Railroaders' Nostalgia > My Dumb Luck: the AFT years 43

43 Danville, VA: Oct. 18-19/ Greensboro, NC: Oct. 20-24

We left Fredericksburg at the usual 2 a.m. on the RF&P. It took us about four hours to make our way through Richmond and Petersburg (we took water at both). This was our last pass through Richmond. If you were keeping score, in the last five moves we saw Richmond four times – in fact, the only time we didn't see Richmond was when we went to Richmond.
On the way to Danville, we paused in Appomattox for about two hours – it was their annual Railroad Day festivity. I'd have to say we gave it some credibility that year! Let alone panache! (I wonder what they did for an encore in '77?)

Photo 1. Appomattox
Photo 2. Somewhere between Appomattox and Lynchburg.
Photo 3. At the time, I thought we were on the former Virginian so I was keen to get a bridge shot (a Virginian signature shot), but no – “just” the N&W. The Virginian main was to the south of us.

In Danville, we were right along side the Southern Railway station. The Southern's Piedmont came through during the day, and the Southern Crescent late at night.

Photo 4. The Southern Crescent.
Photo 5. Another angle.
Photo 6. and The Piedmont. (SOU 6147 is still around- at Stone Mountain, GA)

On all the original itineraries, a stop in Roanoke was always shown. But somehow it dropped off the list as we got closer. I heard rumors of a falling out between the AFT and Roanoke, but never any specifics. (Although, the events surrounding NKP 763 may be a clue ... ) No matter – Danville was close enough by car. It was fall now and the Roanoke Transportation Museum had closed for the season, but a few calls were made ...
Yes, someone would be there to open the doors for us.

When we got there, we found a bit of trouble. Whomever it was who had come down with the keys discovered there had been a break-in during the night. We arrived just about the same time as the police who got busy trying to figure out what was missing, or nearly so (see photo 7). We stayed out of the building and out of the way. This was fine because the Crown Jewels of Roanoke were on the lawn out back. These were why we'd made the trip: N&W 611, 1218, and C&O 1604. Too bad they'd never run again.       (Yeah, OK, so we were 66.6 percent wrong. It was 1976 – who knew!)

Photo 7. Someone tried to make off with this live steam model. (I can't imagine what this weighed – amazing they got this far!)
Photo 8. N&W 611. She will run again in six years.
Photo 9. The plywood was part of the museum's fall shutdown, protecting the glass from traditional rock-throwing youths.
Photo 10. N&W 1218 - will live again in 11 years.
Photo 11. C&O 1604.  After nearly rolling over in a 1985 flood, (it came to rest leaning on that bridge behind it) the big Allegheny was moved to the B&O Museum in Baltimore.
Photo 12. Doug and Frank, AFT electricians, on the pilot deck of the H-8.  These two hold interesting distinctions:
Frank was one of the very first AFT employees – he was involved in the building of the train in 1974.
Doug was probably the very last – he maintained the AFT train set, alone, until 1978 when the cars were sold off.
Photo 13. Would'a Could'a. Sould'a?

NKP 763. Before there was the 4449, and before there was the 2101, there was the 763. In the very beginning, this NKP Berkshire was the intended power for the Freedom Train. This was more than just talk – 763 was pulled from the museum in Roanoke and moved to Elizabethport, NJ to begin restoration for the AFT.
But it was not to be.
There had been an argument all along that the logistics involved in keeping a coal-burning locomotive fed on a nationwide tour might prove insurmountable. At the last moment, the oil-fired faction won out and a second search quickly led to the 4449. However, it was obvious the '49 would run into clearance problems in the Northeast and that a second locomotive would be needed. I don't know why the 763 was passed over for the T-1 for that roll, but it was, and quietly returned to Roanoke. (The "official" reason given was that it was 2" too tall, but there's reason to doubt this) It's now in Coshocton, Ohio, with the Ohio Central – one can only hope!

One last thing about our visit to Roanoke, in all my time touring the country with the AFT, after the PA's, BL-2's, and other exotica – Roanoke provided the rarest (read: weirdest) sighting of all. As best I can make out, this is a transfer caboose. The cabin is the short hood from a Train-Master.
And the rocking horses would be, what? Hasbro?

Photo 14. The N&W built its own stuff! Not everything came out a J.

From Danville, it was a short jump to Greensboro in the middle of the night. The display site in Greensboro was on a track that ran through the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, a Revolutionary War site. (A big victory for the British, but at too high a cost in casualties. The tide turned and the British were forced to abandon the South too. This would eventually expand the territory the AFT would later tour. And there you have it: U.S. history in a nutshell).
The park was quite nice, and the added treat was the start of fall colors. Being a Santa Barbarian, this was something I'd never seen first hand – we didn't get much in the way of seasons in Southern California.
Wow!

Photos 15 & 16. Fall in North Carolina!

SR Bush
Dutch Flat

A note: Had the NKP 763 been used, the plan was to double-head with NKP 755. The 755 is on display, as it was in 1974, at Conneaut, Ohio. Unlike the movements of the 763, I don't think its association with the AFT involved more than talk.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/14 13:17 by BoilingMan.

