LOL!

Nice Photoshop job!

NKP 765 and UP 4014 doubleheaded? Hmmm. I don't know how the 765 crew would feel about dragging that Big Boy around all day. 

OK...we've had a little fun with this, but let's stay on topic going forward, OK? Thanks.

Excellent! Got my book a couple days ago (14 days from shipped date to receiving it... thanks USPS!) LOL!!

Got mine.  Intetesting presentation.  Not coffee table.  But not, "Just the Facts", dry as a a bone discourse.

The Berk after the tunnel incident, looks like SP SD45's, straight and with special cooling package, after a few trips through Donner Pass.

The Berk and Big Boy.  Some things are not meant to lash up......!

Just ordered a copy can't wait to read it

Hey Rich,

Just tried clicking the link in the original post to the site today and I got this message from Chrome. It doesn't let me proceed to the site.

Is it something wrong on your end or my end? I've been busy and I haven't gotten the chance to order the book yet.

There was nothing wrong, but I set up a new site just for the book.

CLICK HERE to go to the new 765 Book Site.

@Rich Melvin posted:

Lance, I will be attending the FWRHS Members Day on August 22nd. This is part of the annual Open House event scheduled for August 21-23 this year. I would be happy to sign your book there.

Get more info about the Open House here.

Link to Open House no longer works.  Has the Open House been cancelled?  

The FWRHS open house was moved to October. They must have changed the link.

The Open House has been rescheduled to October and renamed the "Autumn Railroad Festival." Go to that page and you can get on a mailing list for advance notice about all their events.

And here's a link to my book page, just in case you missed it! 

Trinity River Bottoms Boomer, thank you so much for your thoughtful post. I am pleased you enjoyed the book.

I checked out the Railroad Evangelistic Association web site.  I had no idea such an organization existed. Thanks for the information.

For those of you who may not know what book "Boomer" is talking about, here's a link to my book page. All the profits from the sale of this book go to the Fort Wayne RR Historical Society for the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of NKP 765. This is the cover...

Here is a short video of the 765 blowing thru the Tinley Park train station on September 16, 2018.

Nickel Plate Berks were the best looking engines to ever ride a rail.  The details were all together to form visual perfection.

Like Alco PA-1 /PB-1 diesels were in their era.

I would have to agree with your assessment of the Berks' appearance, Tom.

Of course, I might be just a bit prejudiced...

My book sale page. All the profits from the sale of this book go to the Fort Wayne RR Historical Society for the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of NKP 765.

Out of curiosity, how many books have been sold? Yes, I bought one.

The last time I checked, which was about two weeks ago, about 650 copies had sold at wholesale to bookstores and about 300 had sold at retail.

@Rich Melvin posted:

The last time I checked, which was about two weeks ago, about 650 copies had sold at wholesale to bookstores and about 300 had sold at retail.

Very good, thank you for the update.

How fantastic! Congratulations sir! 

A very nice read Rich.  Just curious, was there ever the possibility of running the Trains story of the planning process of putting together the W&LE Pittsburgh 1985 trips with the tornado in the book.  That would have been a nice piece to have in there to show the behind the scenes work that it takes to be able to pull off a mainline excursion.

It was a pleasure to be there for the last run up at Cuyahoga Valley.  I owe Jason a huge thanks for setting that one up, even though he didn't know.

Kevin

Kevin, I’m glad you were there, too...for a lot of reasons!

Just this week I finally started editing some precious video footage from my last run. When I get it done, I’ll post it to my YouTube channel. Should I include a credit?  

I’ll have to see about that old Trains article. That was three computers ago, so I might have to go back and scan the article itself to get it back into an editable format. I don’t think I have the file for it any longer.

@Rich Melvin posted:

Kevin, I’m glad you were there, too...for a lot of reasons!

Just this week I finally started editing some precious video footage from my last run. When I get it done, I’ll post it to my YouTube channel. Should I include a credit?  

I’ll have to see about that old Trains article. That was three computers ago, so I might have to go back and scan the article itself to get it back into an editable format. I don’t think I have the file for it any longer.

I want to say the P&LE article was part of the big 765 history issue circa 1992ish.  The one with the profile shot of the front end by John B. Corns on the front cover.

Don't worry about the credit.  I'm just glad someone was there.  Many thanks to you, Kelly and Jason for putting it together.  Sometimes, I figure we're just put in a place where we need to be even if we don't know why.  It all kinda works out in the end.

The Cuyahoga Valley run was memorable for me also as a friend who had done a lot with steam railroading (on the video production side for many years) was having a lot of health problems and had lost most of his vision by that time.  He'd gone back to the early 80s with the 765 starting during the Southern tour, and that trip with 765 near his childhood home was the last engine he was able to see, and the last time I saw him.

