Weekend Survey #3 Steam Trains

[BIG BEAR]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?

2. Where was your last steam train ride?

3. What year was your last steam train ride?

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.

              Enjoy,
                    Barry

[epeorus]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?

I have ridden stream trains many many times, as a child during the transition era.

2. Where was your last steam train ride?

The Kingston Flier in New Zealand.

3. What year was your last steam train ride?

2003

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?

As often as possible, but that's about once a year.  Looking forward to seeing some steam at the NG Convention in Portland, ME.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.

No question ... any of the Rhodesian National Railways trains of the 1950's and 1960's running across the African veld.

[SteamGene]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?
In one, yes

2. Where was your last steam train ride?
East Broad Top

3. What year was your last steam train ride?
2006

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?
As often as I can.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.
Do you mean locomotive or train ride?

[Hamish K]

1. I rode on regular steam trains several times as a boy in Australia, in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. The most memorable was the Newcastle Flyer between Sydney and Newcasle (NSW). In those days ir was electric hauled to Gosford and steam hauled by a C38 class 4-6-2 (NSW's top express loco) from Gosford to Newcastle.

In 1979 I rode on a regular steam train in China behind a RM class 4-6-2.

I have ridden on preserved steam trains - Puffing Billy (30 inch gauge line in Victoria) the Zig Zag Railway (NSW) and some mainline specials in NSW.

2. Regular - China.  Preserved - Puffing Billy, Victoria Australia

3. Regular - 1979. Preserved -  2006.

4. No although I do take photos whevever I visit a preserved steam train.

5. Puffing Billy Victoria, Australia.  Main line - the C38 Pacific such as on the Newcastle Flyer train (NSW, Australia).

Hamish

[Terry Toenges]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train? Yes

2. Where was your last steam train ride? Jackson, Missouri

3. What year was your last steam train ride? 2006

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.? Whenever I can. The Black Hills Central is a good one for that the way it winds around.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? Can't say.

[Chuck Prough]

1  Rode on? Yes.
2 Where? Roaring Camp and Big Trees, Felton CA.
3 June 16, 2007
4.  Chased? No You can't chase any thing in southern CA.
5 Favorite? Right now it's a three-truck Shay because I actually got to drive one for a short time at Roaring Camp.

They have an "Engineer for the Day"   program that allows you to ride in the cab and drive one of their steam locos. It' the most fun you can have with your coveralls on.

Chuck Prough

[rogertra]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?

Hundreds of them.

2. Where was your last steam train ride?

Duncan, BC.

3. What year was your last steam train ride?

2004(?)

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?

No.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.

None.

Now, what do you mean by "Steam train"?

Now to answer your question by using "locomoitve" in place of "steam train".

1. Have you ever rode on a steam locomotive?

Yes, countless times, as a guest in the cab and as driver/engineer and fireman.

2. Where was your last steam locomotive ride?

Colorado.

3. What year was your last steam locomotive ride?

1980 something.

4. Do you often "chase" steam locomoitves for enjoyment or photo ops.?

No, you can't get them around here.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam locomotive? this should be fun.

None.

[Dusten Barefoot]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?

I have rode 7 steam locomtives.

Tweetsie. Tweetsie #12, Yukon Qeen #190
Great Smokey Mountian Ry. Southern 2-8-0
Disney World. 2 ten-wheelers and a 4-4-0
Dolley Wood. WP&Y 192

2. Where was your last steam train ride?

The last train I rode was at Tweetsie, then this fall at Tweetsie again, last year I missed the Ghost Train tickets .

3. What year was your last steam train ride?

Last year

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?

No, but if I had the time and money I would.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.

ET&WNC #12, 4-6-0

[lanny]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?

2. Where was your last steam train ride?

3. What year was your last steam train ride?

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.

              Enjoy,
                    Barry

(1) Yes, lots of times! When I was a kid passenger trains were still ONLY pulled by steam locomotives. You guys of a youger generation have no idea what you missed by not having regular steam operation to enjoy.

(2+3) Last ride probably was about 1952 or so from Fort Dodge, Iowa to Mancheste, Iowa. The ICRR ran steam until 1955/56 in the Iowa division but E units and the occasional G7 'torpedo tube' took over mail and passenger service earlier.

(4) I chase them when I know about them in time to do chasing. Being on a fixed retirement income with gas 3.00 a gallon my 'chasing days' are very, very limited. Last chase was the first one in years, for me ... the UP #844 excursion train which came through central Iowa.

(5) Being a died in the wool ICRR fanatic, that's a really hard one. When I recently watched the UP #844 with its 80" drivers effortlessly climbing the mile+ long grade out of Carlisle, Iowa and gliding past us like a throughbred steed, I would have to say that was my favorite. But then, when I think about my dad taking me as a little kid and hoping on some ICRR local passener train pulled by a Pacific or a Mountain to Cherokee, Ia from Fort Dodge, Ia and back, that suddenly becomes my favorite. The #844 I only watched ... the 1951 or 52 train ride I actually experienced.

lanny nicolet

[nhmanhere59]

I have ridden in the cab of steam locomotives many times. My grandfather was an engineer on the "Jersey Central Railroad".

My last steam train ride was at the "Georgetown Loop"in Colorado,July,2006.

I don't Chase steam locomotive sites,but plan ahead to ride different ones and take photos

One of my favourite steam locomotives was the streamlined "Crusader" that used to run past my house on the Reading R.R. But I am/was partial to the Camelback 4-6-0's that the "Jersy Central" used for many years.

[David Meashey]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train? Yes

2. Where was your last steam train ride?  Spencer, NC at the North Carolina Transportation Museum

3. What year was your last steam train ride? 2004

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.? Not many opportunities in Roanoke, Va at present.

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.  My all time favorites are the 45 ton and 65 ton Porter Saddletank locomotives that I ran as a volunteer engineer for the Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern Railroad, a tourist line in eastern Pennsylvania.  I had pet names for them; the 45 ton 0-4-0st was called Pauline; the 65 ton 0-6-0st was called Petulia.  They were quite strong for their size, but definitely not express passenger locomotives.  They were a lot of work - and fun - to run.

Yours,
David Meashey

[Paul W.]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train? Yes

2. Where was your last steam train ride? Strasburg, PA

3. What year was your last steam train ride? 2007

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.? Yes

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.
I love all steamers, but #1223 4-4-0 has a special place.

              Enjoy,
                    Barry

[RAM]

1. Have you ever rode on a steam train?
Yes.  I have ridden behind Santa Fe's 3400 class 4-6-2s and 3450 class 4-6-4s and one 2900 class 4-8-4.  plus many other on other lines.  on fan trips U.P. 844 and a 2-8-2.  Cb&Q 4-8-4 and many short lines.
2. Where was your last steam train ride?

3. What year was your last steam train ride?

4. Do you often "chase" steam trains for enjoyment or photo ops.?

5. Bonus Q  What is your all time favorite steam train? this should be fun.
In 1952 N&W J.  4-8-4.  It was a great trip.

[BIG BEAR]

     For Q #5 I was hoping for steam train, but if someone just had a favorite engine, it woulud also be a good answer. I believe there are no bad steam engines.

           Barry

[SteamGene]

C&O's streamlined Hudsons are a good candidate for bad LOOKING locomotives. 
Gene