Steam & Excursion > Hand on the Throttle

Our summer fund raising auction The Firecracker 100 is ends Saturday. It has multiple opportunities for you to BE THE ENGINEER. This is a win-win! By bidding and winning you can save hundreds on the opportunity to BE THE ENGINEER. The money that we receive goes into the maintenance of our steam locomotives. And let's face it, operating a steam locomotive in the 21st century is expensive and operating them in remote Ely Nevada - well let's just say that adds to the cost.

SO follow the link: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?auctionId=220486381

So what’s it like to be the Engineer? Here is a testimonial from one of our participants:

When came the day at the Ely yard, I saw steam rising from the locomotive shed. It was my engine! My time! The fireman met me, introduced himself and explained the engine. He was in his early twenties, his enthusiasm, and knowledge of the engine was evident. The engineer climbed on board and explained several of the functions of the controls.

Once he passed the yard limit, he got off the seat box and motioned for me to sit down.
“Pull out the throttle,” he said.

It was harder to pull than I had ever imagined. And the brakes were far more sensitive. I learned how the reversing gear, which controls the steam to the steam chest, and the throttle worked in harmony.
The engine pulsed and breathed as it moved. I had always heard steam locomotives were alive. Now I understood why—I felt it.
About forty-five minutes into the run, after I’d gotten the feel of the engine, I came to know the lag it took for the engine to respond to the controls…and why things were done smoothly-- a bit at time…there comes a moment when you understand, when you feel… you know when to make a change in the brake, the throttle.

My engine, Number 93, a 1909 Alco 2-8-0, was laboring upgrade. I pulled out the throttle…a moment later, the engine responded by biting into the rail, the stack talking, the engine chuffing. Then time to whistle for the tunnel.
I did that.
My hand.
My decision.
Then you realize that you are running the engine. The advertisement could not possibly explain how much of you is in that cab…that it is actually you running that engine. Or how much the engineer knows, how patiently he teaches you.
That moment on that grade, it was my hand on the throttle. It was a lifetime coming. But for the moment I did that…when I felt my engine respond, heard the stack talk and smelled the smoke and steam…that was MY moment.

So if you want to Be the Engineer on a real live steam engine heading upgrade - its easy - click and BID!

Gosh o mighty! That sounds awful inviting, especially the way you described it.

Tom,

If you want to be in the cab of an original steam locomotive, heading out of its original engine house and heading up on the original track through two tunnels and four road crossings then this is the place! Frankly it just doesn't get any better then this. And, oh by the way, you learn a whole new appreciation for gravity, 100 tons, 2% downgrade.

Mark

Mark, never got to run the UP 844 or 3985, but had various cab rides on the old Reader Railroad oilburning 2-6-0 No. 2 and the smaller wood-burning 2-6-2 No. 7 on some of the famous night rides they ysed to have up in Arkansas in the early 1980s (after the line had been greatly truncated, and what an experience that was--particularly with the No. 2 with the KCS 900-Class 2-10-4 5-Chime whistle that engine had screaming through the chilly autumn night!) After having ridden behind the larger 2-8-0 1702 on the same RR when it was still a mixed train and switched out an oil refinery at lunchtime in 1971. Then later as an engr-certified UPRR employeed riding and running (under close supervision) the Texas State Railroad 2-8-2 No. 400 (now back to the Magma Arizona 16, I think it is?) from Rusk to Palestine...WOW!!!

And I've never understood those few rare birds who've said even given the chance say: "Oh, I'd just as soon take pictures of one trackside...or ride behind one in the lounge car & visit...I have no desire to actually lay my hand on the actual THROTTLE of one or even ride in the cab of it"(they don't know what they are missing!)...those folks who are in a somewhat geekish minority? You've laid out the special wonder of it all, and thanks for the wonderful and well-written description as well as the link that you provided! And running vintage diesels or modern diesels ain't half bad, either! And provided in other venues (at least the "vintage diesel" part under the various "Run a train for a day" programs which add much needed $$$ to the coffers to various tourist lines and satisfy many "bucket lists" for those intereted!!!). But yes, there is truly something special, and truly ALIVE, about steamers, and particularly if you can run 'em working hard!!! ;-) Sounds like you, my friend, scratched one off of your "Bucket List," hey? And thanks for providing otherss with the info to do the same, as this is a rare treat in the 21st Century!!! [And heads up tourist operators: this is a money-making opportunity for you, think about it and ADVERTISE IT)...

mxbassett Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tom,
>
> If you want to be in the cab of an original steam
> locomotive, heading out of its original engine
> house and heading up on the original track through
> two tunnels and four road crossings then this is
> the place! Frankly it just doesn't get any better
> then this. And, oh by the way, you learn a whole
> new appreciation for gravity, 100 tons, 2%
> downgrade.
>
> Mark

Rode the Nevada Northern earlier this July. It is real railroading, Coal smoke and all.

Take a ride, and if you can pass the test, run on of the locomotives; steam or diesel.

Mike

When I was running steam at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, one of
my great pleasures was look out the window and see a father pointing
out various appliances on the locomotive (and getting it wrong!) to
his 5 year old son. I would invite them into the cab, and of course
the kid would have an ear-to-ear grin!. After showing them the
throttle, brake, etc., I would drop the bombshell: "We about to
get the signal to pull the train out. Would you like to ride up
here?" The kid's eyes would go wide, and he'd ask "Daddy, can we?".
After the run, I would just blow the kid's mind by letting him blow
the whistle. I just knew I had let him do what, at that moment, was
the thing he most wanted to do in the whole, wide, world!

- Bruce

Our club offers throttle time with our 36 ton 102 year old Heisler [in Freeport, Illinois]. Last run this last Saturday a young mother brought her two sons to ride the cab. The youngest, maybe all of 8, looked over the locomotive then looked at me and stated, "This is a Heisler, isn't it?" Needless to say the young fellow got to run the locomotive for a couple of minutes coming back towards Silver Creek.

Roger

mxbassett Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tom,
>
> If you want to be in the cab of an original steam
> locomotive, heading out of its original engine
> house and heading up on the original track through
> two tunnels and four road crossings then this is
> the place! Frankly it just doesn't get any better
> then this. And, oh by the way, you learn a whole
> new appreciation for gravity, 100 tons, 2%
> downgrade.
>
> Mark

Oh brother

Try 16,000 tons on 2.2% downgrade.

Realist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Try 16,000 tons on 2.2% downgrade.

Well, have done that with diesels on a 1.5 percent, but never with steam!!! 16,000 tons is getting pretty serious, isn't it!!! On anything over 1.0%.