Steam & Excursion > "Let's Roll" rollin'!

The UP picked up the 4449\'s aux tender "Let\'s Roll" (DLMX 4219) today, and she\'s on the way to the 3751.

Roll on 3751!

Smokebox

A big "Thank You" should go to the 4449 crew for making this possible.

I agree! Thanks to all those in Portland who helped in getting the auxiliary tender checked out and sent down to Los Angeles.

jdc3751

Hey 3751.....

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Hey 3751 guys, Is the 3751 really having trouble selling out on tickets? What % is left for the Grand Canyon trip?
OKtrainboys

I know you have read this statement here before, but....the 3751 is being leased to the Grand Canyon Chapter of the NRHS (we provide crews and steam power), so you should be directing your inquiries to the Canyon Rails 2002 website to be asking these kinds of questions about sales. If you are interested in riding, then you should be going there anyway!

http://www.canyonrails2002.com/

While you are there, it would be great if you would show your support and buy a ticket to ride the train - if you don\'t, your not really supporting this kind of movement and insuring that it will happen again. Without butts in the seats, there will be no steam on the rails - it\'s a pretty simple formula.

BTW - is that your son in the previous post in front of the lets roll tender? If it is, you should follow this link to the SBRHS website

http://www.sbrhs.org/2002schedule.html

and read about the dangers of standing on top of the rail in the safety article. The whole article is geared toward the August trip with some simple tips to make your rail enthusiast adventure a safe one. Since most fans DON\'T get the kind of intense safety classes that railroads require of employees or volunteers working in a railroad environment, it\'s a great refresher on what we see fans doing all the time that is unsafe and could cause the loss of life. It should be something that you teach your son early if he is going to be around the rails with you and survive it.

Wild Bill

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Good advice Wild Bill, I will follow up. And yes my family will be traveling to the Grand Canyon to see the 3751 and other sights as well. Thanks for the links too. BTW I have made about two dollars with three zero\'s behind it to the 4449, 3985/844, D&SRR, Toltec, Midland RR, Age of Steam Museum, and here locally as well, and promoted steam in newscast several times...in the past 4 month\'s. As a member of NHRS I plan to contribute to the 3751 as well. It is the LEAST I can do, I plan to do more however.
Mike Morgan
Chief Meteorologist
KFOR TV/DT OKC, OK.
New York Times/Broadcast Division

Thats great Mike! I\'m glad we are both doing what we can to promote this great event and steam in general. We certainly appreciate your support and enthusiasm, and look forward to meeting you and your family in Williams. Ask for me when you get around the locomotive during the convention, if it\'s possible I\'d like to make sure you get a personal introduction to the old girl - she\'s 75 years young this year!!!

William Ramsey
Board Member of the SBRHS
Editor and Producer of the Crew Car & Second Section
Webmaster SBRHS Website

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William, Together with the support of others in this forum and beyond we will make, and continue to make, a difference! Your locomotive\'s beauty in the setting of the the Canyon will be spectacular! Thanks for extending your generous offer.... despite the existing economic and political climate our steam heritage must survive and flourish. Your organization is a prime example of just that. We look forward to seeing your hard work sing. Best of Luck. Mike

Thanks so much, but we will have to stop this because I am getting that warm fuzzy feeling inside - which is usually reserved for when I hear a steam whistle echoing in a canyon, or some real sharp stack talk while working upgrade.

Thanks again Mike, I look forward to giving you that cab tour!

Wild Bill

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And to add to the discussion, I am proud to say that my entire family and I have bought tickets for the trip in August.

On a side note, here is an image to help hold you all until August 19th. This image was taken last month when the engine was steamed up for a safety and systems inspection.

jdc3751

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You know, there are alot of seasoned steam lovers who think she is the most beautiful of them all. Not to try and catigorize any of these perfectly lovely ladies big or small but what is it about the 3751?

Well, I am rather bias since I am a part of her crew, but the 3751 seems to hold both tremendous grace and beauty without the need for external accessories. She is the type of basic locomotive that most people tend to think of when they think of steam. But, like I mentioned, I am bias toward this engine.

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That is pretty much what I think is special about her. The 3751 is one of the few operating 4-8-4\'s out there that isn\'t streamlined to some fashion. She is the vision of what a steam loco should look like. Nothing is hidden. It is all out in the open - couplers, sanders, air pumps, etc. This is a great engine with a great crew.

gp

Combine a classic twenties modern mainline locomotive aesthetics, boiler tube pilot, black as pure bunker C paint with no need for white tires or stripes, a flawless boiler jacket, beautiful cab interior, and that Golden Glow headlight, and we might start to find out why she\'s so good lookin\'!

Best of luck guys!

Smokebox

I agree with Smokebox, flawless jacket, and great black paint. Who needs streamlining when you have a jacket that was literally finished to aircraft sheet metal standards! Plus our Chief Mechanical Officer - Bob Kittel - trained under one of the best! Someone Steve Lee has refered to as a \'statesman\', Mr. Doyle McCormack. Which explains some of the two organizations close relations. Thanks again goes the 4449 volunteers & Doyle for the use of the auxiliary tender and all the hard work they have done to make this happen this past week!

Wild Bill

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Now, that is a beautiful engine. You guys over there sure did her right. Many Congratulations and wishes from the land of no mainline steam, the southeast.


Hayes S.

P.S. The Jacket is great!

At Railfair 99, I had the distinct pleasure and good luck to run into Mr. Wayne Tucker. We had a great time talking about making cowlings for P-51\'s and custom jacketing for 3751. Wayne is most responsible for the way the jacketing fits on 3751. He is a true craftsman and his work is reflected in the appearance of the locomotive, which is superb.

I think Wayne might need to come up here to the Great Northwest sometime!

Smokebox

Is a BNSF diesel going to be behind the auxiliary tender the whole trip? Or just the portions that require helper power or dynamic braking capability? I understand the operational elements that make diesel assistance a prudent or necessary factor for such segments as the climb up from Topock to Williams and the descent down the Peavine, but still hope that where practicable a modern, fully restored, classicly handsome steam engine like 3751 will get to show its stuff without being made to appear as if it were being shoved along by a "growler".