  YOU ARE BROWSING THE OLD STEAMCENTRAL.COM. TO SEE OUR LATEST ENTRIES, CLICK HERE. | ||
| The Crystal Ball | ||
| by Jim Wrinn 1 April 2001: | ||
| Professional journalists, such as myself, are typically horrible mathematicians; after all, that's why we became worthsmiths, right? So, bear with me as I try to compute the "steam quotient" for the Spring of 2001. This could be one of the best springs in years for big engines on the mainline. Now, as my copy editors are often wise to do so, let's go behind this work and see if we got it right. | ||
| 4-6-2. Here's a real heartbreaker. Soo Line Pacific 2719 is making what could be its final mainline trips June 15-16 out of Ladysmith, Wisc. Steam unfriendly Canadian National has purchased steam friendly Wisconsin Central, and that means 2719 is no longer welcomed after the merger. It was a short, since 1998, but nice time when WC welcomed here, punctuated by more than a year out of service after an after-hours accident that did some considerable damage to the engine. The trips in June are being billed as a reprise of her 1959 last runs, which also were out of Ladysmith. While the group that owns the engine has firm possibilities for operation on a Wisconsin shortline (and thank goodness this engine is small enough so as to not eat them out of house and home), so she'll continue to run, but if you're interested in a mainline ride or chase, this is it. Details: 2719.com. | ||
| 4-8-2. Frisco 1522, a workhorse with a loud stack if there has ever been one, returns to the rails with a 3,900-mile BNSF employee special this spring in Texas and Oklahoma. The route, which begins in St. Louis May 17, travels to Springfield, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Cleburne, Temple, Houston, Fort Worth, Kansas City, including significant stretches of ex-SLSF trackage. Ah, home again! There's also a break-in run April 29 from St. Louis to Newberg and back. In June, the pinstriped beauty plays on two sold out excursions originating in her hometown for the annual National Railway Historical Society convention. While Frisco was a Midwestern road, their line to Birmingham and the Florida panhandle obviously did them a world of good as the 1522 has a terrific front end with the lean-to bell hanger and everything. Get out there and enjoy her on her home rails as God intended. | ||
| 4-8-4 X 4. I'll give 'em in order of my personal preference. Spokane Seattle & Portland 700 runs a four-day trip April 20-23 from Vancouver, Wash., to Spokane over home rails with an overnight each way in Pasco. Your writer is heartbroken that his vacation time doesn't allow him to ride and photograph this one, which could be the excursion of the year. Remember what was said in 1987 when N&W 611 pulled coaches and N&W 1218 pulled hoppers on adjoining tracks out of Roanoke, Va.? It was this: The right engines on the right railroad. Here's another similar opportunity-on the West Coast, with compliments to BNSF for allowing it to happen. I hope the sponsoring group will repeat this outing. The 700 has been a sleeper for years, but now is its time to shine. The group promises photo runbys, time allowing, so buy a ticket and ride the trip or if you chase, buy a membership, patronize the commissary upon arrival at Pasco and Spokane and send 'em a donation. Details: sps700.org. | ||
| Ohio Central 6325's long-awaited return from her long slumber is near. The inaugural is a June 3 trip from Dennison to Newark for the Strawberry festival. This is a 134-mile-long roundtrip with a photo runby, but be advised that diesels will haul the return, since OC lacks turning facilities. Watch for her to be scheduled on other OC mainline runs throughout the year. Details: (800) 571-1199 or ohiocentralrr.com. | ||
| Southern Pacific 4449 takes to the rails out of Portland, Ore. in May and June, still in her black warbaby attire from the 2000 BNSF employee appreciation specials. After 20 years in her original orange, red and black dress, it's refreshing to see the Daylight, power from the most beautiful train in the world, in basic black. She tackles Stampede Pass Memorial Day weekend and rolls down the Columbia River Gorge to Wishram June 2 and 3. Details: 4449.com. | ||
