Steam & Excursion > A Friendly Waive From The Cab Means Everything Is Under Control!

Some photos of steam railroading show how truly tough a job it was for the crews of steam locomotives to keep their trains moving on a day-in-day-out basis.  But that was not always the case as we see here.

In May 1941, famed NP engineer and NW railfan, Al Farrow was trackside in Tacoma, Washington with his camera when he caught one of his fellow Northern Pacific engineers truly enjoying his job as he piloted NP 0-6-0 #1130 as a helper engine pushing Great Northern #2504 and her train up the steep hill out of town.

Maybe it was the beautiful spring day that delighted the crew of #1130 or maybe it was just the fact that they had been called upon to assist the Great Northern to get that train out of town that bought a smile to their faces.  Regardless, what it was, the friendly waive from the cab meant everything was going well.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/19 02:45 by LoggerHogger.

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LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> Regardless what it was, the friendly waive from the cab meant
> everything was going well.
>
> Martin

I know I have posted this before, but the exchange between the WM fireman and head brakeman and the operator at Williamsport is too perfect a confirmation of Martin's comment to not post again. 

Gordon

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It still is a hoot to get a friendly wave from the crew as they pass by.......
 

The beautiful spring day may have had something to do with it but my guess would be that that's a yard job making an extra day's pay at yard rate for working outside the switching limits that put a grin on the faces of all concerned.

Looks Like South Tacoma Hill.  And yes, the NP and GN crews mixed like oil and water.  Even long after the merger, so yes the NP crew would be chalking up another bragging right if they had to "help" the GN up the hill.  Love your Pics and stories, Martin!

Why would GN be running on the South Tacoma Hill?  I thought that the GN trains stuck to the "water level" route between Tacoma and Nisqually.

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> Why would GN be running on the South Tacoma
> Hill?  I thought that the GN trains stuck to the
> "water level" route between Tacoma and Nisqually.

How much traffic did the South Tacoma Hill line see for through trains after the Point Defiance water level route was opened?   Was the older line used for overflow traffic when the Point Defiance line was getting busy?