Steam & Excursion > ORHF Holiday Express photos (part 2)

Part 2...

Day 2 of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation Holiday Express this past weekend. These pictures are from Saturday December 5th.

We have more photos on the OPR's Holiday Express page...
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/HolidayExpress2009.html

The official ORHF Holiday Express page, where you can find the latest info and buy tickets for next week's continuation of the ORHF Holiday Express is here...
http://www.orhf.org/holidayexpress/index.html

Thanks for viewing....

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/09 02:26 by Brian894x4.

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Some more of day 2.....

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

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A couple more....

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

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Ok, two more...

I'm still learning the settings on my camera....

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

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Excellent photos Brian!!! Santa's beard almost looks real........joking Phil. Arlen

Ok...Excellent photos Brian, BUT, I would have hated to have flown out from New Jersey to photograph the 700 with all that decoration on her. As far as I'm concerned, the trip would have been ruined and I wasted my time and money. But, for the rest of you who love it, what a wonderful steamy, exciting family Christmas event. (Thank God I photographed her in 1990, looking like a respectable steam engine, instead of a crass marketing gimmic.)

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Ok...Excellent photos Brian, BUT, I would have
> hated to have flown out from New Jersey to
> photograph the 700 with all that decoration on
> her. As far as I'm concerned, the trip would have
> been ruined and I wasted my time and money.
> But, for the rest of you who love it, what a
> wonderful steamy, exciting family Christmas event.
> (Thank God I photographed her in 1990, looking
> like a respectable steam engine, instead of a
> crass marketing gimmic.)


Baahhh Humbug....

Cheers, Dave

Watch the faces of the children and families that come to these events and you will understand exactly why the volunteers work so hard to decorate these trains during the holidays. Besides being an American tradition as old as these steam engines, which attracts people from all over the area to an event to see something they might not otherwise think to come too, every amazed look of wonder is a potential new supporter of steam preservation, which will help guarantee the future of these locomotives for everyone.

Brian McCamish
Oregon Pacific Railroad
http://www.oregonpacificrr.com/

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Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Ok...Excellent photos Brian, BUT, I would have
> hated to have flown out from New Jersey to
> photograph the 700 with all that decoration on
> her. As far as I'm concerned, the trip would have
> been ruined and I wasted my time and money.
> But, for the rest of you who love it, what a
> wonderful steamy, exciting family Christmas event.
> (Thank God I photographed her in 1990, looking
> like a respectable steam engine, instead of a
> crass marketing gimmic.)

Sorry, but it isn't always about the railfans. This was about families, especially children. The looks on their faces says it all in these wonderful photos. Thanks Brian for posting them.

You bet! Here's one I took while volunteering at the concessions. This little girl wanted to get a shirt. Karen was helping her. Look at all the stock we had set out. Keystone, glad you stayed home.

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Brian...I think you hit on something here. Go restore a steam engine. Decorate it with signs, flags, lights etc. THEN, advertise a photo charter where the purists can photograph the engine as it should look. Charge $600 a head to the traditionalists to see it correctly, and charge $60 a head to the wonderful families and children who really don't care. The restorers can have it BOTH ways. The locomotive gets restored, preserved and operated. Keystone1

Keystone 1,

I think several operators already do what you have proposed. Ohio Central comes to mind....

Keystone1 Wrote:
> Ok...Excellent photos Brian, BUT, I would have
> hated to have flown out from New Jersey to
> photograph the 700 with all that decoration on
> her. As far as I'm concerned, the trip would have
> been ruined and I wasted my time and money.
> But, for the rest of you who love it, what a
> wonderful steamy, exciting family Christmas event.
> (Thank God I photographed her in 1990, looking
> like a respectable steam engine, instead of a
> crass marketing gimmic.)


Keystone1, I'll be more than happy to keep the decorations off of the 4449 this weekend if you can come up with the funds that ORHF raises during this holiday-themed event geared towards the kids and families. If you can round up a bunch of railfans eager to fork over $151,200 ($14 per person times passenger capacity for entire Holiday Express event) to keep the decorations off the train, shoot me an email.

Other than that, I'm going to place my bet on that more people will enjoy seeing a lighted Christmas train at dusk. What's a Christmas/Holiday train without lights or decorations? The decorations and lights go a very long way for this event, it's no wonder why the dusk trains sell out first. The way things are looking, people who come all the way out to Portland to see and ride the 700 and 4449 during Holiday Express are ultimately saving these engines from homelessness. Yes, people who rode 4449 across the USA last July-October did it to get 4449 across the country and attend Train Festival, but it wasn't enough to build a new home. Holiday Express will build a new home!

197, 700, and 4449's new home will not have been possible without all of its Holiday Express volunteers, the Oregon Pacific Railroad, and the passengers who come out to ride it. ORHF's progress on securing a new home for the locomotives would not have been where it is today without the Holiday Express.

http://www.orhf.org



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/09 16:52 by F40PHR231.

Amen, Chris! And you do a great job lighting these trains.

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nycman Wrote:
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> Amen, Chris! And you do a great job lighting
> these trains.

Can't take credit for the 700... I along with David Cautley, Laurel Lyon, Phil Barney, Phil Selinger, Nick Cabral and Laura Fink did the six train cars, and tomorrow the 4449. This year the exterior of the train set and 4449 is being done up in LED lights!

I knew that, but that was the only pic I had to post from last weekend. You guys and gals did a great job on the cars, they look great.

We are riding the Polar Express this weekend and my daughter doesn't care if the train is pulled by 1225 or a GLC diesel she just wants to ride a Christmas train. My hat is off to all the volunteers everywhere who decorate these Christmas trains. Yes we rode behind 4449 this past summer but to a little kid there isn't anything better than a train ride at Christmas.

Brian
Grand Rapids

He guys, Brian, etal, great job on the Christmas train. It is very unique and beautiful. If is pays for a home and restorations ,.... I'm all for it. And, I guess when it is the purists turn, for $600 a head or so, we can get photos of all the engines looking as they should. Merry Christmas, and great job guys. Keystone1