I was thinking what would be some of the coolest. Things you would be able to do on the railroad. From driving an engine or to hooking and un hooking cars or yeah even riding in a caboose.[:D][4:-)]
i have been in the cab of an Algoma Central E Unit for the tourist train from Sault Ste. Marie Canada. it was a few years ago, i was like 8, we were walking past the pair of them and i waved up at the engineer. he told my dad and i to climb up into the cab where i sat in the engineer’s seat and then he let us into the engine compartment and revved it. it was so cool.
beuk
I got to throw a switch give the Engineer the signal to back up during a behind the scenes tour of the Wal Disney World Railroad. If any of your are going down to WDW, the tour is excelent and I highly recomend it.
Sat in the cab of a Huron & eastern GP38-2 with the crew for a hour or so at Sebewing, MI waiting on the train from Bad Axe
Cab surfing…totally gnarly, dude!
And Switchman Yard Jousting…
Ed[8D]
I got to ride in the cab of NKP 2-8-2 #587 when it was at the Montecello Railroad Museum a few years ago for repairs. The Museum got to run it for a month on excusion trains and they offered cab rides. got to toot the whistle and pull on the throttle alittle thanks to a nice hogger. Ive had several cab rides but that was one of my favorite. I also got to ride in the cab of CNW 4-6-0 # 1385 around the yard at North Freedom the last year she operated. I saw her last year and there was not backhead or bottom of the firebox. Very sad indeed. Long live The Rock.
Scott
As a youngster, I used to walk along the Milwaukee road R/W near my home. One day I walked up near Lake Tower (those of you who live in the Milwaukee area may know where this is). There was (still is) a small yard there (actually just a couple of sidings now I think). As I was looking around a brakeman saw me, and to my surprise instead of bawling me out, let me attach the air hoses to two of the cars. I was about 13 at the time and I still have vivid memories of this 30 years later. I felt like I had really accomplished something as I watched the engineer pump up the brakes and everything held. I thanked the brakeman, and went back home with a fond memory of the MIlwaukee Road (which still lives in 1:160 scale in my train room).
Got to ride in the brake van (caboose) at a museum in Bristol - the Industrial Museum’s preserved chunk of the old dockside lines. Still have a couple of videos I took from the veranda end of the van (they operate push-pull, propelling the train in one direction using flag signals from a crew member in the van to warn the loco crew of any problems). Interestingly few others seemed to realise that the van was in passenger service - most went for the two open wagons fitted with seats (and got drenched in the downpour 5mins later!)
…50 plus years ago…I rode a troop train from Seattle, Wa. to Ft. Meade, Md…{in a heavy weight Pullman car}, and lower berth…{with window}, on my way to be rotated out of the Service…{so that was a plus too}, and enjoyed seeing all that space from a train window…and to be home again…!
Once I dropped by the long-gone Westport, Indiana transportation museum late in the afternoon and the only fellow there was taking a steam engine down to the end of the line to pick up some gloves he left down on a switch. It was a crisp Fall afternoon and he asked if I wanted to ride in the cab with him. After we left the station, he said “You wanna run 'er?” I did and for a few minutes, I was handling a surprising responsive steam engine thorugh the beautiful Southern Indiana countryside.
I once told people on a internet forum what the coolest thing I ever did near a train was and then when I signed off I spanked my monkey for 5 hours watching a show on Amtrak and after I sipped on rasberry iced tea. [8]
A C&O crew was in the siding where I lived and one of the crew (fireman) gave me a tour of the locomotive (probably a GP7 or 9). Very early 60’s. Not earth shattering, but it sticks in my mind more than some of the other RR stuff I’ve done.
On the other hand, I’ve got a cab ride on the Adirondack coming up later this summer.
At age 15 in 1966, I worked as a “stundent” conductor for my friend’s dad on Rock Island nos 9 and 6 from Chicago to Rock Island and return complete with a Rock Island uniform.
At age 16 did the same thing on the Santa Fe from Chicago to KC and return. I knew the 2 conductors and they let me do ALL the work while the coach attendant, U.S. Birmingham, laughed. He said, “Those old men have you working, don’t they.”
I had a complete Santa Fe uniform as well.
As a promoted conductor on the Milwaukee Road working nos 7$8 with the old equipment between Chicago and Milwaukee and return. I always wore my Milwaukee Road uniform as opposed to an Amtrak uniform. Since I worked 51% of my passenger time on suburban trains I was entitled to.
My first trip as an engineman on the South Shore Line, 1992. Complete with Lee pin-striped overalls, white shirt and tie, and starched white Kromer.
Mitch
I had a cab ride on a small steam locomotive on the Reader Railroad in Arkansas, after helping turn it on an “armstrong” turntable. Not the same day, but was able to get into the cab of the Cotton Belt 819 . . . alas, while it was sitting in the yard.
Ran a Baldwin 2-8-0 on the Guayaquil & Quito Railroad in Ecuador. They wouldn’t let me start it - that’s a bit of a challenge on a 5.5% grade - but the engineer let me take the throttle for a little while. The engine was built in 1953, but it was pretty spartan - didn’t even have a seatbox for the engineer, so you just sort of stand on the right side of the backhead. There’s not a whole lot of room - the line is built to 3’ 6" gauge, so the consolidations were about the size of a Rio Grande K-27- and you sort of have to stand sideways, and support yourself by keeping one hand on the throttle and one on the brake stand. It’s a great feeling to unlatch the throttle and pull it out a notch and hear the exhaust sound change!
My best railroad experience was the first year I went to work as a Brakeman on the GREAT NORTHERN(Greatest railroad to work on) was on a grain extra from W. Fargo N.D. to St. Cloud MN. on a steam engine and to think I got paid for it. Six moths later the GN ran its last steam run.
Tom
Being invited in the cab of a locomotive with my son twice.and getting to photograph the 2816 on a stop in defiances hire rd yard.
stay safe
joe
This year my Cousin, Brother and I went to the Green Bay Train Museum. I’ve been there a couple times before but that was when I was really little and I didn’t remember much. My cousin asked me “Do you want to see if they still give cab rides?” and I jumped at the chance. I rode in a CNW S6 it was really Awesome. It was my first cab ride that I can remember and I know it won’t be my last!!!
Dustin
Lets see my greatest railroad exprerience so far was when I was in the 11th grade. It was Feb 3, 2003 I was 16yrs old. This was the first time I met a good friend of mine today he is now a dispatcher for Septa. Anyway, at the time he was an engineer and we got talking about trains then he invited me up in the cab (Septa Silverliner III). We were still sitting at the end of the line in Chestnut Hill West. Then the conductor gave him the ok to proceed signal. Then about two stops later at Allen Lane Station he let me take the throttle. Oh course my heart was racing about 20,000 beats per min and I was nervous and excited. I took the throttle all the way to Tulpehocken which is about three stations from Allen Lane. Suprisingly I didn’t screw anything up. After that I was really swweaty and excited. Man if I was so nervous operating a little Septa unit I wonder how I’m going to react to operating a GEVO or something lol.
About 10 years ago I was in Laona, WI where the Laona & Northern RR runs a 2-6-2 steam locomotive with two old passenger coaches and a caboose about a mile to a logging museum. After signing a waiver, they let me ride in the cab to the museum and back and blow the whistle. The cab is small so I had to stand on the apron between the engine and the tender and hang onto the handrails. Nothing quite like the smell of hot metal, coal smoke, soot and oil all mingled together. There is a slight upgrade on the line and you could feel the engine working harder to overcome the incline. Just imagine what it must have been like in the cab of a Milwaukee Road Hiawatha in the 1930’s at 100 mph…