Steam & Excursion > SBRHS 3751 to Los Angeles Union Station this weekend

https://www.sbrhs.org/news/from-the-yard.html/article/2023/07/13/santa-fe-3751-returns-to-los-angeles-union-station-

Trainfest 2023 is this weekend with ATSF 3751 to be on the rails at Union Station. Does anyone know when she might be moving to / from the station and can share that here? It would be great to see her moving again rather than simply resting after the tremendous effort over the last few years on the overhaul.

I will be there.  Also looking forward to seeing ATSF 5704 (SD45-2) in Bicentennial paint.

I haven't yet checked out the new 6th Street Viaduct, and it seems like it would be a really cool place to watch 3751 head towards the station.

Hasn't 3751 always been towed under steam by diesels to those events?

HotWater Wrote:
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> Hasn't 3751 always been towed under steam by
> diesels to those events?

It's been so long I'm not entirely sure, which is why it would be great if someone who knows could share. Here is a photo from 7th street brdige with 3751's exhaust hitting the old 6th street bridge back in 2013. But that was for an excursion on Metrolink to San Bernardino.

---

kurt765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hasn't 3751 always been towed under steam by
> > diesels to those events?
>
> It's been so long I'm not entirely sure, which is
> why it would be great if someone who knows could
> share. Here is a photo from 7th street brdige with
> 3751's exhaust hitting the old 6th street bridge
> back in 2013. But that was for an excursion on
> Metrolink to San Bernardino.

That was prior to he PTC requirement.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kurt765 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > HotWater Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Hasn't 3751 always been towed under steam by
> > > diesels to those events?
> >
> > It's been so long I'm not entirely sure, which
> is
> > why it would be great if someone who knows
> could
> > share. Here is a photo from 7th street brdige
> with
> > 3751's exhaust hitting the old 6th street
> bridge
> > back in 2013. But that was for an excursion on
> > Metrolink to San Bernardino.
>
> That was prior to he PTC requirement.

3751 has a system just like 4014's where it implements PTC through control of a trailing diesel.

1st post link didn't work for me.

See if this one does...

SBRHS news



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/23 06:44 by KA7008.

kurt765 Wrote:
---------------------------------------
> 3751 has a system just like 4014's where it
> implements PTC through control of a trailing
> diesel.

That being said, it looks like it was towed backwards by an Amtrak engine.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/23 08:24 by TractiveEffort.

HotWater Wrote:

> Hasn't 3751 always been towed under steam by diesels to those events?

Back in 2017 when there was a similar train festival at LAUPT, the 3751 was allowed to back out of the station under its own power at the conclusion of the event.  Yes, this was also before PTC, but you did say "always."

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,4339137,4339226#4339226

It is sad to see that much work and money go into a project that is basically landlocked.  Opportunities for her or any other non railroad owned steam locomotives are really hard to do these days.
Sort of reminds me of an animal in the zoo just pacing back and forth in it's cage.
People still ask why we didn't keep 1522 in steam.  We were swamped by very high insurance costs and were able to make a very few trips under Amtrak's umbrella until her time ran out.  She was due for her 1472 and we agonized over the decision.  Her running gear was in good shape, but she was in need of serious boiler work.  Her "roof" sheet (over the crown sheet) was going to need a huge new piece due to corrosion finally at the point that it needed a major size new patch.  This would require removing nearly all the crown bolts and would have been an expensive fix.   She needs some baffle work in the tender.  As is the case with any steam loco, once you're inside the boiler doing your inspection and creating a new Form 4, nobody knew what was lurking in there. We always had a great tight boiler, but who knows.
Our attendance on trips out of STL was dropping, I guess due to familiarity.  The cost to the trip sponsors for leasing and transporting cars was getting prohibitive.
The Museum wasn't interested in tieing up their resources and facility of another overhaul.  They have been approached several times by other individuals wanting to take on the job and wisely turned them down.
We came along at the right time with our restoration, had a very savvy crew recruited by the original leader in regards to talents, we were helped along by many "in kind" donations of material and fabrications and after we were operating for a while, acquired a "Godfather" on the BN.  We also worked very hard at being professional, heavy training including 2 of us training at Overland Park Engineer Training.  The 3rd engineer was already a carded engineer from the Frisco/BN.  So there were three of us FRA carded engineers and we were held to a high standard with rules tests and annual checkrides by a BN MOP or qualified person.  We were treated royally by the BN, basically we were just another movement with no army of officials along.  To us that was a high compliment.  We were just another train movement on the UP when we traveled the 16 miles to Union Station and back to the Museum on our own.  Just a pilot crew.  I'm not the skunk at the picnic, but on the NS we were sort of the redheaded stepchildren and not allowed to run our engine.  There are things that rankle some of us to this day, but that was a long time ago.
In our opinion, we went out on top of the game.  It was sad to put the old girl back in the MOT for good, but we don't have to hang our heads.  She is a great engine and did everything we asked of her. 
Secretly, if she was still running, wouldn't you like to hear her and the 2102 doublehead?  Or 425.  What a heavy metal symphony that would be.

