Merry Christmas.
This is sort of a trip report, but sorta not. I mean, I really didn't have to go much of anyplace for this one, because as of December 4th I have an operational steam locomotive living practically in my own back yard. Okay not THAT close, but only about 20 miles away at the Fillmore & Western Railway (FWRY). Anyway, figured I couldn't go too far wrong by posting in Miscellaneous, but after writing and reading the thing so far it doesn't really fit there either. So trip reports it is, and it can be moved if need be.
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The engine at issue is Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 14, which was built in 1913 for the Duluth & Northeastern, a logging railroad. After the D&NE dieselized in 1964 the locomotive was sold to South Dakota's Black Hills Central, a tourist railroad, but did not operate there.
The history gets murky after that...
FWRY's press release says No. 14 was acquired in 1999 from the Dodge City Railroad, in Kansas, and that following intermittent restoration work over the years a concerted effort to complete the job was made beginning in March, 2010.
The effort was successful, and No. 14's first steam-up in 50-some years occurrred on 12-4-10.
Now it just so happened that the Team Whooz Executive Assistant was in town visiting when it was learned that No. 14 would be pulling the Fillmore & Western's Christmas Tree Trains during the upcoming weekend, 12-11/12. Naturally plans were made for driving out to Fillmore to see the new-to-us steam in action.
Not that we were gonna actually RIDE the trains, mind you. No, once you've tasted mainline steam, like the Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 3751 excursions to San Diego, forking up $16 apiece to be pulled along at a track speed of 10 mph just doesn't cut it. But it sure would be fun to watch.
Came Saturday, 12-11 (clear, hot and distinctly UN-Christmasy weather), the acting Mayhem Mobile was loaded, fueled, and pointed northeast on highway 126 to the sleepy-but-picturesque Santa Paula Valley ag town of Fillmore.
Christmas Tree Trains departed the Fillmore depot at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for runs to the Santa Paula Christmas Tree Farm, where passengers could select Christmas trees for cutting and purchase during the roughly 1-hour layover. Bought trees were netted, ID tagged, and loaded on a flatcar for distribution back at the depot.
Getting underway a bit late, we figured to catch the morning train on its return from the tree farm, and we did. So without further adieu, Merry Christmas to all, and particularly to fellow steam fans:
Christmas Tree Steam Train - Fillmore & Western No. 14 leads at grade crossing.
More tree train reporting and multimedia in store!
EDIT: Sorry for bold thing. Learning new computer and new programs at the same time, and apparently not so well.
This is sort of a trip report, but sorta not. I mean, I really didn't have to go much of anyplace for this one, because as of December 4th I have an operational steam locomotive living practically in my own back yard. Okay not THAT close, but only about 20 miles away at the Fillmore & Western Railway (FWRY). Anyway, figured I couldn't go too far wrong by posting in Miscellaneous, but after writing and reading the thing so far it doesn't really fit there either. So trip reports it is, and it can be moved if need be.
_________________________
The engine at issue is Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 14, which was built in 1913 for the Duluth & Northeastern, a logging railroad. After the D&NE dieselized in 1964 the locomotive was sold to South Dakota's Black Hills Central, a tourist railroad, but did not operate there.
The history gets murky after that...
FWRY's press release says No. 14 was acquired in 1999 from the Dodge City Railroad, in Kansas, and that following intermittent restoration work over the years a concerted effort to complete the job was made beginning in March, 2010.
The effort was successful, and No. 14's first steam-up in 50-some years occurrred on 12-4-10.
Now it just so happened that the Team Whooz Executive Assistant was in town visiting when it was learned that No. 14 would be pulling the Fillmore & Western's Christmas Tree Trains during the upcoming weekend, 12-11/12. Naturally plans were made for driving out to Fillmore to see the new-to-us steam in action.
Not that we were gonna actually RIDE the trains, mind you. No, once you've tasted mainline steam, like the Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 3751 excursions to San Diego, forking up $16 apiece to be pulled along at a track speed of 10 mph just doesn't cut it. But it sure would be fun to watch.
Came Saturday, 12-11 (clear, hot and distinctly UN-Christmasy weather), the acting Mayhem Mobile was loaded, fueled, and pointed northeast on highway 126 to the sleepy-but-picturesque Santa Paula Valley ag town of Fillmore.
Christmas Tree Trains departed the Fillmore depot at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for runs to the Santa Paula Christmas Tree Farm, where passengers could select Christmas trees for cutting and purchase during the roughly 1-hour layover. Bought trees were netted, ID tagged, and loaded on a flatcar for distribution back at the depot.
Getting underway a bit late, we figured to catch the morning train on its return from the tree farm, and we did. So without further adieu, Merry Christmas to all, and particularly to fellow steam fans:
Christmas Tree Steam Train - Fillmore & Western No. 14 leads at grade crossing.
More tree train reporting and multimedia in store!
EDIT: Sorry for bold thing. Learning new computer and new programs at the same time, and apparently not so well.
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