FANSASTIC BIRTHDAY GIFT/// MY HANDS WILL BE ON THE THROTTLE

Happy Belated Birthday Alex!!! 

Happy Belated and that sounds like a pretty neat birthday gift.  I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it Alex!

**Edit: Do you think you can have your wife talk to mine? 

Alex, I can tell you exactly what to do.

First, be sure to dress like a real locomotive engineer. 

Second, make sure you have the "real" crew in the cab with you in case the loco derails. 

Third, be sure to have your sneakers available because if the loco does derail, they will chase you out of town !!! 

What an awesome unique gift!  

Thanks Jeff, and Mike for the nice comments

Mike, I'll tell my wife to speak to your wife LOL LOL

Eliot, I'm rolling around on my living room floor right now, laughing my *** off

my stomach is killing me. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL LOL   The picture of Rich staring

at you is PRICLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex

Dina is the BEST !

Enjoy your time as engineer !

You will love it.

Scrappy

I visited the Essex Steam Train Last July. It's a nice, albeit small, heritage railway.

Do you know which steam engine you'll be in control of? When I went, they were running that Chinese steamer that they dressed up a look like a New Haven.

You have a great wife BTW!

Enjoy.

Your welcome Alex!!!

You will have a great time, take plenty of pictures.

Thanks John C., Eliot, Ron, and Dave.

 Ron, the engine they said I would run is a Mikado.

Thanks,

Alex

Happy Birthday Alex.  You lucky son of a gun!

Alex,

    What a wonderful birthday gift from your beautiful wife, you will love the Mikado have a great time!

PCRR/Dave

Alex...you are a lucky guy.  You tell Dina that LaKeeta and I say she is an ANGEL!!  AND...Happy Birthday to you....wish I was 50 again...!!

Now for some advise:  Whatever Elliot says, don't do it and you should be just fine!!..LOL!!! (Elliot, I had to say it...just had to..!)

Have a wonderful time Alex and both of us look forward to seeing you two at York!!

Alan

Kind of reminds me of my last birthday and did the same (sort of) on the New Hope & Ivyland railroad.

Have fun Alex, I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did when I hit 20.

That is a fantastic gift!  I am sure you will come away from the experience with a true appreciation what it takes to run a steam engine.  I am sure it will be a bit more difficult than getting a Legacy engine to smoke....  

Hi Guys,

 Thanks Johnny, Dave, Alan,Thomas, and Dave B, for the kind words !!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny, Yep this is a great gift, see you at York

Dave, I really like a Mikado too. I also love your saying, that's the path I follow too.

Alan, Dina and I thank you both very much, Looking forward to seeing you guys at York.

Thanks Thomas I'm glad you also enjoyed your train run

Dave B, yes I agree with you, this is going to be way harder then upgrading a Lionel engine.

Thanks,

Alex

Alex, you are going to have a GREAT time. The first Steam locomotive that I got to run was an H.K. Porter 0-4-0T that belonged to the Father of a Family Friend, the only downer to that day was the opportunity was during the Final Steam Up in Clyde's Honor after his passing, Clyde had MANY steam and other old machines, several Steam Donkeys, several Steam tractors and even a Stanley Steamer Automobile.

 The next Steam locomotive that I ran was the Nevada Northern 4-6-0 #40, just a light engine day, but was still an unforgettable event, made even better by adding their SD9 #204 to the pkg.

 The last Steamer I ran was the Sumpter Valley narrow gauge Mikado #19, that was with a complete (though short, only about 9 cars) train. The day that I was able to reserve for that, just happened to be one of my Nephew's 4th Birthday. The people at the Sumpter Valley were Great, when they found out it was Will's B-Day they let Him, his Brother, my Sister Brother in Law, my Mom and Step-Father all ride in the Caboose.

Doug

Alex,  Pickup a copy of the DVD, "3025, A Chinese Mikado in the Connecticut River Valley", by Pentrex. I think you will find it very interesting.

Alex  Happy Birthday  Can't help you with a steam engine but can give you a lot of tips on an R160,R68, R68a, R32, R42, R143or an R46

That's a great gift Alex. Happy Birthday. Isn't 50 the new 35?

BTW, Dina probably just wants you to get your hands on a locomotive so you stop strangling her in your avatar. And if you run it off the tracks....... Nah, won't happen, 

Gerry

Alex,

      Happy birthday and what a great gift from Dina. She is terrific!

