Steam & Excursion > 3 more 1998 Steam in NY and NJ

Eastbound from Port Jervis to Hoboken.

1. Photogs on the ground.

2. Photogs on the train.

3. Meeting NJT in Suffern.

B&OBill

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I like how photo three shows the old and the new together in this train meet image.
Bob

Nice photos. The first shot is taken about a half mile after leaving Port Jervis just at the foot of the long upgrade ( IIRC about 15 miles at about 0.75 % ) to the summit. 614 running full throttle and about half way out of the corner walked those 24 car long ( about 2,000 trailing tons including the 25,000 gal. aux. tender) trains up that hill at a steady 33-35 mph.

  The shots also show the 3 open window cars we supplied for the serious steam lovers. We made wearing goggles in those cars mandatory ( we sold them on the train for about what we bought them for wholesale IIRC about $ 7/pair ) as a cinder in the eye at 80 mph can do real damage. It was fun to watch from the head end as once we crested the grade and achieved track speed there were less and less heads out the windows as the speed steadily increased. By the time we hit 80 per there were VERY few heads still in evidence. Trust me, a hot cinder in the face at that speed REALLY HURTS !!  

   Before the first of the 24 trips there was a lot of nervousness in the NJT operating ranks about the 614 being able to take a 24 car train to/from Port Jervis unassisted and stay reasonably on schedule. When we arrived back in Hoboken 16 minutes early ( at 6:14 pm vs. 6:30 pm advertised) on the first excursion that all went away.

    Thanks, Ross Rowland 

Thanks, Ross.  Those three trips I took, one in each year, were among my  BEST TRAIN RIDES EVER.  Further enhancements came from having Bloody Marys in Mountain View, and your comments today.

B&OBill

Amazing Images! Thanks for Sharing

I was Born in 2007 and In Regards to Excursions like the Erie Limited, I Believe i was born Too Late to Experience the Sights and Sounds on as Ross puts it, a "Full Monty" Excursion.
Hoping for a Chance!!

Maxwell DiNovo
Manhattan, IL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/22 20:50 by Max614fan.

First one looks like NYS&W 142 on the front?   Did it actually help any or just get pushed by the 614?

cjvrr: Here's what Ross  said in a post on May 1:   "That SuzieQ engine is a really strong puller. We let her take the train out of Pt.Jervis and start up the hill leaving town and she got us a good 3 miles out of town before we put the 614 to work helping. That's a heck of a performance with a 24 car long train on an 0.60 % pull. "

B&OBill