STEAM RETURNS MAY 24TH!!!

Maybe the headlight was directional, just like the models. Or, maybe the daytime running light laws that affect cars do not work the same way for steam locomotives.

Maybe they will turn the lights on in the future.

Benjamin Maggi wrote:As for the comments about how the railroad has "character," it sure does. But, by the time they are done with with the right of way, it might have a bit less!

A little less character would be fine with me, although it does give the ride that "Olde Tyme" feel.

I'm not sure if the FRA regulations dealing with the displaying of a headlight over road crossings effects roads as small as teh A&A.

However, for the simple sake of better safe then sorry, the headlight should be illuminated in the direction of travel.

The other possibility is that they were experiencing some minor teething troubles with the turbo-generator over teh weekend.

Alot of the FRA regulations for locomotives change based on "heritage" status... obviously, a 1920 steam locomotive qualifies, but also the regs change when you get down to a railroad that can't exceed "restricted speed" over its entire line.

While on the trip, I got an earfull of someone explaining how the steamer was a huge pollution creater, and that the EPA might have to crack down on the railroad! I didn't bother to explain to them that nearly every garbage fire that people hold burns more toxic than coal smoke, what with all the plastics and stuff that gets thrown in.

Some people... you just cannot win!

was the guy a smoker? If so, throw that back in his face :D

ATK wrote:In all of the pictures, I do not see the locomotive's headlights on -- neither on the front of the engine nor on the back of the tender. Why?

Most troubling is the pictures of the train approaching grade crossings with no headlight on....

The lights weren't on due to wiring problems at the last second.

Here's a question for anyone connected with the Arcade and Attica: Is there any chance of a special steam trip for photographers in the future? I think that would be a really cool thing to do. I went on a few of these types of trips on the Adirondack Scenic and they were great. A photo freight excursion would be really cool as well. It would provide a photographer with more variety, outside of the passenger excursion shot between the hours of 12 noon and 4pm. (That darn high sun. )

Just throwing that out there. I know I'd go.

Finally...

Ok. I got the kinks worked out. Video post here

Look for the link that says "Open Player"

jnugent56 wrote:Here's a question for anyone connected with the Arcade and Attica: Is there any chance of a special steam trip for photographers in the future? I think that would be a really cool thing to do. I went on a few of these types of trips on the Adirondack Scenic and they were great. A photo freight excursion would be really cool as well. It would provide a photographer with more variety, outside of the passenger excursion shot between the hours of 12 noon and 4pm. (That darn high sun. )

Just throwing that out there. I know I'd go.

I'm sure they would. If you can get enough railfans and sell out a few coaches, you could get the A&A to run a photo freight/passenger run.

Joe,
Yes that was the shot I was asking about, thanks for the info!
And about the photo charter... I asked way back when 18 was running before (2000 or 2001) about doing a photo freight over the entire line and the answer was no - actually it was no we won't run freight with steam and no we wont run over the freight only portions with steam. But I think if we proposed something now the answer might be different. I have a few ideas about what could be done. What about running a trip from 7a.m. to 11 - 11:30a.m. on a saturday or sunday, that way the engine will already be hot and they would not have to charge as much (might not even need an extra crew) or run an afternoon trip on friday when they are running on friday(july and August). Or better yet do both! Another thought would be to run a trip during the week when they are going to run freight anyway and just run it with steam. What about a trip the weekend after the railroad closes for the season, that way the engine won't be winterized yet and there would be less foaliage to clutter up the shots.
btw if you can't tell I have been thinking about this for a little bit and am very interested in seeing a photo freight on the A&A

^I don't think they would run the steam engine north of Curriers.

Of course the answer was no with the old management.

All fun aside, a train needs to display a working headlight and markers... hopefully they corrected the problem or used an auxiliary lighting source for the remainder of the trips.

jnugent56 wrote:Here's a question for anyone connected with the Arcade and Attica: Is there any chance of a special steam trip for photographers in the future?

Joe, I'm sure you could put one together. Call up the railroad and find out how much it would cost to charter the train. Then set up a tentative date. Then figure out how many people you'd need to cover the cost of the charter and you've got your ticket price. Advertise and invite photographers your trip (I'd limit it to no more than 20 people) and voila, you're a railfan charter operator! That's how I did it on the CMRR...

-otto-

And, going back a couple of years, they used to run "mixed trains" where the engine would go to North Java and do some switching. They did it maybe once a year, if I remember correctly. Sometimes with the steamer, as I have postcards and pictures of those trips. I have seen it on their old website advertised, but the dates were never filled in... meaning that they had decided not to do it that year.

Gang, as answers regarding past charters...

The tracks north of Curriers are excepted track. Unless they are brought up to full Class 1 standards, they will never be able to haul passengers without a specific waiver from the FRA.

The mixed frieght/passenger runs shown on the old site were listed, in the hopes sufficient people would express interest, showing that at the time, spending the money to overhaul the line was justified. (Thats for diesel runs)

Steam runs were never offered after the last time due to the steam engine ripping out an auger at the Reisdorf mill... since that is the only place north of Curriers with switching capacity, the railroad was told not to bring the steamer that far again.

As for the previous management saying no to charters, that was due to the opinion that stabalizing and improving the roadbed was more important than running more trains... at that time. It wasn't that she was opposed to additional excursions, just that time was better spent trying to upgrade the track.

We all have a difference of opinion regarding what the railroad's priorities should be... she did what she thought was best at the time.