes are let off there to bike back to Jim Thorpe, though you can ride the train round trip. They ran two pretty full sections of the bike train on Sunday. I had friends use that option so they spent the day photographing #765 and #425 by bicycles!

I hesitate to say this was a once in a lifetime event, but the last time two passenger trains pulled by steam met in the Lehigh Gorge it was before the end of regular service steam almost 60 years ago.

The NS, R&N and FWRRHS all deserve our gratitude.

Wow!

Rob

My personal preference would have been black and the headlight about 6"+ lower, but that's just me. I'm just glad to see her running again. Sounds great and has a really nice whistle, especially back in those hills. Nice engine, nice lines!

Rob -

One other thing I noticed is that she has solid wheels on the pilot truck. Photos I had previously seen, showed spoked wheels. I kind of like spoked wheels, but in this case, I think the solid wheels give her a bit more "class". Maybe this change was done prior to this latest rehab, but whenever, I have to give it a "thumbs up".

Les

Looks like Thomas on steroids.

Mr. Beckman - You are welcome!

The excitement and interest in steam railroading over the weekend at Jim Thorpe and all along the Lehigh Gorge was incredible. I'm not just talking about the chasers on bikes carrying ladders, but rather, regular everyday people from every demographic you can think of lining the right of way, waving, taking video and stills with their phones, and stopping their rafts, kayaks, bikes, and cars to get a good look. When 765 took on water from the firetrucks the whole town was out - I half expected the HS band to show up. It was unbelievable.

Operating steam brings the message to the people like no static museum display, no pile of parts hoping to be completed someday, and no yard of disintegrating equipment can. R&N, NS, and the Fort Wayne folks put on a professional weekend of steam railroading that appealed to everyone and made it relevant in peoples' lives.

So, yes, in a way, 765 and 425 are Thomas on steroids.

How can one add anything to this?

It's understandable, kind of, but still sad that too many railroad executives don't seem to appreciate their heritage and steam.

David P. Morgan had an interesting thought on this--that a railroad that ran steam didn't look old, but looked modern. The steam engine would be a contrast to the modern day. Morgan was writing about SR and 4501 in the 1960s, but you see it now when 611 strides along, a machine of grace and beauty that still lives in the world of diesels and computers. . .

It's also, in my opinion, a glimpse of the passenger service we so foolishly threw away and could use again today.

In reference to 425's appearance--I'll admit to being in the black crowd and wanting the high headlight, too (I'm thinking of some beautiful photos of this engine or one of its sisters in Beebe's "The Trains We Rode"), but again, I won't complain.

I might mention the Baltimore & Ohio also had blue engines, mostly the President series. The streamlined P7ds were best known, but "conventional" P7s wore the blue as well, including this modernized but unstreamlined P7c (if I'm remembering the subclasses right!):

http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAc ... e/%232.jpg

Streamlined sister:

https://davieloco.files.wordpress.com/2 ... _19563.jpg

Isn't that the beauty of paint? I generally opt for the traditional black, complemented by tasteful red and gold trim, plus I love a high headlight, ala' the pre-war PRR K4's. That being said,#425 has worn that scheme and may well return to it. In the interim, this is a lovely change.
Similarly, C&O 614 will someday re-appear in traditional Chessie garb, but for now, a fragment of her life is green & gold, and not atypical of other locomotives which once pounded the rails in that region.