Steam & Excursion > Steam Teaser To The 2005 NRHS Convention

Over the weekend the 4-8-4 steamer #700 was steamed up and ran a Christmas Train thru
Union Station here in Portland, OR and then
over to Vancouver, WA where Santa treated the
BNSF kids to a nice Holiday Surprise. She
looked great going over the steel bridges as
did the #4449 heading up the Columbia River
just a few weeks ago.

All this is a reminder that the Pacific Northwest
Chapter (Portland, OR)is hosting the NRHS Convention next year (July 5-9, 2005) and now
is the time to be SURE YOU are preregistered.
There are lots of railroad things to see and
do including lots of active steam. There MAY
even be some surprise steam visitors and ALREADY
there is a special excursion train planned to
start in Sacramento, CA and arrive at Portland
just in time to start the Convention.

Preregister NOW and be sure you get the info
on all the activities early so YOU can participate. Already there are a LOT of folks
who have preregistered who don't want to miss
what could be the best NRHS Convention held in
many years.

Ok, you've piqued my interest .... what's the website link ? :)

Edit: Found it: http://www.nrhs.com/

Their site is a bit confusing, so here's the info link:

http://www.nrhs.com/nrhsconv/2005conv/index.html

and:

http://www.nrhs2005.com/

The NRHS extends certain privileges to pre-registrants but exclusive, private access to knowledge of planned convention events is not one of them. Please post all information on all planned events on the 2005 Convention website, then I'll pre-register. Thanks. Bob

Also noticed that you have to be a NHRS member to attend. So I just joined up :)

I don't know how anything could top the Northstar to the Rails 2004 conv. in the Twin Cities this past July, but something tells me this one will be special too.

I haven't been to one of the NRHS conventions just yet. Did make it to TrainFest 2004 this past August though, just whet my appetite for more steam :D I see the 2006 convention will be at Ohio Central - same place where the TrainFest was :)

To BNSF Bob.......not sure what your intention
was in this response BUT I was merely providing
some encouragement for those not sure where
the 2005 NRHS Convention was as well as some
thoughts as to what might happen under the best
of circumstances. By the way once all the
events are published YOU won't be able to
preregister so if you want a "sure" thing (
your words not mine) then maybe you should
stay at home and hope for the best.

train671 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To BNSF Bob.......not sure what your intention
> was in this response BUT I was merely providing
> some encouragement for those not sure where
> the 2005 NRHS Convention was as well as some
> thoughts as to what might happen under the best
> of circumstances. By the way once all the
> events are published YOU won't be able to
> preregister so if you want a "sure" thing (
> your words not mine) then maybe you should
> stay at home and hope for the best.


I got a wild hair because there were so few details on the website. I'm now pre-registered. Sent in my NRHS renewal too. See you in PDX. Bob

To bnsfbob.....good to know that one more "good
guy" will be attending the NRHS Convention. It
is frustrating signing up for a possible event
that hasn't been firmed up. Apparently that is
why this year the Portland Chapter only charged
$10 to preregister which is the cheapest in years. The big challenge with hosting these
events is that the big steam events require so
much time and so much red tape to cut through
to get things all nailed down. Most of the
big railroads really don't want to give any
kind of approval until after the first of the
year. There are lots of local train things to
participate in within 100 miles of Portland and
they can be nailed down BUT if a big steamer is
involved you have to wait to the last minute,
unfortunately, sometimes to nail that event down
and then position the local things around that
event. I looked at my $10 to preregister as a
small insurance policy that I would at least get
an early first glance before the events were
announced to the public. My gut feeling tells
me that there is every reason to be optimistic
about this coming Convention in Portland, Or.
See you there.

chico Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know how anything could top the Northstar
> to the Rails 2004 conv. in the Twin Cities this
> past July, but something tells me this one will be
> special too.
>
I participated in only one activity during this convention, the trip to the Lake Superior Transportation Museum and the excursion from Duluth to Two Harbors and return. I paid for a first class trip(something I rarely do) and was rewarded with a ride in the business car Northland - this was wonderful.

Unfortunately for the convention organizers, the Grand Excursion was going on at the same time and I chose to ride the St. Paul - La Crosse circle trip because half of the trip was on the BNSF which was a new route for me. The return leg was over the CP line used by Amtrak. The convention trip of the following day offered only the CP route in both directions, so I passed it up.

Dave

Train671,

Considering that UP last year wouldn't run a steam trip for the convention, and it had its steam train about 100 miles away from the host city the same week, and that last October BSNF wouldn't even approve a diesel Amtrak charter trip from Chicago to Galena, what information do you have that makes you so optimistic that this 2005 convention will be such a large steam show?

Don't get me wrong: I would love to see the trip via Keddie and Bend to the convention steam-hauled, and I would love to see steam over Stampede Pass, to Wishram, etc. as well. So, I hope BNSF and UP approve a lot of steam excursions to this convention. But to tease people about steam at this convention is very premature in my opinion. Do you disagree?

