So this has been in my brain. and i think it is a pretty good idea. So what if we did a 4-8-4 gathering in spencer north carolina? and we had all avaible 4-8-4,s come and hang out. i mean the 844. the 4449, the 261. the 3751. the 2926. the the 611. the 2102 the 2100. maybe even cotten belt 819 and C & O 614. and more. how cool could that be? we could call it Northerns at spencer. is it possible? would you think? would the railroads and owners and chapters and even spencer be on board? plus sorry for not being on as much in these discussions. but i am back!!!
Be neat, but western locomotives are signifigantly bigger in size, they’d have cleance issues once they started getting furthur east. This would no doubt make the railroad they are on grumpy that traffic is tied up and they have to reroute the steamer.
This was one reason the SLSTA didn’t choose SP 4460 back in the 80’s. They figured out that the locomotive just wouldn’t clear a lot of the platforms.
Many of the locomotives wouldn’t even fit on the turntable in spencer.
While I was attending the Streamliner event at Spencer a group was asking some of the museum representatives what the next big event would be. A steam locomotive show was suggested. The consensus was the logistics involved for such would not make it possible.
With enough advanced planning im sure a route could be worked out& it would bring huge crowds
I would love to see all of the active Southern Rr steam locos together at spencer . The logistics of that would be more doable
Seems like a better location for a steamer get together might be at St. Louis at the RR museum. Does have a wye big enough for all. Turntable ?
All wrong.
The museum only has a connection to the UP; UP is not steam-friendly except for their own. There is no wye at the museum, nor is there a turntable. The museum’s trackage is extremely tight and full of equipment, so there’d be little room to maneuver. A quick look at the google maps view of the museum will show this.
… and let’s not mention the lack of fueling and water capabilities at that location.
When the NRHS convention was held in St. Louis, it was at Union Station, under the good grace of UP. Even then it was a tight fit for all the locomotives.
A gathering of East Coast steam might be doable, but as had been said the logistics would be tough.
Still, they managed it with the diesel streamliners,
The streamliners event was doable for all the same reasons deisels replaced steam. They didn’t require the logistics steam would have. They all fit on the turntable. And not all of the streamilners were even operable.
People didn’t expect them all to operate, and you couldn’t tell they were “dead” from photos besides. The same can’t be said for steam.
…and not to mention NS was supportive of it…
Yes, and NS has other things to worry about right now, to put it mildly.
About 25 years ago now there was a gathering of Frisco 1522, Cotton Belt 819, Up 844 and N&W 1218 at St. Louis. I am thinking it was associated with the National Railway Historical Society Convention.
Now is not the time, but maybe someday something in St. Louis or Cincinnati or someplace like that where there are some well maintained secondary mainlines for excursion runs we might see a gathering.
How would this be for a line up - just 4-8-4s since that is the thread title:
Reading 2100
Sante Fe 2926
Milwaukee Road 261
Norfolk & Western 611
Union Pacific 844
And what the heck, let"s throw in the 'Double Northern" while we are at it - Union Pacific 4014
Heck, if UP is on board IRM would be a better place than anywhere else, once they have their 130’ turntable installed and roundhouse built. They could house just about anything there as long as the curves leading up to it aren’t too tight.
Of course, that’ll be years from now, and the odds of such an occurance are low. But hey, worth dreaming about, don’t ya think?
And while we’re busy foaming, why stop with 4-8-4’s? Lets invite everything under the sun. Put in a 270 degree (3/4 of a circle) roundhouse around that turntable. That should hold everything.
Okay back to reality:
Remember, we are all just a bunch of rail-enthusiasts with (as far as I know) no signifigant influence . The odds of one of us influencing the people that need convincing are nil. And don’t forget the expenses to transport all these steamers to the meeting place. (Think tens of millions in insurance alone.)
With the RR’s becoming more and more restricting on steam I think this decade will be the last for big steam excursions as we know them.
It’s fun to dream, but don’t forget reality.
Perhaps a steam meet at Steamtown. A Round table, a steam friendly rail parnter located near many mid west and eastern steamers. Plenty of room for running.
AND a location very close to major population centers, New York, Northern New Jersey, and Philadelphia which should make for a great visitor turnout.
They ran the 765 out if their last summer, hoping for a repeat.
Let’s get the 765 through her 1472 day inspection first. FWRHS expects her to be done by June, but in this industry an unforeseen issue to delay the locomotive should almost be expected.
Hey Connor, doesn’t have to be this year. Heck I waited over 20 years for the return of the 2102 ( fingers crossed ). Steam town would a great destination for any steamer.
Makes two of us, I waited 20 years for Mighty 611 to be awakened from her slumber out there in Roanoke!
Dreams can come true, was well worth the wait.