I chased the 765 from Ft. Wayne to Lafayette today. Had beautiful, but hot, weather.
Here are a few of the pictures I took along the way.
I even got Rich to pose for a photo outside of his "office".
Tom
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I would have loved to been there..but my daughter was baptized today and had priority.
Having grown up in Lafayette, it would have been worth the drive to see this beast running the rails there. My sister showed me the pics on FB. Had to be an awesome time.
You're right about the weather-hot as hell and humid. Heat index over a 100 degrees.
Holy Coal Bunker Batman!
Yes, I get why and I understand fully. Just....different. That thing is HUGE! Looks like it towers over the engine.
One thing right away I noticed is the tender has the extra top extensions where the coal goes to have more coal. That's a cool added new feature. Also great picture of the man of the hour.
SJC, you're right. It's over the roof of the cab by a foot or two. It has to add a couple more ton capacity. We went down to Lafayette and back today on less than a tenderfull, as I didn't see them add any in Lafayette, just water.
It was a lovely day, returned home to an incoming thunderstorm. Lots of cars chasing, and there must have been half of the city of Huntington along side the tracks coming home.
That tender extension adds six (6) tons of additional fuel, i.e. coal. That can be VERY important.
Originally Posted by Hot Water:
That tender extension adds six (6) tons of additional fuel, i.e. coal. That can be VERY important.
I know it depends on terrain, tonnage, etc., but, ballpark, I think that 6 tons would get her another 60 miles or so? Is that about right?
Good for Rich; he's a better engineer than moderator.
Thanks, Carl...I think.
I saw on the Dover Harbor Facebook page that a couple on the car yesterday were celebrating their 65th Wedding anniversary!
Congratulations to them!
Wow, great photos. Those are indeed some extensions there, makes sense in todays world of steam operations.
The Wabash Heritage unit is in Fort Wayne. I wonder if they'll send it east with 765 this week to help with fuel/water mileage??
Hopefully this round of rain will move out before they return this afternoon. It stormed pretty good last night after we got back.
What a great trip!! The best part was the cars on Highway 25 slowing down to watch it. Was almost a traffic jam.
Originally Posted by Elevatorman:
What a great trip!! The best part was the cars on Highway 25 slowing down to watch it. Was almost a traffic jam.
It was crazy out there! I had either the gas pedal or the brake pedal to the floor most of the day. My gas milage is going to be terrible!
I'm surprised there weren't quite a few wrecks. It is difficult enough to drive without having to watch out for sudden stops and keeping track of the train.
The engineers that designed Indiana 25 probably never considered it would become a racetrack for train watchers. I'm not complaining!
Tom
Originally Posted by steam fan:
The Wabash Heritage unit is in Fort Wayne. I wonder if they'll send it east with 765 this week to help with fuel/water mileage??
No need to stretch coal on the Fort Wayne - Cleveland - Youngstown deadhead move. No diesel.
I took a video on the phone of cars pacing along on 25. At one time there was even a county unmarked patrol car going along with them.
Thanks for the smooth trip, Rich and the whole FWRRHS!
Looking forward to seeing 765 at Youngstown next week!! When is it dead heading? Will it stay at Norfolk Southern's Haselton yard?
I'll second that, a nice smooth ride. Our car (St Augustine) rode like a big ole Caddy! Rich, I was wondering about the couple of the complete stops out on the main we had to make Saturday between Lafayette and Peru. As I recall, that was the first time in my two Cannonball trips that we had to do that. I'm assuming it was just to help clear traffic ahead of us. Just curious.
Originally Posted by BessemerSam:
Looking forward to seeing 765 at Youngstown next week!! When is it dead heading? Will it stay at Norfolk Southern's Haselton yard?
Deadhead is Wednesday and Thursday.
Haselton Yard is correct.
Originally Posted by Dieselbob:
I'll second that, a nice smooth ride. Our car (St Augustine) rode like a big ole Caddy! Rich, I was wondering about the couple of the complete stops out on the main we had to make Saturday between Lafayette and Peru. As I recall, that was the first time in my two Cannonball trips that we had to do that. I'm assuming it was just to help clear traffic ahead of us. Just curious.
