Steam & Excursion > N&W #1218 - 31 Years Ago At Coopers, WV

Thirty years ago today (June 10, 1988) N&W #1218 put on a show as she crossed the old N&W Bluestone Branch after clearing Cooper Tunnel at Coopers, WV. Ahead another 1.5 miles or so at the crest of the grade lies another tunnel, and #1218 could be heard loudly all the way until she disappeared within Elkhorn Tunnel. In hindsight, I have to thank both Tom Schultz and Greg Scholl for introducing me to this location. In fact, I was a relative neophyte when it came to train-chasing. Greg had asked me if I wanted to drive down to Bluefield with him for this leg of the chase on day #2 of the 1988 Independence Limited. I went along not really knowing what I was getting into. We arrived the day before and headed out to this spot to check it out. The bluff from which this shot was taken, was quite overgrown, but several individuals were busy with saws opening up the view from up on the overlook. The following day some 20-30 hardcore railfans took to this spot. Greg and his video gear had set up on the road looking up from the Bluestone Branch, another shot by noted New Zealander Reid McNaught ended up as a 2-page spread in Trains Magazine that year. His side-view shot was stunning as was this view from the overlook. I think most of us were on cloud nine after the train passed. It was a memory forever embedded in my head all these years afterwards. I distinctly remember coming down from the hill thinking to myself that I didn't care if I took another shot that day. To this day, this one remains right up there with one or two others as the best I ever captured! Shot with a Pentax 6x7 camera - 105mm SMC Lens - 1/500 second exposure at 2.8 if my memory is correct - Kodak 100 Color Print Film. Since this was shot in the days prior to digital editing, contrast was a huge problem when it came to maintaining the detail throughout the image. I relied on a guy who applied an old fashioned contrast mask when it was still an art to bringing out the detail such as in the plume of this image. Today, it's relatively easy using your favorite image editing software whether that be LightRoom or one of the other lesser know brands available.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/19 04:23 by classiclights.

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That's a beauty!

Interesting reading & great image!

Posted from iPhone

Nice! And BOTH sets of rods down.

There is a brief clip, showing the view from down below. The little house in the foreground burned a year or two later. To access the clip go to this link and scroll to the 4th clip (NS Steam Collection). It will be in the first minute.
http://www.gregschollvideo.com/previews8.html
I first discovered this spot unknowingly while riding the N&W's Pocahontas from Cincinnati to Roanoke one week before the train was discontinued before Amtrak took over. I shot from the vestibule of our sleeping car in the morning hours curving on the bridge. In 1982 my wife and I took the long way to visit my folks in Virginia and scouted the line, finding the access to Cooper. It is a great N&W setting. In 1982 when a trip was made we shot 611 down below, making a vertical shot. That one hangs on the wall here. Roger Cook had a two-page spread of this scene in Black and White in Railfan I believe that year. In 1983 I shot 611 there again heading west from Bluefield. This time I walked up the steep west side of the bridge to track level. That spot is across from where Bob's shot was taken. This provides yet another different view, with a church and another house in the scene. I have also seen broadsides from the west side which look nice as well.
I always wondered why O. Winston Link didn't have this place captured, since he did other places in the region including the buildings at North Fork, not far from here. Some years later I had purchased his second or third book, and there it was. It was a passenger train taken from the west side at track level, nearly identical to the one I shot in 1983.
In 1987, I tried to get 611 on the bridge again as it made a one-way trip to Bluefield to stage for the 87 convention. Hardly any fans were chasing this run from Portsmouth, but the traffic on this two lane roads was bad, and I did not make it to Coopers in time. I did shoot 1218 in 1987, with a still camera, as my video nose-dived into the ballast the day before and was out of commission. As Bob said its one of my favorite locations as well. Hopefully we will see steam here again someday. I think a lot of fans would pay VMT for a chase charter on this line. No insurance requirements for this type of run. I could see 100 or more photogs here at Coopers. I think we had 30-50 when Bob was there.
Thanks for the memories Bob!!! Someday when I find the files will post an image or two.
Greg Scholl
http://www.gregschollvideo.com

I echo Greg's views. Thanks for the memories, Bob. Like you, this image remains in one of the top 10 or so images recorded during my lifetime.

Thank yous to:

Bob Claytor, (who’s he?)
C. Bruce Sterzing
Ross Rowland, Jr.
F. Nelson Blount
Edgar T. Mead
The Roanoke Shops workers & supervisors that took it from a stripped hulk, to a beautifully restored museum piece.
Scott Lindsay & Crew , who put the fire in its belly...

Remove one of these players & their influence, and the above shot would never have been...
Their individual decisions, saved 1218 for it’s return to service. And it’s many romps ...l

The snow was hip deep...
It was a bitter January weekend in 1969, when Marv Davis, D&H RFE, and train of empty hoppers ( and a run-around hose, for 1218) arrived at Steamtown, Vermont, to begin 1218’s journey back to Roanoke...

Coming up on 50 years ago...

Wes Camp



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/18 09:11 by wcamp1472.

Thanks so much, Bob, for the gorgeous photo and the wonderful story behind it.

Thanks Greg, for the great story and all your wonderful videos.

And, thanks so much, Wes, for reminding all of us of the PEOPLE who made the 1218 run again, and so very well. Never got to see her in action or even "stuffed and mounted," but she is magnificent! What's not to love about her? < G >

The magnificent. “As” could pull a mile of hoppers....
What a strong machine...and were designed to romp with passenger trains...

In June 1959, I got to see her younger sister, the ALL roller bearing 1240...cold, at Shaffer’s Crossing Roundhouse ...
Parked next to the 611...also cold... Never knowing what the future was to be...
Got some Ansco chrome slides, if I’m able to dig-out ,and learn how to post on T.O.
The beautiful 1240, and all the other ‘As’ got scrapped...save one...

