Currently active under this portion of the Forum is a string entitled “Southern Pacific Locos on the East Coast”. There are inclusions in that string regarding SP 4449 heading up the Freedom Train during the Bi-Centennial. Even a photo of it crossing a Florida canal.
My question regards the staffing of the cab on runs far from home on “foreign” roadbeds. I’m fairly certain that in the case of 4449 the controls were handled by those certified for steam that were involved with the restoration, I believe out here in Portland. But virtually all those miles were logged on routes it - and the engineer - had never seen before. Doubtless along these many miles were unique features or local issues (signalling?, tunnels/bridges/curves?, etc.) that might prove a surprise to the lucky stiff at the throttle. Do these kinds of specials routinely carry in the cab someone familiar with the lay of the land (like the bar, river, and harbor pilots required on foreign vessels)? At least one inquiring mind wants to know. [8-|]
(Hopefully this topic is suitable for this part of the Forum. If not, will the moderator please shift it elsewhere, where it’s likely to reach a few extra eyes?)
Yes. A pilot or pilot engineer will be in the cab to relay track and operating characteristics to the engineer. Sometimes the road foreman of engines* will perform the duties. (*RFE or Trainmaster, these days)
There’s an interesting story about Doyle McCormack and the 4449 when the engine was used for filming of Tough Guys:
The movie director wanted to use an actor as the engineer. On seeing what was involved in training someone unfamiliar with running a locomotive, let alone a steam locomotive as complex as the GS-4, he decided it would be easier to train Doyle how to act instead.
He can be seen in some of the scenes and if I recall, he has a few lines, too.
A friend of mine, a now retired Road formean of Engiens at the Enola, Pennsylvania yard used to be called to run the Conrail then NS Officer Specials bewtween Philadelphia and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania… He told me that the crews had quarters in one of the sleeping cars and that it was pretty good duty…
For us, special trains like office trains, pax excursions, or circus trains (when they ran) always had a company offical (RFE) ride along with the qualified crew. And many times the crew was hand-picked for the duty. I never agreed with that last part, but it was reality.
Back when I worked on the PRR/PC and Chessie (C&O) the Assistant Road foreman of Engines(ARFE) was required to get x many hours of throttle time a month.
The funny part 90% of these characters was former engineers.
The places I know of there was a crew change close to the border, so the “foreign” crew only operated a short distance into the other country, then there was a crew change with the “home” crew. No pilots.
Our OCS and occasional Amtrak detours just go to whomever is first out. I’ve handled both. One interesting thing, a manager always ride the engine with the business car trains, even if the only person riding is the car attendent(s). But they don’t on the Amtrak detours. Even the regular Amtrak engineer usually rides back in the train.
Some labor agreements allowed crews to be picked for special trains. For example if some organization chartered a train, any crew members who belong to that organization might be chosen on the various crew districts. Fred Flintstone might feel better with a fellow Water Buffalo at the throttle as they go to the annual convention.
Then you are lucky. I HAD some good ones too. Some very good, but, that was long ago and far away, and, before the pencil pushers were given “officialdom”!
