Steam & Excursion > SP&S #700

Pulling out of Portland Union Station back in 2005.  Unseen is the OTHER steam locomotive, the Espee #4449.  This was a double-header to Wishram.

Ed

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Why don't they like longer trips?  The Montana Daylight, while I'm sure was a "Death March" as all multi day trips are, gets them out on the road where it belongs.  Little dog and pony shows to me are like watching a lion walk back and forth in a cage at the zoo.

Great photo!

Was on board this excursion! Surprised there aren't more photos/videos of it, considering this is the only time 700 and 4449 have double-head a mainline excursion, IIRC.
 

I hear something is bent on the #700, precluding it from any mainline action or speed.

Ed

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
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> I hear something is bent on the #700, precluding
> it from any mainline action or speed.
>
> Ed

Not true. She has run out of FRA time, and is now due for her federally mandated FRA 15 year boiler inspection.

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hear something is bent on the #700, precluding
> it from any mainline action or speed.
>
> Ed
Ed,

Did you by chance hear what specifically is bent? Was not mentioned when I was up in portland a few months ago..

-Dave

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hear something is bent on the #700, precluding
> it from any mainline action or speed.
>
> Ed
They were advertising a mainline trip to Pasco not too long ago. It didn't happen but if there's critical damage to it, I doubt they'd have tried to plan a trip.

The Wishram doubleheader was hands down the most fun chase I've ever been on. Our video is very amateur, but it's on you tube.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/16 11:36 by A-1.

I agree. That 2005 NRHS was a magnificent trip to. Seen here from the rocks at Lyle,WA.

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The REST of the story.

Ed

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Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Why don't they like longer trips?  The Montana
> Daylight, while I'm sure was a "Death March" as
> all multi day trips are, gets them out on the road
> where it belongs.  Little dog and pony shows to
> me are like watching a lion walk back and forth in
> a cage at the zoo.

It is not for lack of wantig. It probably all comes down to costs. If some one is willing to pay for a cross county trip...

JayK Wrote:
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> I agree. That 2005 NRHS was a magnificent trip to.
> Seen here from the rocks at Lyle,WA.

Now THAT is a KILLER PHOTO!!!!!

The 700 boys must be sanding the flues?

The 700/449 doubleheader was one of my favorite excursions.

Even though the distance from between Portland and Wishram is just 105 miles, that excursion did not seem like a short trip.  The train departed Portland in the morning and ran at a nice speed from Vancouver to Wishram where passengers got off to have lunch.  After lunch, the riders waited for the train to return, then boarded and we enjoyed a nice return trip to Portland with arrival in the early evening.  The Columbia River Gorge scenery was wonderful..  All in all, a great way to spend the day.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/16 16:43 by RuleG.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Auburn_Ed Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I hear something is bent on the #700,
> precluding
> > it from any mainline action or speed.
> >
> > Ed
>
> Not true. She has run out of FRA time, and is now
> due for her federally mandated FRA 15 year boiler
> inspection.

Jack-- I hate to correct the MASTER of Steam--BUT...  From a well-known person at Brooklyn Roundhouse, I was personally informed that the engine has a serious problem in the FRAME, precluding it from "tracking" safely at or near 60 mph.  AMTRAK and BNSF won't touch it with a ten-foot pole.  It is NOT an FRA excuse !  Why !!  Because this problem has been dogging Steve and 700Jim for a long time  well before it was due for a 1472 extravaganza..  The same person at Brooklyn also informed me that the 700 and 4449 groups do NOT easily get along with each other.   Who was this mystery person at Brooklyn ??  I'd rather not say--BUT--  I'll give you a clue ......
         "He takes pictures" ...    Nuff, said !!

