Steam & Excursion > NKP 765 West at MP101 west of Montpelier, OH (Saturday)

Big steam with no diesel at speed is just pure coolness. Figuring this past weekend's event would be a total foamer gong show, our strategy was to just find a nice spot and shoot it once on each trip because chasing it was just not an option with the track running diagonally to county roads of questionable integrity. We ended up with four completely foamless shots of which this is by far the best (there was a surprising lack of foamers anywhere - we might have seen a dozen over two days). Here is the westbound train Saturday, July 12, 2014 just west of Montpelier, OH at milepost 101 on the former Wabash main. The whole weekend adventure was made worth it at this one location.

As always, bigger is better: http://hostovsky.com/~WDM/2014/20140712-NKP765W-953-west_of_Montpelier_MP101-OH_1600.jpg

And even bigger is better yet ! http://hostovsky.com/~WDM/2014/20140712-NKP765W-953-west_of_Montpelier_MP101-OH.jpg

But best of all is the SOUND ! http://hostovsky.com/~WDM/2014/NKP%20765atMP111.m4a (recorded with iPhone so I hope you can open it, works in iTunes fine).

Just curious, I'd like to know if the guy in the white pickup with the same foamer shirt I had on is on here ?? ..... he stopped briefly just after the train passed and seemed to be in hot pursuit. That was pretty funny.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/14 13:43 by CCMF.

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Excellent looking train. It can be done!

That's what you get with a first class origination as the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and the 765 crew. They have been doing this for 42 years and counting and the most amazing thing is it's an all volunteer group.
andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Excellent looking train. It can be done!

They have obviously built a good relationship with NS. A couple of years ago they wouldn't let them out without a diesel, and not long before that not at all. It's truly a blessing.

This train had some interesting cars, but the 5-6 maroon cars on the head-end of the westbound trips made it pretty sweet. Mr. Moorman has quietly been amassing an excursion fleet of coaches, undoing the damage done by Mr. Goode in 1994.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

nycstl Wrote:
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> That's what you get with a first class origination
> as the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and
> the 765 crew. They have been doing this for 42
> years and counting and the most amazing thing is
> it's an all volunteer group.

Yes, an EXCELLENT volunteer group. But, "42 years"? The very first time 765 was ever "fired up" was in September 1978. She spent the winter of 1979/1980 in a Sandusky warehouse, and we then took her to the TP&W for freight "break in runs" in May of 1980.

People who bought sleeper space got displaced by the steam crew. Why sell sleeper space and then not even let the people know until they arrived that morning. A friend of mine had to put up with this mess and was not happy. If you pay for something why not provide it for those people who did.

Chris

Ok yes but fwrhs was also was sponsoring trips, selling tickets and doing all the other grunt work with putting trips together since AROUND 1974 and the group was formed in 1972 with the purpose of saving, restoring and operating 765. And the fwrhs had operated thousands of miles with all the major railroad east of the Mississippi river including but not LIMITED to CSX, NS, and the former Conrail. Also since 765 has been returned to operation in 1979 it has traveled more than 60,000 miles pulling passenger trains with an all volunteer group. No other group in the eastern US can make that claim
HotWater Wrote:
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> nycstl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That's what you get with a first class
> origination
> > as the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society
> and
> > the 765 crew. They have been doing this for 42
> > years and counting and the most amazing thing
> is
> > it's an all volunteer group.
>
> Yes, an EXCELLENT volunteer group. But, "42
> years"? The very first time 765 was ever "fired
> up" was in September 1978. She spent the winter of
> 1979/1980 in a Sandusky warehouse, and we then
> took her to the TP&W for freight "break in runs"
> in May of 1980.

Posted from Android



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/14/14 18:07 by nycstl.

The passengers who got bumped from the bedrooms were offered a free upgrade to dome seats and most people jumped on that. The four remaining passengers who really wanted the bedroom space voluntarily agreed that two would occupy the BR to Fort Wayne and the other two could have it on the return trip. All present seemed to be satisfied.

It should be noted that this was a 21 car passenger train that departed no later than 5 minutes from the advertised time both from Allen Park and Fort Wayne, got in to Fort Wayne 10 minutes early both days, and returned about 7-15 minutes late both days. Not bad for the first public passenger trains on this route in twenty years.

And Saturday would have been a little early if a hot box detector wouldn't have malfunctioned east of Milan, but it allowed for a heck of a show for the people at the closest crossing as 765 was quickly brought back up to maximum authorized speed
NKP779 Wrote:
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> It should be noted that this was a 21 car
> passenger train that departed no later than 5
> minutes from the advertised time both from Allen
> Park and Fort Wayne, got in to Fort Wayne 10
> minutes early both days, and returned about 7-15
> minutes late both days. Not bad for the first
> public passenger trains on this route in twenty
> years.

Posted from Android

That same defect detector also malfunctioned on the Sunday return trip. The operating crew got out and inspected the train and did not find any issues. We were on our way again after a short delay.

It also malfunctioned on the dead head from owosso
SDP40F600 Wrote:
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> That same defect detector also malfunctioned on
> the Sunday return trip. The operating crew got out
> and inspected the train and did not find any
> issues. We were on our way again after a short
> delay.

Posted from Android

That's one nice photo!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Mudrock Wrote:
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> People who bought sleeper space got displaced by
> the steam crew. Why sell sleeper space and then
> not even let the people know until they arrived
> that morning. A friend of mine had to put up with
> this mess and was not happy. If you pay for
> something why not provide it for those people who
> did.
>
> Chris


So, did your friend choose the dome car upgrade that was offered? You neglect to mention this.

Passengers were informed Wednesday night that a car had been substituted. Comparable accommodations/same car type. This was in the email that included car assignments and other details. In addition, our website and ticketing pages clearly state (and require you to read) that we can substitute equipment at anytime.

That decision was made last minute because the air conditioning had become unreliable in the original dorm car. The Swift Stream (its replacement) was utilized on Saturday and passengers were seated in the rooms accordingly. On Sunday we were able to upgrade these folks as previously mentioned.

In addition, most of the crew had to pay for hotel rooms because the AC was out in their dorm car.

Chris, extend our apologies to your friend for his experience - as you can see we did everything we could and was suggested to accommodate folks. There are very few reasons why folks should have an unpleasant experience aboard our trains.


Thanks,

KL
FWRHS

So, did your friend choose the dome car upgrade that was offered? You neglect to mention this.

He does not like domes. That is why he bought the sleeper space. He rode coach instead.

Chris