JohnB

A Happy belated Birthday to you Alex. 

Alex; while I've never been in the actual RR, I've been by there at least 100 times. When I was working there were a couple of pickups in that area that I use to do. It's a real nice area. I'm sure you will enjoy the gift.

Hey Dina, nicely done!!! I'm going to forward this link to MJ (hint hint).

Alex, have a blast, when is your trip?

All the best,

Paul

Third  Pic.. Somethings not quite right.. The box car has quite a lean to it, Derailment??

Alex:

Enjoy your throttle time.  Running a steamer is an incredible experience that few folks get to enjoy.  Here are Jean & I at the throttle of Western Maryland Scenic 734:

You're gonna love it!

Happy belated Birthday Alex!  Sue and I rode the Essex train last summer.  Let me know when you are going and I'll come over and say hi

Doug N

Alex,

You are one lucky guy!

I know that you being behind the throttle will be your main focus of the day, but try and get in the boat ride and the side trip to Gillette Castle that one has to take a car ferry to.  The Essex Steam Train and Boat Ride makes for one great day.

Steve

Alex,

Happy Birthday.

Chris did the same thing for our anniversary a few years ago. The Valley Railroad's Hand on the Throttle was an awesome experience. You are going to have a blast. The railroad sends you some instruction materials which you should read and understand before you go. Once you get there you go through a one hour training course and then take a short test on the information you just covered. You then are given a time slot for your one hour run behind the throttle.

I was expecting the crew to let you blow the whistle and ring the bell and that's it, but I was wrong. You are actually running the locomotive during that time. I suggest you learn as much as you can about basic locomotive operation before you go. The reason being, is that the more you know the more the crew will let you do. At least that was my experience during my run.

We have some pretty good wives. This is something you will remember for ever. Enjoy it. If you have any questions let me know. For those of you who want to know more about the program, here is the website.

http://www.essexsteamtrain.com/throttle.html

Happy 50th Alex. I'm sure it will be an experiance you will never forget. I was able to do it once with an F40PH and it is still etched in my mind. I've taken my sons and grandchildren to the Valley Steam train and have always enjoyed the times we have spent there

Dina has given you a wonderful 50th birthday present!!  Have a great time.

Happy Birthday buddy, do you think you can get Dina to talk to Michele?

What a gift!!!!!!!  Dina is the best. I'm sure that this will be a very memorable experience and you WILL BE PREPARED TO TAKE THE THROTTLE. But please, no bib jean overalls, I just can't picture you in them. 

Enjoy Alex! Just don't waste the experience trying to repair/upgrade the loco

Pat,

   Those are simply great pictures of you and Jean in the Cab, Jean leaning out the cab window is a classic and you at the throddle is a seriously great picture also.

Rick O gives good advise, not a day for maintance work, enjoy every minute!

PCRR/Dave

Alex - You probably won't want to try to improve the smoke unit either. 

Happy birthday and have a great time. 

Art

I thank you all for the nice comments, and great info, and input !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug (challenger 398) thank you for the nice photos

Lightningstripe, thanks for the tip about the video

Ben thanks, I would enjoy hearing about the subway trains!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gerry thanks,  yes 50 is the new 35, I actually feel 35.

John B, and N5CJonny and Spence thank you.

Paul, good idea forward the thread too MJ

Pat & Jean, thanks for the photos, looked like you guys had a great time !!!!

You guys look like pro's .

Doug N, Great too hear from you, I will let you know the date I'm going. We could get together and talk trains.

Steve, we will try to see and do as much as possible, I heard it's a great time

Joe, yes we do have great wives!!!!, I will email you when the date gets closer. Maybe you can give me some tips. 

John (captain John) thanks for the great info!!!!!!

John S, I will tell Dina too talk to Michele !!!!!!

Brian, thanks so much. I could never wear overalls LOL LOL just regular jeans!!!!

RickO, LOL I'll be a student that day and listening very closely. This is way way out of my league.

Art (Chugman) No smoke unit upgrade for me that day. LOL

Jim thanks

Once again I thank you all, I hope I didn't forget anyone!!!!

Thanks,

Alex

GREAT GIFT

WITHOUT BEING TOO IMPOLITE IS THIS AN EXPENSIVE THING TO DO

Hi JPC,

According too the boss (AKA THE WIFE ) LOL  she said between five and six hundred

pretty expensive.

Alex