🎂 Happy Birthday 🎂

[RoamingGnome]

Happy Birthday @MattA - Sounds like the best kind of Birthday, lots of fun with family and a whole bunch of great memories

[myerslawnandgarden]

Thanks Guys. I turned the big 40 today. I took the day off from work to spend with my family. Headed out to a nice dinner later. I did take advantage of the girls being gone late morning and the 57°F weather and put new bearings and outer spindle pulley assemblies in my RM48 deck.

Happy Birthday Matt,

Wish I could turn back the clock to 40 again, lol. Sounds like you had a great day & many more to come.

Bob

[DavidBarkey]

@MattA Learn to drive a steam engine . Now thats a kool present .

[MattA]

We had a nice dinner. The girls got me a few small gifts and then something called your hand on the throttle. Basically it's an experience where I get an hour of training to run a steam locomotive + 2 hours of run time. Its something I've wanted to do for a while but its pricey.

That sounds super cool. please report back when the time comes.

@MattA Learn to drive a steam engine . Now thats a kool present .

I'll report back. My turn at the throttle is not until mid July. I assumed I'd be running locomotive 3025 but it looks like locomotive 40 is back in service. 3025 was built at Tangsheng locomotive works in China in 1989 and purchased from a bankrupt tourist railroad in Pennsylvania. 40 was built in the USA probably a 100 years ago. I don't know the specific details. I'd have to look them up.

[DavidBarkey]

There is a Non-profit group that runs a 1920's steam engine and passenger cars ride not that far from us . Hour or so drive from us . It is really neat . There is no driving it , but neat just the same .

[Eugen]

There is a Non-profit group that runs a 1920's steam engine and passenger cars ride not that far from us . Hour or so drive from us . It is really neat . There is no driving it , but neat just the same .

That is so cool @MattA !

[RoamingGnome]

@MattA Learn to drive a steam engine . Now thats a kool present .

I'll report back. My turn at the throttle is not until mid July. I assumed I'd be running locomotive 3025 but it looks like locomotive 40 is back in service. 3025 was built at Tangsheng locomotive works in China in 1989 and purchased from a bankrupt tourist railroad in Pennsylvania. 40 was built in the USA probably a 100 years ago. I don't know the specific details. I'd have to look them up.

That is a very cool present @MattA
I've definitely got a soft spot for old steam locomotives - as @DavidBarkey mentioned we are lucky in Ontario to have a few "tourist" heritage railways that still run Steam trains...

If you ever come up this way to visit Niagara Falls most of them are within a 2-3 hour drive of the falls - I go when ever I can, never know how long they will be around... South Simcoe Railway in Tottenham, Waterloo Central Railway in St Jacobs, and the Portage Flyer in Huntsville... and @DavidBarkey The Portage Flyer even has an "Engineer for a day" program - but it's sold out for the next couple of years - there is a waiting list though!

[JSinMO]

@MattA That has to be one of the coolest birthday presents ever! And yes please tell us how it was!

If any of you train enthusiasts ever come through the St Louis Missouri area there is the National Museum of Transportation.
It’s definitely worth a visit. There’s a lot of old iron to climb on!

Hers a video on the place.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_contin ... e=emb_logo

[MattA]

If any of you train enthusiasts ever come through the St Louis Missouri area there is the National Museum of Transportation.
It’s definitely worth a visit. There’s a lot of old iron to climb on!

Hers a video on the place.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_contin ... e=emb_logo

I'll have to check it out sometime if I'm in the area. Lots of historic equipment there to check out. I've been to a half dozen plus places like that in the east coast. I'll post some pics at some point.

[MattA]

Things have been really busy lately. I had my class + 2hr run session 2 weeks ago. I got about 50 pages of study material a week or so before the class so it was a bit of a rush to understand the rules and signaling. I've read a few books on how steam locomotives are built and operate, so that portion of the study material wasn't too bad.
I got to run locomotive number 40, built in the 1920's by ALCO (American locomotive works). Its weighs about 138 tons and has a peak tractive effort of about 36,000lbs. The actual running of the locomotive was a challenge. There are so many levers and valves and things to watch and listen for. Moving the throttle required a bit of effort but it was difficult to just crack the throttle open when drifting. Controlling the reverser was easy since it was air assisted. The reverser controls the piston valve cutoff (timing) in forward and reverse. Controlling the speed of the engine and tender required frequent throttle adjustments and occasionally an air brake application. Blowing the whistle was also more of an art than I realized. The more you pull the rope for the whistle, the more steam flows through the whistle which changes the sound and the volume. Then there is the issue of trying to time the whistle sequence as your approaching and passing through a grade crossing. The speed of the engine and the distance through the crossing is varying.
I ran number 40 for about 8 miles, 4 miles up and 4 miles back. We actually ran the engine to the end of the normally used rail line adjacent to the place where my wife and I got married. It was a fun but challenging experience. I'd do it again