Steam Train

[Wingnut]

I was down in Kentucky (Louisville) over the weekend for a big regional meeting of chapter presidents of an association I belong to, and stayed some extra time to look over the countryside (for my wife ... who has always been enthralled with Kentucky - something to do with horses).
Anyway, it being my birthday on Sunday, she suggested a side trip over to New Haven to check out the railroad museum and maybe even ride the train if I wanted. Normally they haul some 4 or so passenger cars with an older Sante Fe diesel/electric engine ... but about 6 days per year they use an old (restored) steam locomotive. Imagine that they should choose the weekend we were there to do so!
So, as my special birthday present, I got to ride an actual coal fired locomotive! (Most all of the ones I've been privileged to be on were converted to oil fired leaving more tender space for water).
Wonderful present!
If there's any other train buffs out there, New Haven is a good place to spend a day. Nice little museum, pretty nice model railroad museum and exhibits, wonderful train ride. Only 15 miles of track so far (that's all CSX would sell them) but well worth the drive! And, of course, an excellent and dedicated group of volunteers operating it!
/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[wasabi]

Wingnut,

I grew up on the outskirts of St. Louis (Kirkwood), Mo. Not far from our home there was a railroad museum at the end of a track spur. We would go there every summer cause one of our favorite blackberry patches was just up the "rail" on a hillside. Had to run pretty quick cause the caretaker didn't take too kindly to our cutting through the museum property, but we still got a good look at some of those old beasts. I guess he eventually figured we were no threat cause one day he stopped us to chat, buy some berries and showed us around...even let us climb aboard one of the locomotives. It was certainly memorable!

I don't know if the museum (just off Big Bend Rd) is even still there....don't know where they would have moved all of the trains to if not....maybe someone turned it into a restaraunt or something...I haven't been back to the St. Louis area since my 20 year high school reunion in 1989!

 

[s1120]

You are one lucky SOB. Trains are one of my oldest hobbys, to the point that my new house will be within 300ft of the tracks. I would love to wake up some morning, and have a steam train come by. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[jdrotert]

Wasabi,
The museum is still there. They run trolley cars up and down the tracks sometimes. Here's a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.museumoftransport.org/welcome.htm>link</A> to their site. They also have a small scale ride-on train which circles the property now.

 

[wasabi]

Thanks for that info.....Very cool! /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif. I'll spend time with the link when I have more time. From a quick look it seems they have expanded. The fact that they are a part of the county parks dept probably means they won't disappear, which is a good thing!

My guess is that Kirkwood is no longer the "outskirts" it used to be. I went all the way through high school there, but basically left at age eighteen for Montana and points beyond. Many fond memories of running around the (then) woods, hunting rabbits and squirrels, basically in the woods out our front door.

 

[Wingnut]

Good link!
Made me remember to go update my link record for railroad museums (check our this one .. gives most know links) http://www.innvista.com/rail/muscan.htm
I used to be a member of the Alberta Pioneer Railroad group that runs the museum and train rides near Edmonton. They've still got an outstanding steam train that does do the occasional trip but, alas, like most of them was converted to oil fired steam.

 

[Wingnut]

I was, indeed, fortunate .... nothing pleases me more than seeing a working steamer.
Here's (hopefully I'll do this right) a picture of the beauty as she was coming up to the platform.

 

[RoyJackson]

<font color=blue>If you ever get to south central Pennsylvania (Lancaster County), you'd enjoy the Strausburg Railroad. It's a really neat place!! Several trains (including one set up like PBS' Thomas the Train).

There's also a museum of all sorts of locomotives and such directly across the road.

And!!! For those of you who have to make an overnight trip to see this place, there's a motel approximately ½ mile away with rooms consisting entirely of decomissioned cabooses!!!

Wheeeeee!!! Fun for the whole family!

There you go, train fans!

Here's a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.strasburgrailroad.com>link</A> to their website.</font color=blue>

 

[Trev]

It's kind of funny, but I'm told that my only claim to fame is an ancestor who developed the first steam locomotive. Richard Trevithick. They still, I believe, celebrate "Trevithick Day" in Cornwall, England.. have statues of him, and so on. He unfortunately must have shared my financial genius, and so died penniless.. but so it goes. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Do a search on "Trevithick" and you'll find all kinds of stuff on this.

I really want to go to Cornwall some day, and see if they bow and scrape and treat me like royalty. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>It's kind of funny, but I'm told that my only claim to fame is an ancestor who developed the first steam locomotive. Richard Trevithick.</font color=red>

You know, I KNEW I hurd that name before. So your famous?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif