Power of the New River Train

Bill....saw the video on Facebook as well as your photos. Looks like quite a ride! 

Matt Panagos

Thanks, Matt. It was quite a ride, but lots of hard work. I'm mechanical rider for Franklin Inn. Now we are stuck in Huntington, WV until at least Friday.  Hopefully the Cardinal will operate that day and bring us home. Here's a photo of us in the South Yards in Huntington. 

Still, that is a lot better than what you folks are all facing back there!  Hope all goes well.

Bill

I rode a special some years ago, so long I don't remember details, except that it

was two steamers, and one developed problems, and we were late getting back.

It was that exact route, Huntington to Hinton and return.  With Thurmond as a stop,

it is my favorite eastern RR area, and Cass is not far away.  Was that a steam trip?

Must have been the NRHS "convention trip" when the PM #1225 had a problem in its firebox, and the NKP 765 handled the whole train. Rich Melvin will be able to tell you which year it was and further details.

 Huntington isn't so bad Bill,come on down to Kenova and watch some NS and CSX action

You are right, Collin. Huntington is actually GREAT! We feel fortunate to have a warm room, power, etc. Funny you mention Kenova. When I first knew I would be working this trip, and had two days in Huntington, I considered renting a car one day and going to explore Kenova. But, with the steady snow outside now, even though I have two extra days here, I'll probably not do that.  I'll be posting a lot of New River Train photos over the next several days at www.greatrails.net, but here's a couple for OGR fans. I can put more here or in photo albums if there is interest. I also included the "Frankin Inn" that is waiting on the home layout.

B&OBill

Matt is correct, the Franklin Inn is the same class of car used by Baltimore's B&O Railroad Museum. The cars were built as 21-roomette sleeping cars. The PRR converted them to coaches in the mid-1960's, in advance of the World's Fair. I remember riding one on a World's Fair Special in 1964. Franklin Inn still has the original PRR seats, but with MARC seat covers. They rotate, but do not recline. The mechanism to recline is all still there, though, and the chapter will investigate what parts/work is required to restore that function.  For those interested, more can be read about the project at:

http://www.dcnrhs.org/projects/franklin-inn

My O-gauge model needs some work, too! LOL.

B&OBill

These pictures are really nice and the power is interesting, but I preferred this locomotive for power on the New River Trains.

Incidentally, the photo above was taken by OGR staffer George Seil in Huntington, WV.

NKP 765 departing Hurricane, WV with a 34-car train behind her.

And of course, the classic C&O New River shot,
the "main street" in Thurmond, WV.

That WAS the trip I was on and I agree fully with Rich Melvin.  I only wish there were

operating versions of home road (C&O) power, Elescoed Mikados or Pacifics, to pull those trains today (well, not TODAY, in the snow, but this coming summer or fall). I even once rafted the New River near Thurmond, and visited the area several times before the National Park Service took over the station.

You might want to re-think that thought. Steam in the New River looks every bit as good in the snow as at any other time of the year as demonstrated by this single photo at Cotton Hill by Tom Sink from January, 1985. This is about as good as it gets!

As far as the 1991 NRHS Convention doubleheader trips with 765 & 1225, here's one featuring the two engines southbound thru Thurmond:

Bob Lyndall:  No question that steam in the snow many places, such as Thurmond,

Hawk's Nest, or past Sandstone Falls (or maybe just about anywhere) is a beautiful sight..it is getting there that lacks the advantage of a flanged roadway in which you are unlikely to slide off....and makes running around in the New River Gorge during such weather sporty..  Which, with three feet of snow at Elkings, makes me wonder

how much is in the gorge now?

Hey Coloradohirailer, aren't all serious railfans equipped with one of these: