Steam & Excursion > Speaking of ATSF 3751 Steam Tunnel Cleaning Tehachapi:

Any TO members have video or pics from track-side, as 3751 emerged from the tunnels during that steam cleaning moment, that they can post here on TO?
Thanks.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

If I were the engineer on 3751, I wouldn't want to see those again. I never understood why he blasted through them when he had perfectly good diesel power to prevent that mess.

Posted a pic to you 5/16/18, this board.

BECAUSE ITS FUN!!!!!!!!!!

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> If I were the engineer on 3751, I wouldn't want to
> see those again. I never understood why he
> blasted through them when he had perfectly good
> diesel power to prevent that mess.

Yes, I Do respect that part of it also.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Spikes Wrote:
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> Posted a pic to you 5/16/18, this board.

Yes you did, and thank you!
Just checking to see if anything else our there.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I were the engineer on 3751, I wouldn't want to
> see those again. I never understood why he
> blasted through them when he had perfectly good
> diesel power to prevent that mess.

Unless he was briefed about it ahead of time then he may not have thought about it. He was probably enjoying the moment of the sound of steam pulling the grade. Having it amplified in the tunnel must have been awesome (and fun). Probably the thought that the exhaust was blasting the grime off the roof didn't cross his mind until it was too late.

RailRat Wrote:
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> Any TO members have video or pics from track-side,
> as 3751 emerged from the tunnels during that steam
> cleaning moment, that they can post here on TO?
> Thanks.

Over on Ebay. Mark Balkins son Jeff has a bunch of Mark 1 dvd videos for sale. The 3751 one is a great buy IMO. It has video of them going through the tunnels and a short interview with them after the days run all dirty.

Posted from Android

My son and I were fortunate enough to have ridden all four days on this California Limited excursion. After the tunnel steam cleaning, we came into Tehachapi in a snow storm of sorts. This was all quite a good trip.

-Fred-

I shot video of the trip both directions. I was on the hill way above tunnel 4 looking down so you could see the train out of tunnel 3 and both sides of tunnel 5. She went into 5 barking like hell and came out the other side still barking, but those 2 warbonnets were black. It sure looked and sounded great. If I can find the tape, I will get it converted and post some clips. Also have some great pacing action from around Edwards to the Hwy 58 crossing.

MJV1988 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RailRat Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Any TO members have video or pics from
> track-side,
> > as 3751 emerged from the tunnels during that
> steam
> > cleaning moment, that they can post here on TO?
> > Thanks.
>
> Over on Ebay. Mark Balkins son Jeff has a bunch of
> Mark 1 dvd videos for sale. The 3751 one is a
> great buy IMO. It has video of them going through
> the tunnels and a short interview with them after
> the days run all dirty.
>
> Posted from Android

Thanks, will check it out, that sounds like the one I heard about back then.

Also wonder if Jeff is selling copies of Mark1 C&O 614 winter coal experiment, saw that on RFD channel years ago, one of my all time favorites, Hard to find now.😂

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I shot video of the trip both directions. I was on
> the hill way above tunnel 4 looking down so you
> could see the train out of tunnel 3 and both sides
> of tunnel 5. She went into 5 barking like hell and
> came out the other side still barking, but those 2
> warbonnets were black. It sure looked and sounded
> great. If I can find the tape, I will get it
> converted and post some clips. Also have some
> great pacing action from around Edwards to the Hwy
> 58 crossing.

Thanks, and I convert my own tape collection to digital, so I know it all takes awhile

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

RailRat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MJV1988 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RailRat Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Any TO members have video or pics from
> > track-side,
> > > as 3751 emerged from the tunnels during that
> > steam
> > > cleaning moment, that they can post here on
> TO?
> > > Thanks.
> >
> > Over on Ebay. Mark Balkins son Jeff has a bunch
> of
> > Mark 1 dvd videos for sale. The 3751 one is a
> > great buy IMO. It has video of them going
> through
> > the tunnels and a short interview with them
> after
> > the days run all dirty.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Thanks, will check it out, that sounds like the
> one I heard about back then.
>
> Also wonder if Jeff is selling copies of Mark1 C&O
> 614 winter coal experiment, saw that on RFD
> channel years ago, one of my all time favorites,
> Hard to find now.😂

He still is. I've purchased a large amount of his dvd's over the past few years. I personally like the Hopewell title "Ace of Black Diamonds" of the 614T trips narrated by Rich Melvin. One of the best programs I've purchased.

