Steam & Excursion > Excursion Steam with most miles?

With all the talk of 4449 running across the country got me wondering which Mainline steam locomotive has ran the most miles since ending regular service? Not counting UP Steam program as I assume 844 would be the clear winner.

After hauling the AFT and other long distance trips my guess is 4449.

Don't forget LNER 4472 Flying Scotsman! North America and Austrailia.

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Don't forget the Norfolk Southern(Southern before that) steam program.
My guess would be engine 611. The 4-8-4 ran most years from 1982-1994, and probably ran more in 1 year than most of the engines you are thinking about did in their whole excursion careers. It was no big deal for the 611 to put on 500 miles a week or more.
For example, when the 611 came to Cincinnati, it would have to come from another location, say Kenova, and that was 150 miles one-way. Then run a pair of roundtrip excursions to say Danville, Ky(250 miles RT) for the weekend. Then maybe the following Monday it would head south to Lexington, another 80 miles. Total approx 750 miles. So remember thats just one week out of the schedule. Over its years of running I would be willing to bet it ran more mileage than any other engine on mainline trackage. Southern 4501 probably ran a bunch from 1966-1990's as well, especially before 611 and all the other rented engines(2839,610,2716). However, the greater number of days on the Steam excursion schedule were likely after 611 was operational.
Also if you want to look at total steam mileage you had better consider places like Durango and Chama...Those Narrow Gauge engines can work upwards of 90 miles per day, and some do it several days a week, so that adds up fast!!! In my estimation the D&S and C&TS still offer some of the best steam experiences in America!!!
Greg Scholl
http://www.gregschollvideo.com

Southern 630 went to the ET&WNC then back to Southern then to TVRM until the current overhaul started. She ran 7 days a week from around 1982 until 610 came on the scene.

The Cumbres & Toltec's one-way distance is 64 miles.

The Cumbres & Totec operates during a four-month period from the end of May through the third week of October.

Asuming, that a locomotive can run four times per week (I have no idea if this is correct), then

16 weeks x four times per week x 64 miles = 4,096 miles per season.

Keep in mind that the Cumbres & Toltec route was once part of the Rio Grande narrow gauge's main line through the Rockies.

Given the age of the Cumbres & Toltec locomotives as well as those used on the Durango & Silverton, one can make a convincing case that the Rio Grande narrow gauge 2-8-2s are the mileage kings.

Uncle Pete has a big old 1944 ALCO passenger engine up in Cheyenne. I think she has traveled an incredible amount of excursion miles since 1960 with those 80 inch drivers. I am going with the 844.
tom

The original poster said to "Not count" Union Pacific, so I didn't!
Greg

RuleG Wrote:
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> The Cumbres & Toltec's one-way distance is 64
> miles.
>
> The Cumbres & Totec operates during a four-month
> period from the end of May through the third week
> of October.
>
> Asuming, that a locomotive can run four times per
> week (I have no idea if this is correct), then
>
> 16 weeks x four times per week x 64 miles = 4,096
> miles per season.
>
> Keep in mind that the Cumbres & Toltec route was
> once part of the Rio Grande narrow gauge's main
> line through the Rockies.
>
> Given the age of the Cumbres & Toltec locomotives
> as well as those used on the Durango & Silverton,
> one can make a convincing case that the Rio Grande
> narrow gauge 2-8-2s are the mileage kings.

I do not disagree with your stats and even mentioned C&TS in my post. The D&S runs 45 miles to Silverton, then back, which makes 90 miles per day, 28 miles more than C&TS.
No slight to C&TS by any means, as both are big mile accumulators for their steam, and why I singled them out. Both these railroads come as close as you can get to being
"regular service" steam in America, and "Authentic Heritage Steam" as they are running long distances with original engines that were made for these tracks. That counts for a lot in my book! The Scenery ain't half bad either, is it??:)
Greg Scholl

I know that CN racked up a lot of excursion miles with 6167 in the l960s, 12,000 to be exact.

