Western Railroad Discussion > B-17's, covered wagons, and steam

I just returned from an event with my Grandsons. We went to the Johnson St. yards where the WSOR is celebrating their 25th anniversary with displays and train rides in Madison, WI. I took em on their first train ride behind a "WSOR commuter train" (ex Metra bilevels painted nice and red in WSOR's colors) pulled by an E9, saw a SOO steamer (1003) leaving the yard with a "freight" (making runby moves back and forth to downtown "MX" from the yard), while a B17 is doing flyovers from nearby Truax Field (home of the WI Air National Guard).

Not bad for a city that doesn't even have a "true" mainline running through it anymore!

Wow, it doesn't get any better than that.

That B17 is the FuddyDuddy on tour.

http://www.b17.org/tour/

Qlives Wrote:
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> Wow, it doesn't get any better than that.

Hmmm ... I dunno 'bout that. ;-)

Couple years back, pennsy3750 and I were shooting the AOE in New London CT on a ferry move to Boston. They'd stopped to set out the dome and pick up Amtrak power. Power coming off included a VIA F40 (pretty rare in southern CT!)

Anyhoo ... I'm waiting for them to get clearance to back on to the NEC and I hear a rumble overhead. First a B-17 passes ... then a B-24!

I got several shots of the Collings Foundation's 'barnstorming bombers' drilling lazy circles in the sky. On one I was able to pan down to AOE's consist.

http://www.collingsfoundation.org/menu.htm - Wings of Freedom Tour 2005

* JB *

chico Wrote:
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> while a B17 is doing flyovers from
> nearby Truax Field (home of the WI Air National
> Guard).

Was this the plane you saw?
http://www.b17.org/

* JB *

If you're anyhwere near Palwaukee Airport in Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL you can see both a B-17 and a B-24 this weekend. Sunday morning at 9 they will be offering rides in both planes for $400 (all proceeds to the care of these vintage planes). If you want a train you can head a few blocks west to the CN/WC mainline. My dad and I saw both planes this afternoon.

Can't make it to Palwaukee this weekend? Both planes will be at the DuPage Airport in West Chicago, IL next weekend. You can catch a little UP mainline action afterwards.

It is probably the Collins Foundation pair, the B17 is the '909', don't remember the b24
I rode in the B17 when it was at Oxnard a couple of years ago, all I can say is, if you've got the bucks, it is well worth the price of admission.

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here's a shot of the plane closeup..

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B-17H 231909 at sunset July 8, 2005, Loveland-Fort Collins Airport, CO. Its been a tough summer in Colorado, too - three B-17's, the B-24 and doubleheaded Union Pacific steam!

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SOO 1003 highballs Johnson St. yard. They put on a good show leaving.

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here's the commuter cars for us daisy pickers.

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last one. the W&S paint looks good on these bilevels. I got to thinking how useful these bilevels might actually be for short "train rides", like today's 45 min. runs on the WSOR, as opposed to the standard long distance coach seats usually used for such functions. People seemed to like em, they were family friendly.

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Looks like folks are having a good time--something that we want the non-railfans to associate with trains. I can imagine that the bi-levels will be popular with children--steps to climb and windows with a giraffe's eye view. Caboose cupolas are popular for the same reason, and there are a lot more "up there" seats on a commuter car.

Wow Trains and B-17s!!!!
How can you go wrong???
Here's me in El Cajon Ca about 1996 or so and my favorite B-17....
Art

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a little closer-up

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Fuddy Duddy is replacing Aluminum Overcast due to a landing gear Collapse