Mike Martin was a PR exec. out of Los Angeles and a good railfan as well. He was on the train. A buddy of mine and I were chasing the train and caught up to it east of Mojave right around North Edwards and paced it quite a while. We had a scanner and heard Mike call in to Barstow - "We need to bring the diesels to the wash rack as soon as we get in", he said. When asked why, he said, rather wearily, "you'll see when we get there". Mike, if you see this, get in touch, it's been way too long.

BTW, I'm guessing the smoke wasn't all the 3751's fault, just most of it. EMD's were (and are) notorious for "choking" in that tunnel and exiting under a cloud of really black smoke. It was really spectacular with four or five SD-45's on the point, three as swing helpers and two on the tail end. The grade and length of the tunnel did not help. I was also told later that between the 3751 slipping down in the tunnel and the EMD's choking there were some really tense moments in the tunnel with the fear of a complete stall imminent. Vince is a good friend so I'll leave it at that.

Have fun, be safe,
Bruce "Doc" Jones Sierra Madre CA

MJV1988 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RailRat Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MJV1988 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > RailRat Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Any TO members have video or pics from
> > > track-side,
> > > > as 3751 emerged from the tunnels during
> that
> > > steam
> > > > cleaning moment, that they can post here on
> > TO?
> > > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > Over on Ebay. Mark Balkins son Jeff has a
> bunch
> > of
> > > Mark 1 dvd videos for sale. The 3751 one is a
> > > great buy IMO. It has video of them going
> > through
> > > the tunnels and a short interview with them
> > after
> > > the days run all dirty.
> > >
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > Thanks, will check it out, that sounds like the
> > one I heard about back then.
> >
> > Also wonder if Jeff is selling copies of Mark1
> C&O
> > 614 winter coal experiment, saw that on RFD
> > channel years ago, one of my all time
> favorites,
> > Hard to find now.😂
>
> He still is. I've purchased a large amount of his
> dvd's over the past few years. I personally like
> the Hopewell title "Ace of Black Diamonds" of the
> 614T trips narrated by Rich Melvin. One of the
> best programs I've purchased.

Yes, I purchased "Ace" a few years ago, and after looking at ebay again, I now remember how much more affordable the Ace DVD was, compared to the Mark1 DVD of 614 winter coal/safety combo.

However if memory serves correctly, the Mark1 footage has some of the most awesome whistle echo/snow/steam scenes I have ever seen!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

wingomann Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Frisco1522 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If I were the engineer on 3751, I wouldn't want
> to
> > see those again. I never understood why he
> > blasted through them when he had perfectly good
> > diesel power to prevent that mess.
>
> Unless he was briefed about it ahead of time then
> he may not have thought about it. He was probably
> enjoying the moment of the sound of steam pulling
> the grade. Having it amplified in the tunnel
> must have been awesome (and fun). Probably the
> thought that the exhaust was blasting the grime
> off the roof didn't cross his mind until it was
> too late.

Surely, (and apparently) a situation that not too many folks though about untill it was too late?

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

DocJones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike Martin was a PR exec. out of Los Angeles and
> a good railfan as well. He was on the train. A
> buddy of mine and I were chasing the train and
> caught up to it east of Mojave right around North
> Edwards and paced it quite a while. We had a
> scanner and heard Mike call in to Barstow - "We
> need to bring the diesels to the wash rack as soon
> as we get in", he said. When asked why, he said,
> rather wearily, "you'll see when we get there".
> Mike, if you see this, get in touch, it's been way
> too long.
>
> BTW, I'm guessing the smoke wasn't all the 3751's
> fault, just most of it. EMD's were (and are)
> notorious for "choking" in that tunnel and exiting
> under a cloud of really black smoke. It was really
> spectacular with four or five SD-45's on the
> point, three as swing helpers and two on the tail
> end. The grade and length of the tunnel did not
> help. I was also told later that between the 3751
> slipping down in the tunnel and the EMD's choking
> there were some really tense moments in the tunnel
> with the fear of a complete stall imminent. Vince
> is a good friend so I'll leave it at that.
>
> Have fun, be safe,
> Bruce "Doc" Jones Sierra Madre CA

That's a great story!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

I agree, read about it and It's still amazing how Tunnel 5 can make the climb just harder, did see an Eastbound Santa Fe Manifest struggle inside it, crazy!

Posted from Android