And for you fans over 60...CB&Q 5632 ran for years out of Chicago to Colorado and elsewhere. The younger people never think of her as a great fantrip engine.

doubleheader Wrote:
The D&S runs 45 miles
> to Silverton, then back, which makes 90 miles per
> day, 28 miles more than C&TS.
> No slight to C&TS by any means, as both are big
> mile accumulators for their steam, and why I
> singled them out. Both these railroads come as
> close as you can get to being
> "regular service" steam in America, and "Authentic
> Heritage Steam" as they are running long distances
> with original engines that were made for these
> tracks. That counts for a lot in my book! The
> Scenery ain't half bad either, is it??:)
> Greg Scholl

Yes, both have great scenery, but I think the Cumbres & Toltec is among the best in the US.

Others have mentioned standard gauge steam locomotives, but no one has provided any numbers showing they have racked up more annual miles than the former Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotives.

> Yes, both have great scenery, but I think the
> Cumbres & Toltec is among the best in the US.
>
> Others have mentioned standard gauge steam
> locomotives, but no one has provided any numbers
> showing they have racked up more annual miles than
> the former Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotives.

I agree 100%....look at my first message in this thread...We
are echoing the same sentiments!
I first visited this area in 1956 as a little kid!!!
Greg

PS I need to get back as its been a long time(1997)

The C&TS is a wonderful route but I don't think the question was directed to narrow gauge mainline steamers. If you are talking standard gauge and NOT talking about fixed routes like the Grand Canyon, I would think it would be hard to beat the SOU and NS program which at its peak racked up a bunch of miles - every weekend from March until November for over 25 years and sometimes two different places on the same weekend. NKP 765 racked up 50,000 miles from 1979-1993, nothing to sneeze at.

Although I don't have specific numbers, I'd guess that Milw 261 probably has turned quite a few miles as well since its rehab, since it's been an excursion workhorse for quite a few years now, with lots of them being hundreds of miles per day trips. Maybe not the every-day trips like some of the narrow gauge engines noted above, but when the 261 is running, they make good use of their boiler time.

I agree 765 ran a lot of miles. As you stated the original poster wanted Mainline engines, and thats why I posted N&W 611. I would bet that 611 may have traveled nearly 50,000 miles in 1 year on a few occassions. 765 even worked for the NS during 1984 I believe! My additional point was to mention the NG lines as they run continually to this day!
Greg Scholl

How about the CP 2860 Royal Hudson in North Vancouver, BC?
In daily service from 1974 - 1999
5 days a week, 80 miles round trip?
250 days/yr, 80 miles/day = 20,000 miles per year
* 25 years = 500,000 miles?
Plus a couple cross-country trips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Hudson

Ted in WA

Keystone1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And for you fans over 60...CB&Q 5632 ran for years
> out of Chicago to Colorado and elsewhere. The
> younger people never think of her as a great
> fantrip engine.


Yes... too bad I missed this one.

gobbl3gook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How about the CP 2860 Royal Hudson in North
> Vancouver, BC?
> In daily service from 1974 - 1999
> 5 days a week, 80 miles round trip?
> 250 days/yr, 80 miles/day = 20,000 miles per year
> * 25 years = 500,000 miles?
> Plus a couple cross-country trips.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Hudson
>
> Ted in WA

Yes a good example. I remember stating to someone that the Squamish operation was about the longest and most pleasant standard gauge steam operation that was running with steam. I got to see it in 1986 and 1996. This would have to rank as Canada's
most traveled engine I would imagine.
Greg

>>I remember stating to someone that the Squamish operation was about the longest and most pleasant standard gauge steam operation that was running with steam.<<

Yup. It was also the only regularly scheduled mainline steam in North America. I only rode it once :^( I did have the supreme pleasure, though, of a Trains Unlimited Tours run of the 3716 up to Kelly Lake and back. (Thanks again to Chris Scow for offering last-minute discounts so poor graduate students could take these trips!)

Ted in WA