Steam & Excursion > Where To Run CNJ 113?

I've been thinking this for weeks. CNJ 0-6-0 #113 is now up & running but the problem is. Where railroad should it operate on? Here's some location ideas that the owners of CNJ 113 could make cooperation with to pull excursions.

Steamtown National Historic Site: run shuttle train trips through the Steamtown yard.

Reading & Northern: pull trips on The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway(that's an original CNJ line)

If you have other suggestions, feel free to leave one here. Thank you & Merry Christmas!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/12 17:52 by DLTBerkshire.

Beyond pulling excursions.... I would pay money for a photo freight of just watching and photographing switching operations with a handful of hoppers. Put me on a school bus, take me to the sight and watch or shoot away. Up the line and do it again. R&N would have multiple opportunities. I say the school bus to save on the insurance hassle. But maybe you could work a deal with R&N on their insurance and hang a coach on the back. Unload the patrons and have a go at it with the switcher doing its thing. I would also enjoy watching it shuffle cars around the Steamtown Yard.

This is a pretty big engine and probably not as transportable as the current fleet of tank engines that make the rounds on different tourist/museum lines. If possible then consider that as an option.

Tominde Wrote:
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> Beyond pulling excursions.... I would pay money
> for a photo freight of just watching and
> photographing switching operations with a handful
> of hoppers. Put me on a school bus, take me to
> the sight and watch or shoot away. Up the line
> and do it again. R&N would have multiple
> opportunities. I say the school bus to save on
> the insurance hassle. But maybe you could work a
> deal with R&N on their insurance and hang a coach
> on the back. Unload the patrons and have a go at
> it with the switcher doing its thing. I would
> also enjoy watching it shuffle cars around the
> Steamtown Yard.
>
> This is a pretty big engine and probably not as
> transportable as the current fleet of tank engines
> that make the rounds on different tourist/museum
> lines. If possible then consider that as an
> option.


Yah, I'd like to see her "kick em!" a few times! Watching a good steam hoghead on a switch engine kick cars was like going to the opera and the ballet at the same time! They probably wouldn't do that because I guess that's not done anymore?...There probably ain't a hoghead nowadays who even knows how to kick cars! It was kind of an art. (IMHO).

patd3985 Wrote:
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> There probably ain't a hoghead nowadays
> who even knows how to kick cars! It was kind of an
> art. (IMHO).

We were still kicking cars on a regular basis back in the mid 1990's when I was in train service, and I know of a few locations where it still happens every day.

Now, "flying switches" ... I haven't seen that done in a decade and a half ...

There's plenty of kicking cars still, trust me. And a drop isn't completely unheard of.... (shhhh)

Well here's how she looks the last time I visited her.
Ed K.cp Laurel Run

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Black River and Western would be a good place for it. The Three Bridges Branch is ex CNJ and could run with CNJ coaches. Could alternate with 60 to help limit boiler time between FRA inspections.

Posted from Android

They would have to get some lagging on the boiler before I would pay to photograph it.

226speed Wrote:
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> Black River and Western would be a good place for
> it. The Three Bridges Branch is ex CNJ and could
> run with CNJ coaches. Could alternate with 60 to
> help limit boiler time between FRA inspections.
>
> Posted from Android


You all have to consider the track conditions of the railroads this one would run on...and BR&W's ROW is NOT in good shape for a heavy 0-6-0 to start beating it up.


I still agree with the thought of the Colebrookdale branch as a good candidate, it's in an area that would draw people to ride behind it and pay the bills.

nhiwwrr Wrote:
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> 226speed Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----

> I still agree with the thought of the
> Colebrookdale branch as a good candidate, it's in
> an area that would draw people to ride behind it
> and pay the bills.


I'm with you on that one. If they ran it out of Minersville once and a while on the R&N, that would be neat. I hope people aren't expecting this engine to pull the next set of Reading Rambles or something.

Better check the weight restrictions on those wooden trestles on the Colebrookdale Branch first. Got a feeling the 113 is going to be too heavy for them.

Chris Bost
Leesport, PA