Chris Jacks.

ctjacks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Train671,
>
> Considering that UP last year wouldn't run a steam
> trip for the convention, and it had its steam
> train about 100 miles away from the host city the
> same week, and that last October BSNF wouldn't
> even approve a diesel Amtrak charter trip from
> Chicago to Galena, what information do you have
> that makes you so optimistic that this 2005
> convention will be such a large steam show?
>
> Don't get me wrong: I would love to see the trip
> via Keddie and Bend to the convention
> steam-hauled, and I would love to see steam over
> Stampede Pass, to Wishram, etc. as well. So, I
> hope BNSF and UP approve a lot of steam excursions
> to this convention. But to tease people about
> steam at this convention is very premature in my
> opinion. Do you disagree?

Every trip has its own unique reasons why it ran or did not run. The Galena trip you mentioned was disapproved for reasons that are not likely to have a bearing on a trip proposed 2000 miles away in Portland.

As for UP, the closest the train got to the 2004 Convention was 230 miles, not 100. The 3985 was on the return leg of a long trip from Cheyenne to Houston, TX. The crew and engine were tapped out. Plus, UP ran a two-day public excursion with 3985 from St. Paul to KC in 2002, so you can't fault them for not going there again in '04. As it is, the NRHS Twin Cities 2004 had the most steam of any convention in the last ten years.

I'm hopeful there will be mainline steam next summer in Portland. If you can't get big steam running in Portland, with two resident engines and access from the UP, you're not likely to get it at any other major US city that could host a convention. Bob

Mr Jacks what I do know is that over the weekend I DID see the steamer #700 running along BNSF
track starting out on Union Pacific track and
just a few weeks ago I DID see steamer #4449
starting out on Union Pacific track and then
traveling on BNSF track. In my original "post"
I mentioned the word MAY as far as possible steam
traffic. Being an optimist I am hoping for the
best BUT even if there is no big time steam there
are still many railroad experiences that can be
included for a week of new experiences for those
who might chose to attend the 2005 NRHS Convention at Portland, Oregon. It isn't much
of a stretch with two of the biggest operating
steam engines in the US that are stabled side
by side in the same roundhouse for one or both
MIGHT be steamed up and ready to go under the
right and patient circumstances. I might also
add that staying home is also an option.

bnsfbob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
As it is,
> the NRHS Twin Cities 2004 had the most steam of
> any convention in the last ten years.
>
Did you get a different program than I did??? The NRHS 2004 had just ONE steam excursion - the St. Paul-LaCrosse trip behind 261 & 2816. All other steam trips were sponsored by the Grand Excursion, Canadian Pacific and Friends of the 261. These trips occurred before, during and after the NRHS Convention, but they were not part of the Convention.

I mention this (and I hope I'm not opening up any wounds here), because one of the Convention organizers told me that the Grand Excursion drew people away from the Convention and the there was no rolling stock or motive power for all of the trips originally contemplated by the NRHS (the Convention website originally stated that three main line steam excursions were planned). And since the UP equipment was not available, the NRHS was able to just offer one steam excursion.

Dave

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bnsfbob Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> As it is,
> > the NRHS Twin Cities 2004 had the most steam
> of
> > any convention in the last ten years.
> >
> Did you get a different program than I did??? The
> NRHS 2004 had just ONE steam excursion - the St.
> Paul-LaCrosse trip behind 261 & 2816. All
> other steam trips were sponsored by the Grand
> Excursion, Canadian Pacific and Friends of the
> 261. These trips occurred before, during and
> after the NRHS Convention, but they were not part
> of the Convention.
>
> I mention this (and I hope I'm not opening up any
> wounds here), because one of the Convention
> organizers told me that the Grand Excursion drew
> people away from the Convention and the there was
> no rolling stock or motive power for all of the
> trips originally contemplated by the NRHS (the
> Convention website originally stated that three
> main line steam excursions were planned). And
> since the UP equipment was not available, the NRHS
> was able to just offer one steam excursion.
>
> Dave
>

Dave, no wounds-just inaccuracies. The Grand Excursion did draw numbers to the Convention who would have not gone otherwise. While you are right that there was only one steam trip officially sponsored by the NRHS, how many fans limited themeselves to just NRHS events while they were in town? The three originally planned Convention trips were based on the initial (false) hope that trips could have been run with one of the Soo Line steamers. UP and Friends of 261 could hardly be blamed that their equipment was busy during the Convention. Indeed, if it weren't for the 261 and her trainset, the Convention doubleheader would not have taken place.

Bob

It is true that the convention had in mind some non-steam Amtrak charter trips, like the trip to Duluth that was instead run with busses. The Grand Excursion using the equipment it did made these proposed trips unworkable.

The inability to use either the 2719 or the 1003 for a variety of reasons (including getting the engine there, lack of equipment, insurance, etc.) shows exactly the predicament anyone who wants to run main-line steam is in right now.

Chris.