Steam & Excursion > NKP 765 - 06/20/1982

June 20, 1982 was windy as NKP 765 and its excursion train raced down the N&W (Ex-NKP/Now W&LE) in Lodi, Ohio.
Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/22 04:15 by refarkas.

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#765 was certainly pulling a rainbow consist.
Thanks for your nice action posting.
ALLEN

I wonder what Keystone1 would have said about this picture…

Posted from iPhone

I don't know about Keystone1's comments,  
In this picture, I'm glad the 765's yellow cab handrails were later painted black..

When I think of NKP passenger trains I think of 4-6-4s & Alco Blue  nose PA diesels...
Berks weren't commonly assigned to passenger trains, as far as I've seen.

I'm a Jersey guy, anyway, brought up on Pennsy K4s and CNJ Camelbacks.
Pennsy E units weren't good at multiple, commuter stations close together, with 
repeated quick accelerations... Traction motors overheated by the abuse they 
weren't built for.

Baldwin passenger engines with Westinghouse traction motors ( more copper) 
did better at multiple, rapid accelerations...

After steam left, timetables down the NY& LB we're adjusted to give slower
accelerations --- to save TMs...

But recently, Berks hauling passenger trains generally hauled 'circus' consists --- 
1960s HICO CNJ trips were uniform green coaches, with most open-windows.
A couple of HICO trips over the WM, out of Baltimore, hauled uniform, 
Pennsy Tuscan Red cod excursions --- HICO owned cars cars red +
the PRR P70 cars were red...( see also all PRSL P-70s used in May '68
on Camden-Cape May R-trip!)

Most HICO trips with the Berk 759 were mixed colors..
And 759 was fitted with a steam heat capability,, tender only...
by the NKP, late in the 1950s.  I suspect that not many Berks had the
"regulated steam" lines applied.  The original 1958(?)  steam heat hose
 was renewed during the '68 759 renovation.

The 1969, Golden Spike Centennial Limited ( the Blue Train) was
steam heated ....  By the Berk, the two UP SD35P (+6900) & UP 8444,
all supplied steam..  (UP 6900s we're not boiler equipped..).

​W.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/22 11:27 by wcamp1472.

Most, if not all of the 'war baby" NKP Berks (including 765) were built with passenger equipment. And while not terribly common, it DID happen, and 765 pulling a passenger consist is certainly prototypically "correct", AND, these Berk pulled NKP passenger trains sometimes had run through cars from the Lackawanna, so the consists weren't always as pristine as Keystone would hope for either.

JOHNY5ALIVE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder what Keystone1 would have said about this
> picture…
>
> Posted from iPhone

He'd poo-poo the flags...

Nice shot...

None of the 700's were built with the steam heat line and comm. line. Almost immediately after delivery selected S-2 locomotives had the equipment added by the NKP. No doubt the NKP was overwhelmed by the immense number of war time troop trains but I do have an Onerio Sabetto photo of the 765 pulling regular train no. 7 at East Cleveland.

The New River Trains showed what a NKP Berkshire could do with 30 to 33 passenger cars on a bit of a grade, and pushing steam (heat) through that same number of cars.

Posted from Android

Rehor's NKP bible states that 23 of the S-1 and S-2 class were equipped for passenger service in 1944-1946. Of today's survivors, only the 763 and 765 were so equipped.

Posted from Android

Interesting and great pic. I find the consist interesting and I imagine the passenger enjoyed the trip, despite the variety of the consist. I think we need to be thankful for any mainline steam trip over the years and understand perfect consist just aren’t realistic. I’ve ridden behind 765 in a former Milwaukee full length dome with my youngest son. And in the dome Silver Lariat and in a restored NKP Hwt Coach on a couple trips with my oldest grandson. 765 is the star, not the cars. But the cars are interesting. Living in the West I have enjoyed riding and chasing UP’s 844(4) and 3985 excursions and their beautiful matched consists. But also enjoyed a trip behind Santa Fe 3751 riding in an Amfleet car. Bottomline, I think whining about the consist is an insult to those who put in the hard work to make these trips possible. And thanks again for posting the pic, I wonder who owned the Auto Train full length dome.

Randy in PHX

Posted from iPhone

Re author NKP779, above..

Add engine # 759 to your list of steam heat equipped 
Berks..

That's the way we found it when we had the opportunity 
to return the engine to service, in 1968.

Wes Camp
CMO, The High Iron Company

NKP779 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> None of the 700's were built with the steam heat
> line and comm. line. Almost immediately after
> delivery selected S-2 locomotives had the
> equipment added by the NKP. No doubt the NKP was
> overwhelmed by the immense number of war time
> troop trains but I do have an Onerio Sabetto photo
> of the 765 pulling regular train no. 7 at East
> Cleveland.
>
> The New River Trains showed what a NKP Berkshire
> could do with 30 to 33 passenger cars on a bit of
> a grade, and pushing steam (heat) through that
> same number of cars.
>
> Posted from Android

I stand corrected.I was thinking that at least the 1944 order of 700's had came from the builder with the passenger equipment. I should have consulted the bible first.

Junctiontower: you are forgiven. The steam heat lines and air comm. lines were added so soon after delivery that it would be a natural assumption. Same thing about the first Mars light: as soon as the 779 was delivered in May 1949, the NKP added the Mars light and sent it to the Chicago Railroad Fair. Unless you check the Lima S-3 builders photo, you could readily assume that it was built that way.

Posted from Android

On several occasions during the cold of winter, I saw a 700 on the point of #7, with the PA’s, headed west through Erie in the morning. The railroad guys would tell me, and dad, that there was a problem with the fuel oil line to the PA’s steam heat boilers freezing.  

Jim Kreider
 

That is surprising that 759 had the steam heat lines. It is one of the first errors I have ever found in the Roster Section of John Rehor's THE NICKEL PLATE STORY- the bible of all things NKP. No doubt that as a NKP safety dept. employee at Terminal Tower in Cleveland, he had insider access to company records. So make that 24, not 23, Berkshires with the steam heat line and communication line.

I don't remember that 759 has a communication signal air line....
Sorta' because I don't remember Doyle and Joe adding a 
pass-through, "signal air line" to the ex-N&W auxiliary water tender.
The Aux tender was equipped with ABD brakes Auxiliary  Reseveroir &
control valve, not connected into the loco/tender Independent Brake systems.

Back in those days, we used RR Motorla 2-way, FM radios for cab communications...

The ex-Reading 2102, under Bill Benson's use, was "passenger equipped",
including the signal air line and whistle. following it's use on Reading's Rambles.  
Again, in fantrip use, we used RR FM radios, on their frequencies, for communications
with the loco cabs. Both for on-train communications, as well as dispatcher and other's comms.

We had too many situations requiring more complete transmissions than could be handled
with one-way signal-whistle  squawks.....Like during photo "run-bys".... for safety reasons:
 loading ind unloading the folks, long distance back-ups,  & returns to the loading spot: TO THE FOOT, etc...

As engineer, Ross always picked a marker on the ROW,  for guidance.
Passengers loved Ross's Run-Bys ....Many were 'repeat runs', at each episode.

​W.

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/22 12:27 by wcamp1472.

A couple months later she'd be taking her surprise tour of the Southern Railway.