Sad, Hot Water, but likely truer than they will admit.
Will UPP 4014 steam before the 1309?
So what big steam will there be in the east? 611 is probably sidelined indefinitely due to NS’s and now Amtrak’s anti excursion attitudes, 1309 who knows, and 2102 at RBMN, who knows either. Better fly out to Denver and ride behind 844. All of the larger steam locomotives in the east are parked. Biggest one operating is probably Strasburg 90. The insurance industry is killing big excursions because they view them as a risk and liability. Only big railroads that might be hosting steam excursions this year might be UP, BNSF, and Metra.
Boy, come to the steam train desert: Houston!
Well, at least Texas has steam powered tourist lines like Grapevine and Texas State Railroad, 25 miles. I have an uncle in Houston.
Robert K posted:So what big steam will there be in the east? 611 is probably sidelined indefinitely due to NS’s and now Amtrak’s anti excursion attitudes, 1309 who knows, and 2102 at RBMN, who knows either. Better fly out to Denver and ride behind 844. All of the larger steam locomotives in the east are parked. Biggest one operating is probably Strasburg 90. The insurance industry is killing big excursions because they view them as a risk and liability. Only big railroads that might be hosting steam excursions this year might be UP, BNSF, and Metra.
The Black Hills Railroad in Hill City, SD has a pretty big engine, a 2-6-6-2 Mallet, with a second one in the works. It's a nice ride through the mountains, vintage cars, open windows. And yet no one seems to remember it. There's also the Boone & Scenic in central Iowa and their first class program.
Kent in SD
Robert K posted:So what big steam will there be in the east? 611 is probably sidelined indefinitely due to NS’s and now Amtrak’s anti excursion attitudes, 1309 who knows, and 2102 at RBMN, who knows either. Better fly out to Denver and ride behind 844. All of the larger steam locomotives in the east are parked. Biggest one operating is probably Strasburg 90. The insurance industry is killing big excursions because they view them as a risk and liability. Only big railroads that might be hosting steam excursions this year might be UP, BNSF, and Metra.
Pere Marquette 1225 will be operating this summer and in November and December.
Yes, that's another big steam operation that has miles of track to run on. Do they have any open windows or allow open vestibules?
