Steam Freight on the Strasburg Rail Road

Well done!

Nice job, Lee!

Missed you by two days.  Nice long freight you got there - and blue skies!  And an Amtrak meet.  Looks like someone was hooked up!

Here's one from the following Friday morning:

/Mitch

Wow, gorgeous sight! Take many more photos like that? Would you be able to email me file of this picture? It's very nicely done. 

Beautiful, Mitch.

Spectacular picture. Wow. I may take a run to see this but I could go there a 1000 times and never get a picture like that. Stunning. 

Steps back into time...by being the right place at the right time...what engines

were these,guys, ...their GW decapod or ?

Here's a similar view, taken 2 days earlier:

Who are the cusomers? When do they deliver that freight? Looks like some lumber and who knows what in the covered hoppers and the box.

Definitely lumber, and it was offloaded and transferred to truck within the hour, too.

From what I've heard /read - Strasburg will spot a car or more at Paradise late in the evening on Tuesdays and Thursdays and pickup the loads at 6:30 AM on Wednesday and Fridays (as necessary).  The event has become popular enough to the point where fans interested in riding the mixed freight are welcome to purchase a ticket.  Visit the site for details.  The passenger car was added due to the demand!

This will continue through September (originally, the steam freight was to end in August).

Here are a few more to compliment Lee's superb video and dawn still shot:

/Mitch

Wow, just a great video and pictures.  Amazing work guys.

The railroads web page for this: http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/mixed-train.php

My point is that they are not running this freight train just for giggles and a handful of railfans. Someone marketed and developed the freight business on the line and that represents another source of income for the railroad. They are making several hundred dollars per car on that freight business.

However this has come together, it is a good thing for the railroad from a business point of view. My hat is off to whoever put this freight business together. Getting freight business up and running on a railroad that has had none for many, many years is not an easy task. Been there and done that.

Excellent "Time Machine" photo.  There's little if anything to suggest it's 2012!

Rusty

Kenn - I sent the file to the e-mail you listed in your profile but it came back un-sendable?

/Mitch

That is the former N&W Cab#475 4-8-0 M (Mollie). It was used extensively for mixed freight on the Virginia Creeper from Abingdon to Damascus Va. The Ms and Es were used on branchline service due to weight limitations many of the bridges.

I have my Mollie on reserve from 3rd Rail now. It is being offered in both N&W and Strasburg liveries.

Gilly

Here a news article about the operation

http://lancasteronline.com/art...-means-business.html

Another

http://lancasteronline.com/art...or-freight-yard.html

I'm pretty sure that the Strasburg railroad has been doing freight business on the side for a long time. I may be wrong though. 

It's a great thing to be doing, extra revenue for them...and photos for us..

Let me put a small caveat on this.  N&W regularly used the Ms on the Abingdon Branch, but to the best of my knowledge, 475 never made that run.  She was used extensively on the Blacksburg branch from Christiansburg, VA north to Blacksburg to serve Virginia Polytechnic Institute (aka Virginia Tech).

Kevin

Strasburg did freight for many a year, but that business has been silent for quite a few years--until just recently.

Kevin

That would be Steve Weaver.  The renewed emphasis on freight began 4-5 years ago.  Freight is responsible for the bridge replacement SRC did last fall, and several improvements in the yard (including the loading ramp shown in one of the photos above).  They're currently working on a multi-car ethanol unloader

We had dinner last Thursday with Steve and Ann, and he mentioned that SRC expects to haul 500 cars this year.  He's been successful at winning business away from nearby transloads on CSX (including 5.5 million gallons of ethanol last year), and NS has taken notice.

http://www.nscorp.com/nscporta...ortline_meeting.html

http://strasburgrailroad.com/freight-services.php

Here is video I found on Youtube that was recently made. This is not mine I'm just sharing it. 

It is a great video showing the true elegance of a steam powered railroad. 

Joe Fusco is an excellent videographer.  I admire his work.

Note that it is Strasburg Rail Road (3 words).  The company was chartered in 1832, before the word "railroad" was invented.

Lee

Mitch, those are really amazing photos!