Steam & Excursion > Nickel Plate Road 587 at Monticello, Illinois

Flashing back 20 years this month, in May, 1997, Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 #587 had been moved to the shop at the Monticello Railway Museum for work. After the work was completed, the locomotive operated for several weekends to raise funds for the restoration of the museum's own 2-8-0 #401. This was the first time steam had operated at the museum since 0-4-0 #1 and 0-6-0 #161 had been withdrawn from service nearly a decade before.

Enjoy!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Outstanding!!! I cannot stop watching this video, Mary. Did you shoot this? If so... I had no idea that you were a pro videographer.

Don
Retired Wedding Videographer
Manoa Valley, O'ahu

2472Don Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Outstanding!!! I cannot stop watching this video,
> Mary. Did you shoot this? If so... I had no idea
> that you were a pro videographer.
>
> Don
> Retired Wedding Videographer
> Manoa Valley, O'ahu

Thanks, but no. George and Kurt shot this. I knew it was going on, but being a student at the time I didn't make it up there. In the 90s I was working strictly in the audio field, excepting the few times I borrowed a friend's camcorder. Video equipment was out of my price range in those days.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 2472Don Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Outstanding!!! I cannot stop watching this
> video,
> > Mary. Did you shoot this? If so... I had no
> idea
> > that you were a pro videographer.
> >
> > Don
> > Retired Wedding Videographer
> > Manoa Valley, O'ahu
>
> Thanks, but no. George and Kurt shot this. I
> knew it was going on, but being a student at the
> time I didn't make it up there. In the 90s I was
> working strictly in the audio field, excepting the
> few times I borrowed a friend's camcorder. Video
> equipment was out of my price range in those days.

Hi Mary -

I have no idea who George and Kurt are but they must be pro videocamera operators. Their blocking of shots is perfect, pan timing is perfect, as well.

SP2472Don
Manoa Valley, O'ahu

The three off us are professional videographers only by the loosest of interpretations of the term, and none of us have made a living behind the camera.

George worked at a plant and switched from concentrating on photography to video in 1985. He quickly developed a good eye for composition, undoubtedly helped by his years with a still camera. George's camerawork is a result of practice making perfect.

Kurt is a minister and also worked in education. He had done a little trackside with his video camera before we met in 1991, but not a whole lot. He handheld everything up to that point, and began shooting with a tripod on my urging. He learned a lot about composition from George, whom he met trackside. Kurt's tripod was always the weakest link in the chain, but through the magic of editing you'd never know it.

Interestingly George's path crossed Kurt's and mine on many occasions before we actually met, and the two of them knew each other over a decade before George and I got to know each other.

I've told this story on many occasions, but I don't think I ever told it here. In May, 1991, I was just a year out of high school and working at the Waldenbooks store in the mall in Carbondale when a fellow came walking in on a Sunday afternoon. His hat caught my attention: a black ball cap with a gold embroidered circle and the number "4960" in it. I walked up to him.

"Like the hat."

He later told me he thought this was a case of employees being trained to engage potential customers. Like this skinny kid would really know anything about it.

"You even know what it is?"

"Yeah. A Chicago, Burlington and Quincy class O1a Mikado."

There was an audible thud as his jaw hit the ground.

We exchanged phone numbers and within a couple of weeks we were trackside shooting Union Pacific and Cotton Belt trains on the Chester Subdivision. Less than a month later we were chasing N&W 1218, riding behind Kentucky Central #11 and shooting the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Last year's chasing of N&W 611 was our 25th Railfan Anniversary.

All because of Kurt's ball cap.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/17 17:30 by MaryMcPherson.

I've always liked USRA power, especially the light mikes. This is a handsome one, although I think the tank is a little big for it, I still like it. The video was great.
If I recall, this is in an overhaul/1472 and I haven't heard anything about it in a long time. Hope its not dead in the water.

My understanding is the museum is now landlocked and there isn't much of a place to run it. That's not to mention infighting and turmoil among factions at the museum.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The three off us are professional videographers
> only by the loosest of interpretations of the
> term, and none of us have made a living behind the
> camera.
>
> George worked at a plant and switched from
> concentrating on photography to video in 1985. He
> quickly developed a good eye for composition,
> undoubtedly helped by his years with a still
> camera. George's camerawork is a result of
> practice making perfect.
>
> Kurt is a minister and also worked in education.
> He had done a little trackside with his video
> camera before we met in 1991, but not a whole lot.
> He handheld everything up to that point, and
> began shooting with a tripod on my urging. He
> learned a lot about composition from George, whom
> he met trackside. Kurt's tripod was always the
> weakest link in the chain, but through the magic
> of editing you'd never know it.
>
> Interestingly George's path crossed Kurt's and
> mine on many occasions before we actually met, and
> the two of them knew each other over a decade
> before George and I got to know each other.
>
> I've told this story on many occasions, but I
> don't think I ever told it here. In May, 1991, I
> was just a year out of high school and working at
> the Waldenbooks store in the mall in Carbondale
> when a fellow came walking in on a Sunday
> afternoon. His hat caught my attention: a black
> ball cap with a gold embroidered circle and the
> number "4960" in it. I walked up to him.
>
> "Like the hat."
>
> He later told me he thought this was a case of
> employees being trained to engage potential
> customers. Like this skinny kid would really know
> anything about it.
>
> "You even know what it is?"
>
> "Yeah. A Chicago, Burlington and Quincy class O1a
> Mikado."
>
> There was an audible thud as his jaw hit the
> ground.
>
> We exchanged phone numbers and within a couple of
> weeks we were trackside shooting Union Pacific and
> Cotton Belt trains on the Chester Subdivision.
> Less than a month later we were chasing N&W 1218,
> riding behind Kentucky Central #11 and shooting
> the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Last year's
> chasing of N&W 611 was our 25th Railfan
> Anniversary.
>
> All because of Kurt's ball cap.

Mary -

Wonderful story about how you met George out at Carbondale, and thanks for sharing it. It's a small world, sometimes.

2472Don
Manoa Valley, O'ahu

Wow! This is great video. I had the pleasure of seeing 587 a few times growing up in Fort Wayne, including the double header with 765. I wish she would steam again.

-Kurt (not the Kurt mentioned above)

1 - Here is the gang behind the videos I post after shooting Nickel Plate 765 at Horseshoe Curve: Kurt Jensen, George Redmond, Tom Dunn and I'm the giantess on the right.

2 - Older and wider.... Kurt and me on our 25th anniversary of the 4960 hat incident on location at Monvale, Virginia, waiting for #611.

3 - I discovered this in front of a comic book store in Metropolis, Illinois. I intended to commandeer it to go shoot some Big Boys on Sherman Hill, but couldn't get it to work properly. We'll see WHO gets the reference.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My understanding is the museum is now landlocked
> and there isn't much of a place to run it. That's
> not to mention infighting and turmoil among
> factions at the museum.

Sounds like once again politics, egos and stupidity have spoiled a good thing. They should send it to Monticello.

Last year was the first time in forever the Fair Train didn't run, and I hear there is talk about turning the track into a bike trail.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Great video. Thanks!

John.

Nice video! There is a petition to try to stop this bike trail nonsense on their website. Please sign to help them. I am tired of these idiot politicians thinking a trail would draw people to their area. Utter nonsense.