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BoilingMan Wrote:
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> I don't know why the 763 was passed over for the T-1 for
> that roll, but it was, and quietly returned to Roanoke.

The official reason was that the locomotive was 2" too tall to operate in Penn Central electrified territory. (Winter 1976 Railfan magazine)

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Wow! Thank you.
That's quite a frank history of the early days of the AFT. I've had several people suggest I tackle an overall history of the train, and that article illustrates the magnitude of such a project- things were very rough and tumble!
So I take it none of the other "Modern Era" Berks have ventured under wire? I wonder what the routing was to get the 763 to NJ & back was? I know Doyle oversaw the move back to Roanoke, so I'll ask him about it.
I'll go back and modify my story to include this (2" info).
Thanks again!
SR
BTW- what's the date of that issue? (Or maybe they were quarterly?). I might have it somewhere, but w a date the CRRM in Sac can find it much easier!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/14 09:32 by BoilingMan.

BoilingMan Wrote:
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> So I take it none of the other "Modern Era" Berks have ventured under wire?

759 operated on CNJ / RDG, Erie / Lackawanna, PRR west of Harrisburg, and NYC north of Harmon, but as far as I know not in electrified territory.

765 operated on CNJ / RDG, and Erie / Lackawanna in 1988, and of course PRR west of Harrisburg in recent years.


> I wonder what the routing was to get the 763 to NJ & back was?

Just a guess - N&W to Hagerstown, ?? (probably WM) to Shippensburg, RDG / CNJ via Harrisburg and Reading to Elizabeth.


> BTW- what's the date of that issue?

"Winter 1976." B&O EM1 on the cover.

Great- interesting stuff.

Doyle told me they ran the 763 between a couple of freight cars (hoppers?) with an air hose that bypassed the locomotive itself. I think he said Russ was in the cab. Somewhere along the line the car ahead of the 763 derailed as they were approaching a bridge! Poor Russ was helpless to stop the train because of there only being the hose!
Guess it worked out okay...
SR

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/14 13:12 by BoilingMan.

Frank the electrician on the far left making a point with Ross Rowland (wearing the hat) .... Al Phillips is barely in the picture on the right. At the 2014 AFT Crew Reunion ...


Regards,
Burlington John

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This has been, and continues to be, a fascinating series. Thank you, BoilingMan.

Thank you NYC- these have been fun to write, and have lead to several "refreshed" friendships with fellow AFTers.
John- why do the people in your photo look so, I don't know.... Old!?
SR

Question: What would have been the reasoning behind removing the streamlining from 611? Why not just paint her a la the 4449?

I can only guess at this, but I think it's got something to do with the opinion in some circles that "real" locomotives don't wear skirts.. (Okay, the J doesn't really have skirts either- but you catch my drift) Maybe the idea was to create a kind of N&W GS-1? I imagine this plan never got much further than the fact that someone said it out loud, so not to worry.

At the time (1976) I had heard that the AFT logo was the silhouette of an un-streamlined J, and I had included this fact in the 1st draft of this weeks story. But I couldn't remember who told me this, and even wondered if whoever it was was pulling my leg- so I edited it out. (No sense starting something even I don't quite believe!) But it's in that Railfan article, so maybe I'll put it back..
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
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> I can only guess at this, but I think it's got
> something to do with the opinion in some circles
> that "real" locomotives don't wear skirts.. (Okay,
> the J doesn't really have skirts either- but you
> catch my drift) Maybe the idea was to create a
> kind of N&W GS-1? I imagine this plan never got
> much further than the fact that someone said it
> out loud, so not to worry.
>
> At the time (1976) I had heard that the AFT logo
> was the silhouette of an un-streamlined J, and I
> had included this fact in the 1st draft of this
> weeks story. But I couldn't remember who told me
> this, and even wondered if whoever it was was
> pulling my leg- so I edited it out. (No sense
> starting something even I don't quite believe!)
> But it's in that Railfan article, so maybe I'll
> put it back..
> SR

Interesting, thanks for the reply! When I read that I looked up the logo and it sure does bear a resemblance to the unstreamlined warbaby Js.

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Well I'll be darned! I didn't know there was an un-streamlined class of J's! (and not bad looking either)
I can see their point, but still...
Thank you for this.
SR

OK, as confession they say is good for the soul I'll confess. Early in the AFT's planning process ( 1970-71) I had artist Bob Lorenz do some sketches of an N&W J without streamlining ( as I'm one of those luddites that believe "real" steam engines burn coal and DO NOT wear skirts) and some sketches showing double headed NKP Berk's as both of those possibilities were under consideration.

Some of those early sketches have probably survived somewhere??

Interesting memories.

Thanks Steve for all your fascinating posts !!

Best regards, Ross Rowland

Hi Ross
I figured your ears might be burning...
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
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> John- why do the people in your photo look so, I
> don't know.... Old!?

Must be the setting on the danged digital shooting iron I've got. My kingdom for a roll of Kodachrome!!!

Regards,
Burlington John