KRK

Easily one of the most underrated trips in the country.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The 700/4449 doubleheader was one of my favorite
> excursions.
>
> Even though the distance from between Portland and
> Wishram is just 105 miles, that excursion did not
> seem like a short trip.  The train departed
> Portland in the morning and ran at a nice speed
> from Vancouver to Wishram where passengers got off
> to have lunch.  After lunch, the riders waited
> for the train to return, then boarded and we
> enjoyed a nice return trip to Portland with
> arrival in the early evening.  The Columbia River
> Gorge scenery was wonderful..  All in all, a
> great way to spend the day.
>  

I seem to recall most of the running gear issues have been taken care of over the last several years....

KeyRouteKen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Auburn_Ed Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I hear something is bent on the #700,
> > precluding
> > > it from any mainline action or speed.
> > >
> > > Ed
> >
> > Not true. She has run out of FRA time, and is
> now
> > due for her federally mandated FRA 15 year
> boiler
> > inspection.
>
> Jack-- I hate to correct the MASTER of
> Steam--BUT...  From a well-known person at
> Brooklyn Roundhouse, I was personally informed
> that the engine has a serious problem in the
> FRAME, precluding it from "tracking" safely at or
> near 60 mph.  AMTRAK and BNSF won't touch it with
> a ten-foot pole.  It is NOT an FRA excuse !  Why
> !!  Because this problem has been dogging Steve
> and 700Jim for a long time  well before it was
> due for a 1472 extravaganza..  The same person at
> Brooklyn also informed me that the 700 and 4449
> groups do NOT easily get along with each
> other.   Who was this mystery person at Brooklyn
> ??  I'd rather not say--BUT--  I'll give you a
> clue ......
>          "He takes pictures" ...   
> Nuff, said !!
>
> KRK

That is a one-piece, cast integral frame.

What could possibly be wrong with it, besides a break
of some kind?

And if it were broken, it couldn't run at all.

Providence Hill, 4/21/2001

While climbing Providence Hill eastbound on the BNSF Lakeside Sub, the 700 broke down.  A diesel was borrowed from a passing BNSF freight to clear the track.  That was 15 years ago, and I still remember the comments of the on-duty dispatcher.

Has the 700 been permitted solo on a mainline since? 

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> > Providence Hill, 4/21/2001

> > Has the 700 been permitted solo on a mainline since? 

​In October 2002, SP&S #700 ran for six days on Montana Rail Link pulling the Montana Daylight passenger train from Sandpoint, Idaho to Billings Montana and return.  Although the train included an MRL F45 diesel (mainly for dynamic braking on descent of Mullan and Bozeman Passes), #700 did the great majority of the work in pulling the train.  

​One question I cannot answer regarding that trip (Jim700 or others probably can) is whether #700 ran solo from Portland to Sandpoint prior to the Montana Daylight trip and from Sandpoint back to Portland after the trip.

​Jim Woodward

1. I certainly hope there is nothing wrong with the 700. I also hope we the railfans can get a factual, honest information about her.
2. If the 700 guys and the 4449 guys do not get along, that is very upsetting. There is so much talent, knowledge and history with everyone involved. We humans are not immortal and to be blunt when the current teams pass on, we loose more and more of that history, talent. This all should be passed on, and made sure that the newbies learn, understand, to pass on what they have learned. We do not want another DL in Portland screwing up either locomotive.

Posted from iPhone

The 2005 NRHS convention was quite the undertaking by the Pacific Northwest Chapter....we had lots of help and some great committee chairs although one died and one got fired. 
​In addition to this double header being a convention headliner, the banquet with Steve Lee and Doyle McCormack as speakers was also hard to beat.   

​Doing another Wishram turn will be real tough if not impossible with BNSF now using the Gorge as their westbound route. 

​I spend a lot of time at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center....it is a classic commune...lots of different groups, lots of different people...do we all get along all the time, hell no, what commune does?  But having said that, we do function and provide a home for all the "commune groups", a nice facility, and last year hosted some 35,000 people through our doors to see our exhibits.   I consider our commune to be a success.
​Arlen