Steam & Excursion > AFT article in Trains

Kudos to fellow AFT alum "Boilingman" for his article in the current issue of Trains magazine. I know many don't/won't read Trains for a variety of reasons,but I reccommend even if you are one of those individuals that you find the wherewithal to at least read this article. Full disclosure,I am extremely biased!

 

Looking forward to seeing this issue...... we are finalizing the details for the AFT 40th staff reunion September 16-18, 2016 here in Portland and the AFT exhibit at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center will be opened concurrently.  

Unfortunately we will NOT have any kind of American Freedom Train Celebration here in Baltimore due to the negligence of the B&O Railroad Museum Management allowing the former Reading 2101 (AFT #1) to continue to rust away.  They really care about history at the B&O R.R. Museum - NOT!

That's sad to hear Club!
 

Take a close look at the article and do a few searches.

It will surprise some that so many of the display locations used back then no longer exist.

True- many sites are gone without a trace! Houston is probably the most amusing- the site is now the Astro's. The 610 sat somewhere between what is now the pitchers mound and left field.
The furthest from track today was Albuquerque- I figure about 6-8mi from today's EOT.

BTW: I documented and mapped every site of the 1976 portion of the tour here on TO 2yrs ago on the RRers page.
SR

Jeez... now Trains magazine is not politically correct on Trainorders?
I am a subscriber. BTW, enjoyed the AFT story and map.


towazy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kudos to fellow AFT alum "Boilingman" for his
> article in the current issue of Trains magazine. I
> know many don't/won't read Trains for a variety of
> reasons,but I reccommend even if you are one of
> those individuals that you find the wherewithal to
> at least read this article. Full disclosure,I am
> extremely biased!
>
>  

If you follow TRAINS regularly you may have noticed there was a issue W/O a Map-of-the-Month (June?). This was because of the AFT Map.
TRAINS contacted Ross Rowland about using old AFT records to make the map. Well.... there are none.
Ross referred them to me.
Mr. Metzger called me and asked if I could help.
Sure.
So I started sending him what I had in a long series of emails. I guess they were completely unprepared for just how complex the AFT's route actually was- their scheduling plan went out the window and that June gap was the result.
No worries- the resulting map is VERY impressive!
Good job Bill!
SR

I perused the article.  It looks great.  I looked at the map and didn't realize how much the AFT traversed in our area.  Looks like a great article and I am glad to have been able to read the prelude to it here on TO first!  Thanks for the hard work in producing this article. 

Mark
 

The 52 week "TO version" of my tale is the real deal.  TRAINS caught wind of it and Mr Wrinn wrote to me asking if I might consider a (heavily!) condensed version for their magazine...
SR