Frisco 1522, thank you for your detailed and insightful post. I'm certain you really miss the entire operation, and thank you for all you did when it was possible to get out and run her.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is sad to see that much work and money go into
> a project that is basically landlocked. 
> Opportunities for her or any other non railroad
> owned steam locomotives are really hard to do
> these days.
> Sort of reminds me of an animal in the zoo just
> pacing back and forth in it's cage.
> People still ask why we didn't keep 1522 in
> steam.  We were swamped by very high insurance
> costs and were able to make a very few trips under
> Amtrak's umbrella until her time ran out.  She
> was due for her 1472 and we agonized over the
> decision.  Her running gear was in good shape,
> but she was in need of serious boiler work.  Her
> "roof" sheet (over the crown sheet) was going to
> need a huge new piece due to corrosion finally at
> the point that it needed a major size new patch. 
> This would require removing nearly all the crown
> bolts and would have been an expensive fix.  
> She needs some baffle work in the tender.  As is
> the case with any steam loco, once you're inside
> the boiler doing your inspection and creating a
> new Form 4, nobody knew what was lurking in there.
> We always had a great tight boiler, but who
> knows.
> Our attendance on trips out of STL was dropping, I
> guess due to familiarity.  The cost to the trip
> sponsors for leasing and transporting cars was
> getting prohibitive.
> The Museum wasn't interested in tieing up their
> resources and facility of another overhaul.  They
> have been approached several times by other
> individuals wanting to take on the job and wisely
> turned them down.
> We came along at the right time with our
> restoration, had a very savvy crew recruited by
> the original leader in regards to talents, we were
> helped along by many "in kind" donations of
> material and fabrications and after we were
> operating for a while, acquired a "Godfather" on
> the BN.  We also worked very hard at being
> professional, heavy training including 2 of us
> training at Overland Park Engineer Training.  The
> 3rd engineer was already a carded engineer from
> the Frisco/BN.  So there were three of us FRA
> carded engineers and we were held to a high
> standard with rules tests and annual checkrides by
> a BN MOP or qualified person.  We were treated
> royally by the BN, basically we were just another
> movement with no army of officials along.  To us
> that was a high compliment.  We were just another
> train movement on the UP when we traveled the 16
> miles to Union Station and back to the Museum on
> our own.  Just a pilot crew.  I'm not the skunk
> at the picnic, but on the NS we were sort of the
> redheaded stepchildren and not allowed to run our
> engine.  There are things that rankle some of us
> to this day, but that was a long time ago.
> In our opinion, we went out on top of the game. 
> It was sad to put the old girl back in the MOT for
> good, but we don't have to hang our heads.  She
> is a great engine and did everything we asked of
> her. 
> Secretly, if she was still running, wouldn't you
> like to hear her and the 2102 doublehead?  Or
> 425.  What a heavy metal symphony that would be.

I never got to see 1522, but I'm glad you guys were able to do what you did and go out on top. That being said, despite the difficulties of the current environment, groups like SBRHS and so many others persist and forge ahead doing waht they can do, fighting to do as much as they can. If every decision about steam restoration was made under a comparative lens to what once was, then why would anything happen at all? There were quite a number of young photographers at the 3751 night photo shoot last night, which had her by herself under steam on the newly restored turntable at Redondo Junciton. Sure, it's not a mainline excursion. Sure, she's "in a zoo," but without events like this however small there will be little to inspire a new generation to pcik up the torch from those who are retired from the game. With the PTC equipment, perhapse once again 3751 will be able to baffle commuters by going down the middle of the 10 freeway again with Metrolink, or who knows what in the future. It's going to be difficult, but I don't see any reason to quit.