Those stops were for meets with westbound traffic. NS has a rule about opposing trains on single track territory that requires them to be stopped in a siding when we go by them. The stops which we made were to wait for westbound trains to get in the clear and stopped in a siding ahead of us.
That's what I thought the situation was. I had my scanner with me, and I heard the dispatcher tell you to give the first train we met after we left Lafayette a little more time to get in the siding and get stopped. After that, I never heard anything for the complete stops we made. Helping to minimize the delays caused to the freight traffic is a VERY SMALL price to pay for getting to "borrow" the railroad. PS, whomever was on the radio in the cab, at least from FW to Peru, had a GREAT voice. They sounded like a good disc Jockey!
We missed this by one week! My brother in law who is a Doctoral student at Purdue caught some nice pics though. He said he almost caused a crash when they first saw it.
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
Originally Posted by BessemerSam:
Looking forward to seeing 765 at Youngstown next week!! When is it dead heading? Will it stay at Norfolk Southern's Haselton yard?
Deadhead is Wednesday and Thursday.
Haselton Yard is correct.
Originally Posted by Dieselbob:
I'll second that, a nice smooth ride. Our car (St Augustine) rode like a big ole Caddy! Rich, I was wondering about the couple of the complete stops out on the main we had to make Saturday between Lafayette and Peru. As I recall, that was the first time in my two Cannonball trips that we had to do that. I'm assuming it was just to help clear traffic ahead of us. Just curious.
Those stops were for meets with westbound traffic. NS has a rule about opposing trains on single track territory that requires them to be stopped in a siding when we go by them. The stops which we made were to wait for westbound trains to get in the clear and stopped in a siding ahead of us.
As to what Rich mentions, here something to help. The video below is what I recorded on Wed July 8th, 2015 in Perry Ohio on this same Ex. NKP Line that the 765 will take and you see, (Besides NS Heritage NKP ES44AC #8100 leading NS Westbound Intermodal 205) #8100 leading the Intermodal, well he has more priority then that freight he met in the siding to wait for. That's why the Intermodal is on the mainline and not the siding. Also the size of the Intermodal is a lot longer then the freight with the CR Bay Window Caboose. As a side note, if someone does not know already, NKP #8100 in my video below is the same unit used with the 765 on Horseshoe Curve back in August 2012. Also another side note, the Ex. NKP Line / NS Lake Erie District Line & Ex. NYC Line / CSX Erie West Subdivision parallel each other from Cleveland to Buffalo with a few parts they seperate a few miles. One is from Mentor to east Painesville.
Originally Posted by Hot Water:
That tender extension adds six (6) tons of additional fuel, i.e. coal. That can be VERY important.
Yeah, but, it sure uglyed things up! Now it looks like something out of a RailKing catalog 
Originally Posted by Big Jim:
Yeah, but, it sure uglyed things up! Now it looks like something out of a RailKing catalog
So you would rather see a diesel behind the tender. OK. Got it.
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
Originally Posted by Big Jim:
Yeah, but, it sure uglyed things up! Now it looks like something out of a RailKing catalog
So you would rather see a diesel behind the tender. OK. Got it.
ROTFL! Some things are never good enough are they Mr. Rich? 
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
Originally Posted by Big Jim:
Yeah, but, it sure uglyed things up! Now it looks like something out of a RailKing catalog
So you would rather see a diesel behind the tender. OK. Got it.
Just read what I said and in the proper context and not something that you think is between the lines!
Now, what I said was...
quote:Originally Posted by Hot Water:That tender extension adds six (6) tons of additional fuel, i.e. coal. That can be VERY important.
Yeah, but, it sure uglyed things up! Now it looks like something out of a RailKing catalog
Now, what did you say?
quote:
Just havin' some fun with you, Jim.
Nothing negative intended...
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
Just havin' some fun with you, Jim.
Nothing negative intended...
Its better looking then an oil tender that Rich really wants on the 765!
Just kidding with you Rich, whatever makes running steam easier and more feasible I am all for it, even if it looks a bit "ugly"
