Drew,

Thanks so much for the VERY nice comments. So glad you mentioned Neil Vodden. You have no idea how much we, Doyle MacCormack and I, learned from Mr. Vodden (I NEVER called him Neil to his face) about the SP modern steam power, and specifically the GS-4 class.

My last main line steam trip on SP 4449 was the two day excursion in June of 2017, from Portland, OR to Bend, Or and return. I was beastly hot, even for eastern Oregon, with tens over 100 degrees F. Returning the Portland that Sunday afternoon/evening, the temperature finally dropped below 95, so the BNSF lifted the 45 MPH slow order on the main line, and we could then run 60 MPH.

I really enjoy doing those interviews, and since my memory is still really sharp, and can remember some of the darnedest "little details" after all these years.

Thanks again.

Where can we listen to this? Can I just pop that into Google?

Drewski,

Hot Water is also on some of the 'Dream, Plan, Build' DVDs if you can find them

@Hot Water posted:

. . .  since my memory is still really sharp, and can remember some of the darnedest "little details" after all these years.

. . . which has allowed us to have many interesting conversations about locomotives, trains, and railroads, over many years.

@BillYo414 posted:

Where can we listen to this? Can I just pop that into Google?

https://notch6.libsyn.com/

@Number 90 posted:

. . . which has allowed us to have many interesting conversations about locomotives, trains, and railroads, over many years.  Some who regard Hot Water as our resident hard-nosed Roundhouse Foreman on the Forum would be surprised to know what he is really like.

Hot Water is also interviewed on the EMD at 100 DVD, and I wished they would have shown more of his interview and comments.  He is really knowledgeable.  Whenever he or Rich Melvin speak about railroading, we should listen. 

Rob

I really liked those episodes with @Hot Water as well. I think that’s where I learned about how much he worked with MTH to get the right sounds for EMD locomotives into the right models.

So grateful for all of his contributions to this great hobby.

@Number 90 posted:

. . . which has allowed us to have many interesting conversations about locomotives, trains, and railroads, over many years.  Some who regard Hot Water as our resident hard-nosed Roundhouse Foreman on the Forum would be surprised to know what he is really like.

Unfortunately, when someone brings logic, common sense, and facts into a conversation it is not always appreciated.  Thanks to some excellent mentors in my life, I have learned that when those that know speak, shut up and listen.  There is a very good chance you will learn something.

@ecd15 posted:

Unfortunately, when someone brings logic, common sense, and facts into a conversation it is not always appreciated.  Thanks to some excellent mentors in my life, I have learned that when those that know speak, shut up and listen.  There is a very good chance you will learn something.

This statement needs to be etched in stone and included at the front of EVERY employee handbook, no matter the business.

Tom

@Drewski1992 posted:

.... Would be awesome to meet you in person one day.  Besides Neil Vodden, who is one of my favorite engineers, rip, if there was anybody that I would want to teach me to fire a steam locomotive, it would definitely be you, Jack👍🏼

Thank you for inspiring me!

All the best,

Drew Sagona

If I may, he's larger than life! Certain people just have the gift. I heard his voice in a large arena and knew it was him before I even saw him. Great experience I have to say. One real person. Nothing fake. Purely honest and fun. Oh boy, I'd better stop now.

To know Jack s to love Jack.   No BS, no filter, he is the REAL thing.

@Number 90 posted:

. . . which has allowed us to have many interesting conversations about locomotives, trains, and railroads, over many years.

I too add my thanks to Jack.  He has bailed me out more than once with my work for Sunset Models and is a true gem to talk to in person. 

So are you Tom!  In fact I think I still owe you some information regarding repairs.    Need to remind myself next time I talk to Scott.

Agree with above nice comments , and yet, have we been seeing a softening approach from Jack with age?

How about a video with Jack and myself talkin' steam?

Coming soon to the OGR YouTube channel.

@Rich Melvin posted:

How about a video with Jack and myself talkin' steam?

Coming soon to the OGR YouTube channel.

Sounds like a steamy conversation

There nothing quite like vast knowledge that is grounded in experience. No one represents that any better than Hotwater.

@Rich Melvin posted:

How about a video with Jack and myself talkin' steam?

Coming soon to the OGR YouTube channel.

@Rich Melvin posted:

How about a video with Jack and myself talkin' steam?

Sounds like it will be fun.

Coming soon to the OGR YouTube channel.

I didn't know that OGR Magazine had a "YouTube Channel". How do we locate THAT?

I set up the OGR YouTube channel several years ago, but never did anything with it. There are only four videos there right now, with nothing new added for years.

OGR is about to "re-launch" their YouTube channel with some new content and a lot more videos! When that happens, I'm sure the link will get posted all over this forum!

OK folks, here ya go!

Subscribe to the OGR YouTube Channel

Rich,  that was great.  Thanks!

Rich,

Fantastic!!!  Thanks to you and Jack for making the video.

