Steam & Excursion > Where will 765 be turned in Ft. Wayne?

I'll be riding the Detroit Arrow and bringing a non-railfan friend. If the distance is walkable from downtown and it can be viewed safely from public property, I'd like to take my pal out to where they're turning and servicing the locomotive for a look. Is this possible?

I seem to recall as a little kid when I rode the NS trips on the same line that some guys would do this during the layover, but I could be imagining that. It's been 20 years you know.

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Based on some comments made by Kelly Lynch on another forum, it appears that JUST the engine will uncouple, pull ahead, cross over, back up to East Wayne Yard and then be turned and return downtown. I ASSUME that means using the turntable, unless they want to run down the Wabash and turn it around on the trackage near Mike Interlocking, which is the way they have been turning the engine since its been back on the road. That differs from the Wabash Cannonball trips where the whole consist was turned, which is probably not practical for this trip.

Correct.

We'll also be servicing the locomotive during the turn/layover.

Thank you for buying tickets!

KL

Understood, thanks for the info guys! I have never in my life been happier to spend $300 on train tickets.

Guess my buddy and I will just stay downtown for beers. It'll be tough but we'll manage. :)

junctiontower Wrote:
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> Based on some comments made by Kelly Lynch on
> another forum, it appears that JUST the engine
> will uncouple, pull ahead, cross over, back up to
> East Wayne Yard and then be turned and return
> downtown.
The 765, A tank and tool car would be turned, not just the 765.

Posted from Android

Ok, but what about the wye at the Triple Crown Terminal? Isn't that closer? But I suppose if you're going to service the engine anyway, you might as well take it to East Wayne.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/14 18:24 by wabash2800.

nycstl Wrote:
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> The 765, A tank and tool car would be turned, not
> just the 765.
>
> Posted from Android

Good point. It's pretty obvious that that has to happen, but I didn't even think about it when I typed my response above. One question I never thought about though. Does the Auxilliary tender need to be spun on the turntable, or can it feed water to the engine tender from both ends?

I highly doubt that the 765 would be turned on the turntable it is so much easier and faster to turn the 765, auxiliary tender and toolbar all at once. And yes the auxiliary tender and toolcar has to be turned at the same time as the locomotive. The auxiliary tender has a compartment in the front end that carries all the oil, grease and grease guns. The toolcar has to face the same way because all the tools and other heavy items are stored in the front end. Plus the seats are one way facing.

Posted from Android

Wait, 765 will turn on the turntable at East Wayne? That thing works?

In years past steam excursions in Fort Wayne would turn around using "hugo interlocking" near Nuttman Ave in Fort Wayne. This allowed me to see a great many steam locomotives growing up.

-K

Yes, the turntable DOES work. No, you can't turn anything at Hugo anymore, as there is only one connection track, unless you want to back up to Junction and come back east on the Pennsy to Mike. I am ignorant on this, but why does it matter whether the grease guns and tool are 30 feet away from the engine or 60 feet (so to speak)? As for the crew car seats going backward, there is going to be a bunch of passengers going backward too, so why does it matter if the crew is? As for where the engine will be turned, Kelly's comments led me to believe it would all happen at East Wayne. That MAY be wrong or an over simplification. It may well be that they will take the engine to Mike, BUT they only have so much time to get all of this work done, and now you tying up traffic on TWO lines instead of just one. WHEREVER it goes, I will be there to watch it, so I guess we will find out.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/14 03:33 by junctiontower.

Again, would the Tripple Crown wye not work?

http://www.fwarailfan.net/fortwayne_loc.htm

It depends on multiple logistical issues to consider - how long does/will servicing take? How long will watering and coaling take? How long will it take to get in the clear to back the engine off the train and hustle to East Wayne? How long would a turn at Mike Tower take? How long will it take to get the engine back to the overpass?

It actually took much longer than 4 hours - from 8PM until 4AM - during the Cannonball trips last October to turn and service the locomotive and train. The particulars will likely be set in stone during a conference call in the week prior to the trip. The KISS principle is subject to railroad time.

KL
FWRHS

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Again, would the Tripple Crown wye not work?
>
> http://www.fwarailfan.net/fortwayne_loc.htm

Just for clarification, When I said Mike Interlocking, I was talking about the "Triple Crown Wye". It works just fine, but is more of a logistical hassle than IF you can turn everything at East Wayne. Just getting dispatcher authority and working with 3? 4? different dispatchers, (Chicago Dist, Huntington Dist, CF&E, TC Yard?) could take time. Also a minor point, but I'm guessing that any street crossings backed over would have to be flagged, and there would be 8 of those to use the TC wye, (IF you use the Snake track, otherwise 9) VS only two lightly trafficked ones on an East Wayne Yard only plan. If 765 and the rest of train can be kept totally clear of the Wabash trackage during that four hour layover window, that would allow NS to run the wheels off everything on the Wabash side until 765 clears NE and heads back to Detroit. Theories one way or another don't mean much though when the realities of REAL railroading get figured in. Grab your camera and some snacks and try to figure out which way they will go!



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/14 10:57 by junctiontower.

> I am ignorant on this, but why does it matter
> whether the grease guns and tool are 30 feet away
> from the engine or 60 feet (so to speak)? As for
> the crew car seats going backward, there is going
> to be a bunch of passengers going backward too, so
> why does it matter if the crew is?
The auxiliary tender and tool car is set up to travel one way. One it saves time carrying something 30 feet instead of 60. Two carrying two 40 lb grease guns, grease, 2 plus gallons valve oil, 2 plus gallons of journal oil, ladders, boiler chemicals and anywhere from 2 to 4 50 foot fire hoses gets very tiring after a long day on the road with a steam locomotive. Three they have to be turned, if not then on the return trip the tool car would be next to the 765 and the aux tender would be next to the coaches or there would be more time spent switching the cars around to get them in order. It just makes more sense to turn the 765, auxiliary tender and tool car at the same time.
As Kelly said about the 4am servicing on the Wabash cannonball, would you want to carry all that stuff 30 feet or 60 feet at 4 am.

Posted from Android

I understand that the cars have to be kept in the proper order, and I understand that it is DESIRABLE to have the tool car facing the correct way. I was just wondering if it was an absolute must thing. The main question I had was never answered though. CAN the Aux. tender feed water from both ends?

junctiontower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I understand that the cars have to be kept in the
> proper order, and I understand that it is
> DESIRABLE to have the tool car facing the correct
> way. I was just wondering if it was an absolute
> must thing. The main question I had was never
> answered though. CAN the Aux. tender feed water
> from both ends?
Yes it can feed water from both ends

Posted from Android

It's also not just the tool car - the N&W aux tender has an equipment locker in the "B" end (the side facing the tool car) for immediate access, storage, and transportation of tools and materials. We've spun them independently before, but it always requires another, separate move later on to get things oriented correctly.

Is the Auxiliary tender and tool car longer than 765 and tender, or would they fit on the turntable together, simplifying things? My original thought was that 765 could drop the tender and tool car near the turntable, be turned around and then serviced, while a diesel put the other two on the table and then reassembled them, ready for 765 to back up and hook on and go. I have no idea how practical that is.

Yeah, the aux and the tool car can be turned together.