Freight trains, various & sundry literary projects, and random posts

[Szdfan]

So something I’ve gotta share — Santa Fe #2926 in Albuquerque recently ran under its own steam for the first time in 68 years.

https://railfan.com/santa-fe-2926-moves ... jARbmzYSIM

It ran only a hundred feet, but after 20 years of restoration, that’s an accomplishment. There are reports that the organization which owns the locomotive is in talks with BNSF and the state of New Mexico to run the locomotive between Albuquerque and Raton. This is the former Santa Fe mainline between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Since BNSF has shifted most of its mainline traffic through Texas (in order to avoid the Raton Pass), they are reportedly warm to the idea.

[steve-in-kville]

Success occurs in private, while failure is in full view.

[steve-in-kville]

76 years ago...

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/nati ... a9d6336293

[steve-in-kville]

So something I’ve gotta share — Santa Fe #2926 in Albuquerque recently ran under its own steam for the first time in 68 years.

https://railfan.com/santa-fe-2926-moves ... jARbmzYSIM

It ran only a hundred feet, but after 20 years of restoration, that’s an accomplishment. There are reports that the organization which owns the locomotive is in talks with BNSF and the state of New Mexico to run the locomotive between Albuquerque and Raton. This is the former Santa Fe mainline between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Since BNSF has shifted most of its mainline traffic through Texas (in order to avoid the Raton Pass), they are reportedly warm to the idea.

A handful of the local "train guys" follow the steam stuff really close. Reading & Northern has one working and I think another they are rebuilding. Obviously Strasburg has them and I think I read they have one on loan at the moment.

I enjoy watching for old power like high-hoods and four axle locomotives.

[Szdfan]

So something I’ve gotta share — Santa Fe #2926 in Albuquerque recently ran under its own steam for the first time in 68 years.

https://railfan.com/santa-fe-2926-moves ... jARbmzYSIM

It ran only a hundred feet, but after 20 years of restoration, that’s an accomplishment. There are reports that the organization which owns the locomotive is in talks with BNSF and the state of New Mexico to run the locomotive between Albuquerque and Raton. This is the former Santa Fe mainline between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Since BNSF has shifted most of its mainline traffic through Texas (in order to avoid the Raton Pass), they are reportedly warm to the idea.

A handful of the local "train guys" follow the steam stuff really close. Reading & Northern has one working and I think another they are rebuilding. Obviously Strasburg has them and I think I read they have one on loan at the moment.

I enjoy watching for old power like high-hoods and four axle locomotives.

I’m a steam guy. While I like diesels and electrics, they don’t excite me like steam (there are some diesels I love). When I was a kid, Norfolk Southern still has their steam excursion program and we used to “chase” them out of Chicago to Fort Wayne. A couple of years ago, Dad and I chased Big Boy out of Kansas to Limon, CO.

With the narrow gauge tourist railroads, Colorado is a major area for steam locomotive preservation in the US.

I belong to a Facebook Group called the Continental Railway Circle, which is made up of British enthusiasts who photographed the end of worldwide steam in the 1970’s-90’s. They post a lot of photos of European trains, but also India and China. Chinese steam ran into the 2000’s, but rapidly ended due to an aggressive modernization program by the CCP. The last steam just ended in 2020 at the coal mines at Sandaoling.

[steve-in-kville]

I belong to a Facebook Group called the Continental Railway Circle, which is made up of British enthusiasts who photographed the end of worldwide steam in the 1970’s-90’s. They post a lot of photos of European trains, but also India and China. Chinese steam ran into the 2000’s, but rapidly ended due to an aggressive modernization program by the CCP. The last steam just ended in 2020 at the coal mines at Sandaoling.

We have a local Facebook page which has been helpful when the "special stuff" is sitting at the yards. We can get a heads up as to what is headed our way.

[steve-in-kville]

Different venue, behind the grocery store. That first one is a full trash train taking garbage out of Jersey to a landfill. Depending on the wind and how warm it is, it can stink!

[Szdfan]

I belong to a Facebook Group called the Continental Railway Circle, which is made up of British enthusiasts who photographed the end of worldwide steam in the 1970’s-90’s. They post a lot of photos of European trains, but also India and China. Chinese steam ran into the 2000’s, but rapidly ended due to an aggressive modernization program by the CCP. The last steam just ended in 2020 at the coal mines at Sandaoling.

We have a local Facebook page which has been helpful when the "special stuff" is sitting at the yards. We can get a heads up as to what is headed our way.

We mostly have unit coal trains out here, but we also sometimes get interesting things — track inspection trains, locomotives from Mexico, loads like aircraft and windmill blades. Pueblo has one of the major rail testing facilities in the US (can’t visit, I tried), so we get some pretty wild things through, like that new Amtrak highspeed sets.

Lately, I’ve been seeing several Canadian Pacific locomotives, which I guess makes considering how aggressive CP is trying to get Mexico traffic

[steve-in-kville]

Lately, I’ve been seeing several Canadian Pacific locomotives, which I guess makes considering how aggressive CP is trying to get Mexico traffic

Kinda funny... my barber is just down the road from my "hunting spot." Yesterday afternoon I was there and was walking out and heard a train coming. Second locomotive was a yellow UP. Drove up and watched for a bit. Long oil train. Second time I ever saw UP power up our way.

[steve-in-kville]