Kevin

Hello Rich

The book looks like it will be great.  So I now expect that I also can  sell my various books via doing so, like this, on a cross link, on all the train forums and not have to use the FOR SALE forum any more.

Joseph

If you look at the sponsored links at the top you'll see Rich has a tab to sell his book. I would guess you need to do the same since that would be a business.

@GVDobler posted:

Joseph

If you look at the sponsored links at the top you'll see Rich has a tab to sell his book. I would guess you need to do the same since that would be a business.

Thank you for that info.  So that is how it works.. (a tab to see under Sponsored Links) .  OK.  No, my sales would be thinning out my own large personal railroad and & traction book collection to interested deserving people (not to people who want to for-profit-resell it) buyers.   It would not be a business.  Thanks again!

Joseph - sorry it sounded like you were talking about books you wrote. My mistake. In the case of just selling used books (or anything else train related) you would just use the "for sale" forum as usual. Sorry for the confusion.

@GVDobler posted:

Joseph - sorry it sounded like you were talking about books you wrote. My mistake. In the case of just selling used books (or anything else train related) you would just use the "for sale" forum as usual. Sorry for the confusion.

Hello Jon S

No problem at all -- and thanks again for the heads up.  I figured maybe the sell-policy was changed or modified.  Yes, these are quality books I bought ages ago -- to sell to any interested people.

regards - Joe F

@Rich Melvin posted:

WB Trainman, I'm sorry. I didn't get back on the forum to see this post until this morning. Let's hope Aerio responds properly.

If they don't send the book to me first, we may still have a way to do this. The Lovely and Gracious Linda and I are planning some fall travel in October. We'll be on the I-81 corridor for many miles. Maybe we can set up a meet then and I can sign your book in person.

Rich, I have had your book for a few months now, and all I can say is that it is AWESOME!  I'm still looking forward to meeting you sometime and getting it signed.  I know that you are busy at Fort Wayne, but please do let me know when you will be traveling to the I-81 corridor. I definitely need to get an o-scale version of the Magnificent Machine (TM) be it MTH or Lionel.

WB Trainman, the Lovely and Gracious Linda and I will be on I-81 near Staunton, Virginia in a week or two, but I think that’s pretty far south of you, isn’t it?

Yes, Rich, it is since I live in Northeast PA.  Feel free to e-mail me (not going to post the e-mail address here, but I think you may have access to it) if you get up to these parts.  Stay safe, stay well.

We're planning a spring 2021 trip that would have us on I-81 between I-80 and Scranton. That should work.

Email me in April and we'll see where we are with our travel plans.

@Forty Rod posted:

Nickel Plate Berks were the best looking engines to ever ride a rail.  The details were all together to form visual perfection.

Like Alco PA-1 /PB-1 diesels were in their era.

NKP Berks, Yes.  ALCO PA/PB's, maybe...!

Rich,

I received my copy yesterday and I very much look forward to reading it. The history and background information of No. 765 will go along nicely with my new Lionel-AF Legacy NKP Berkshire model of the prototype. The pictures alone are worth more than the price of admission. Thank you for the considerable personal effort that went into the writing of the book, the consumer-friendly purchase price, and having it printed in the USA.

Respectfully,

Bob

@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:

Rich, is it possible for James Hudson, owner of Bill Hudson Transport Books in the UK, to order signed copies of your book?

No, I don't see how he could do this. If he orders the book, it will be printed in a plant somewhere in the UK. The book would then have to be sent to me, and back to him. Postage costs would get crazy.

I have a small stock of books here that we might be able to make work if I was to send the book directly to you. Contact me off line via email and we'll investigate this.

@Rich Melvin posted:

We're planning a spring 2021 trip that would have us on I-81 between I-80 and Scranton. That should work.

Email me in April and we'll see where we are with our travel plans.

Will do Rich.  I'll have to set a reminder for myself  somehow.  Thanks again for a wonderful read.

I would just like to add how much I enjoyed Rich's book. If you all are Amazon users you might want to put  a review up on there about the book. The holidays are coming up and your reviews might help someone choose the right presnt (Rich's book) to the train fan (or foamer ) on their Christmas shopping list.

Thanks for the kind words, Chris! Glad you enjoyed the book.

So you have been to PA besides July 1988 and August/September 2015 with the 765? More like a personal road trip? Why did NS stop hosting steam excursions? Too much liability? I'm looking forward to the return of 2102 on RBMN next year.

I always thought that Lima built the most advanced locomotives, Alco the best looking locomotives, and Baldwin the most steam engines built in the world.