I can't think of a real railroad person that I don't like.  I'm not saying there aren't any, but I haven't met them.  Jack and Tom are two great examples of this.  I feel privileged to know them both and being able to call them my friends.  They aren't just knowledgeable, but are also very nice people that are just fun to be around and share this great hobby with.

Art

Thank you Rich, the amount of knowledge by the fine gentlemen mentioned in this thread is nothing short of amazing.

Paul

Thanks, @Hot Water and @Rich Melvin, for that video! I agree with @Drewski1992, it is always a pleasure, Jack, to hear you share your stories and wisdom.

@EMD posted:

Drewski,

Hot Water is also on some of the 'Dream, Plan, Build' DVDs if you can find them

Awesome!  Will try and look them up when I’m able

@Rich Melvin posted:

OK folks, here ya go!

Subscribe to the OGR YouTube Channel

Thanks for posting this Rich!  Never expected this thread I posted to take off like this and it’s great to see so many people who respect and or know both you and Jack talk about you guys with such love🙂

@Hot Water posted:

Drew,

Thanks so much for the VERY nice comments. So glad you mentioned Neil Vodden. You have no idea how much we, Doyle MacCormack and I, learned from Mr. Vodden (I NEVER called him Neil to his face) about the SP modern steam power, and specifically the GS-4 class.

My last main line steam trip on SP 4449 was the two day excursion in June of 2017, from Portland, OR to Bend, Or and return. I was beastly hot, even for eastern Oregon, with tens over 100 degrees F. Returning the Portland that Sunday afternoon/evening, the temperature finally dropped below 95, so the BNSF lifted the 45 MPH slow order on the main line, and we could then run 60 MPH.

I really enjoy doing those interviews, and since my memory is still really sharp, and can remember some of the darnedest "little details" after all these years.

Thanks again.

Just now seeing this Jack.  For some reason, my email wasn’t notifying me of replies to this thread Lol.  That said I had no expectations of you replying to this so I’m very humbled that you took the time to reply🙂

I also got a chance recently to check out an older thread. Where you talked about how you darkened your rails so that peoples eyes would be drawn to the scenery and not the track itself which I thought was an interesting take.  Definitely something that I’m putting in my back pocket for sure as I don’t have a layout of my own right now. Basically my clubs layout is my layout if that makes any sense because I like the space right now to have a full hi rail layout as I currently live in an apartment.  

I’m able to do other stuff like weathering, freight cars and customizing cars with loads etc.  Just no layout space yet for the big stuff that I have haha.

Hoping to have a layout of my own someday though when the timing and circumstances allow for it, so in the meantime, I get to take stock of a lot of things that other modelers have done to figure out what kind of look I like, and what looks the most realistic, so then, when it does come time to build a Layout, I have all my ducks in a row so to speak and take those ideas and make it my own.

@Rich Melvin posted:

How about a video with Jack and myself talkin' steam?

Coming soon to the OGR YouTube channel.

All I wanted for Christmas...

Drewski you should try a train sim on the computer if you don't have the space for a model railroad. There's the old MSTS from 2001, Trainz with different versions, Dovetail Train Simulator, Train Sim World, Train Sim World 2, and more. There's also Cities Skylines which has railroads in it and Transport Tycoon by the creator of Roller Coaster Tycoon. I had/have a bunch of train games for computer, and I also have A-Train for Playstation 1. I mostly am using Trainz 2019 now. Trainz is easier to modify and merge routes, and build with. I did have model trains set up in the past, but in 2015 my train table was dismantled. I have LGB trains packed away in a skinny long closet which is full of my brother and I's stuff accumulated over the years. As well as Lemax amusement rides and haunted houses that I collected, they are O scale size. Some pieces are worth money now because they were limited run. I'm made my bedroom into an arcade game room with replica arcade games you can buy at Walmart, Best Buy, etc. I had gotten rid of my bed maybe over 15 years ago but now my cousin on my late mom's side, her only sister's son, wanted me to get a bed for my room and he bought me one. He lost his dad to strokes on March 31. It came in cardboard boxes, the mattress and the bottom and I have to set it up. I lost my mom last year on June 14 in the hospital because her lungs got weaker and she had to be tubed for several days and we made the decision to let her go instead of her getting a trach in her neck and having to spend the rest of her life in a nursing facility. My brother and I live with a man who lived with us since early 1994 in the house we grew up in since the 70's. We lost our father on March 8, 1986 to a car hitting him 2 miles from our house at night when he was walking. We went out to a movie that day and he wanted to stay at home and he went out for a walk. He worked for the former Bethlehem Steel in the Bethlehem plant which closed in 1995, coke works 1998. Hot Water, so you were on the crew of the final mainline steam excursion on BNSF in June 2017 before Amtrak banned excursions in March 2018? Do you think Amtrak will ever relax their policy with Richard Anderson gone? At least the 765 and 611 have non-class 1 railroads of a decent length to run on now and NS still helps transport them from and to their home bases of New Haven, IN and Roanoke, VA.