1218 & 3 sisters went to Union Carbide plant in Charleston, WV.... tenders were removed, and two engines were parked cab-to-cab: 2-each on two adjacent tracks, cabs lined up, in a cluster.. Steel plates were placed over the grates, and a large gas main was laid down the center of each firebox...there were cross pipes with cross-slots cut about every 8”....stretching to the side sheets.... about 8 rows of gas pipes....all flaming brightly...As ‘Carbide’s own plant boilers were renewed. The cabs were stripped of everything but the water glasses and boiler gauges.... the backheads ( boiler portion in the cab) were virtually bare...
I think it was John Killoran who begged Blount to buy and save one of them...

When I saw her at Steamtown, Vt., I was SURE it’d NEVER be fixable, and would never run again...

After it went to Roanoke, a couple of years later, I saw the1218 in Wasena Park, next to the C&O 2-6-6-6, 1604....
The 1218, had been TOTALLY restored for museum display —— every missing part had been located and replaced.
The cab was complete, and totally fitted out, —— every gauge, every valve , every pipe., every seat...
Everything had “magically appeared” from the dark corners of those cavernous buildings....and found their way back to the 1218 ,
while lovingly restored for proper display by the Roanoke Shops’ crews...
I was astonished....flabbergasted and AMAZED...

Later, Scott Lindsay and crew went to work on her ...and we ALL got to see the result ...
It’s wonderful seeing one of your students succeed wildly.... on his own.
After they restored the J, he was asked to tackle the A. !!!!

He seized the opportunity, and decided to run with it...
Just like Doyle, just like JJJ., Eric Hirsimaki & Dick Yeager -The Gentle Giant, and so many others ....

I was lucky to have known them all.... We encouraged them to roll up their sleeves, get dirty, ask questions , and dig in.
Once turned loose, you couldn’t hold them back... The best thing I could do, was to get out of the way...

As Bruce sings: Those were ” the Glory Days...”
And our BOSS, truly was Ross....

W.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/18 18:45 by wcamp1472.

Nice tribute to people who made those glory machines run again Wes.

Thanks,

But his photo captures what it’s all about.

It’s dramatic in its lighting, in the setting and in capturing the glorious event...

I’ve taken a lot of pics, but none comes close to this..

He done good..

Thanks are due to so many folks who put this whole thing together, as an event and as a trip....

When both the A & the J were running was a truly magical era...
I got to enjoy their romps so much..

It’ll be another century before that occurs again...
Maybe never...

W.

Posted from iPhone

Wow. That looks like a postcard image from the 1950s.

Great photo.

classiclights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thirty years ago today (June 10, 1988) N&W #1218
> put on a show as she crossed the old N&W Bluestone
> Branch after clearing Cooper Tunnel at Coopers,
> WV. Ahead another 1.5 miles or so at the crest of
> the grade lies another tunnel, and #1218 could be
> heard loudly all the way until she disappeared
> within Elkhorn Tunnel. In hindsight, I have to
> thank both Tom Schultz and Greg Scholl for
> introducing me to this location. In fact, I was a
> relative neophyte when it came to train-chasing.
> Greg had asked me if I wanted to drive down to
> Bluefield with him for this leg of the chase on
> day #2 of the 1988 Independence Limited. I went
> along not really knowing what I was getting into.
> We arrived the day before and headed out to this
> spot to check it out. The bluff from which this
> shot was taken, was quite overgrown, but several
> individuals were busy with saws opening up the
> view from up on the overlook. The following day
> some 20-30 hardcore railfans took to this spot.
> Greg and his video gear had set up on the road
> looking up from the Bluestone Branch, another shot
> by noted New Zealander Reid McNaught ended up as a
> 2-page spread in Trains Magazine that year. His
> side-view shot was stunning as was this view from
> the overlook. I think most of us were on cloud
> nine after the train passed. It was a memory
> forever embedded in my head all these years
> afterwards. I distinctly remember coming down from
> the hill thinking to myself that I didn't care if
> I took another shot that day. To this day, this
> one remains right up there with one or two others
> as the best I ever captured! Shot with a Pentax
> 6x7 camera - 105mm SMC Lens - 1/500 second
> exposure at 2.8 if my memory is correct - Kodak
> 100 Color Print Film. Since this was shot in the
> days prior to digital editing, contrast was a huge
> problem when it came to maintaining the detail
> throughout the image. I relied on a guy who
> applied an old fashioned contrast mask when it was
> still an art to bringing out the detail such as in
> the plume of this image. Today, it's relatively
> easy using your favorite image editing software
> whether that be LightRoom or one of the other
> lesser know brands available.


Robert I am watching the video Greg took at that spot....one would never call a Class A "quiet"!!!

NIICE..!!

I recently received a PM from another member asking if I still do prints? The answer is "Yes", I still print & ship various sizes on occasion. In order to quote a price, I need to know the size requested, type of paper to be printed on and a shipping address, along with any other details such as if you'd like it mounted on styrene or overlamination. I can print this, and most of my other images anywhere from 8"x10" up to 30"x40", some even larger if they were originally shot in the 6x7 format. My minimum print price would be $30 for an 8"x 10" without mounting. For something as large as a 30"x40" you'd be looking at several hundred dollars for the bare print depending on the paper type & mounting required, if any. I typically sign my prints with a digital signature, such as shown below. The graphics added to the smaller magnet sized images (Image #2 collage shown for example) do not appear on delivered prints unless requested.

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Great story and image Bob. I was one of the 20 to 30 up there with you. Chased her all the way to Chicago. It was a very memorable trip. Thanks for the inside story Mr Camp.

Posted from Android