| Milwaukee 261 The Minnesota Railroad Safety Express operates June 2 and 3 (shaping up to be an excellent weekend for Notherns with three of 'em running at once in the Midwest and Northwest, eh?). The June 2 trip is a 200-mile round-trip on the former Great Northern Railway from Minneapolis to Willmar and return. The next day, the engine makes a 150-mile roundtrip to St. Cloud and back. Details: 261.com. | ||
| 4-6-6-4. Union Pacific's continued pride in its railroad and its heritage should gladden us all. Challenge 3985 runs trips for Camerail group in Nebraska in early June and appears at the NRHS convention in June. Alas, both the Camerail and the NRHS trips are sold out, but there are opportunities in July. The engine pulls the annual Denver Post trips to the Cheyenne Frontier Days July 21, and the next day is an intriguing one-way ferry move with a baggage car, five coaches and two dome coaches for a total of 340 seats. Expect photo runbys, says the sponsoring Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, which has put tickets on sale first to its members and will offer them to the public starting May 12. Return is via bus with a box dinner. At $94.50 per seat, a heckuva good deal. Details: The Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days Train P.O. Box 481484 Denver, CO 80248-1484 And Rocky Mountain Railroad Club c/o Joe Minnich, Trip Director 3641 S. Yampa St. Aurora, CO 80013 (303) 693-0664 or rockymtnrrclub.org. | ||
| So, you do the math. If you get the same outcome that I do, it's going to be a great spring. Oh, and don't forget these upcoming steam events: * It's probably too late for anybody reading this page, but if you're not busy next weekend, I have a suggestion: Jet up to Alaska, where White Pass & Yukon is reopening its line with 1899 rotary snow plow pushed by not one but two steam locomotives, Nos. 73 and 40. WP&Y has spent two years restoring the blade and claims it's been 40 years since steam has pushed the machine. If anyone reading this page goes, please 1. Congratulate John Bush. 2. Email a picture to SteamCentral because I betcha brother Craft will gladly post a picture for bragging rights; and 3. Have a refreshing cold beverage in Skagway after the event and think of the rest of us. Details: whitepassrailroad.com. | ||
| * Knoxville's Three Rivers Rambler was set to begin operations of ex-Washington & Lincoln 2-8-0 203 on Saturday, March 31 on the route along the Tennessee River to the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers on a magnificent trestle. This is supposed to be a regular occurrence, but why wait. And besides, do you see anything else going on that's new in the South? Check it out at threeriversrambler.com. | ||
| * B&O Railroad Museum's All Board Weekend, April 28 and 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No details were available at press time, but anticipate the William Mason, our oldest operating steam engine in America and a spiffy 4-4-0 from 1856. Details: borail.org. | ||
| * Starting May 5, Ohio Central's Sugarcreek steam train returns with Tuesday-Saturday operations. Suggestion: Visit Sugarcreek on a Friday, ride one trip, chase another and check out the cool stores in this neat Amish village. Time it around an OC mainline trip on Saturday and you have the makings of a great weekend. Power is expected to be Ten-wheeler 1551, but OC's stable runs deep! Details: amishsteamtrain.com. | ||
| · Mount Rainier Scenic is offering 3 and 4 special trains each day during Tacoma Railfan Days May 5 and 6. The big steam event at Mount Rainier Scenic is June 30, featuring a newly rebuilt 60-ton, 2-truck Heisler and a 1910 2-6-2T, logger. This is an all day event with train ride, time trials and runbys. For planning, keep in mind that Mount Rainier plans to reopen its Morton line this fall. Details: mrsr.com. | ||
| * California Western's Skunk Train 2-8-2 No. 45 is due back from overhaul around Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy your spring. | ||
| Jim Wrinn, a staff writer for The Charlotte Observer and a volunteer at the N.C. Transportation Museum, writes this exclusive preview column quarterly for steamcentral.com. Send updates to crystalball@steamcentral.com. | ||
| YOU ARE BROWSING THE OLD STEAMCENTRAL.COM. TO SEE OUR LATEST ENTRIES, CLICK HERE. | ||