Tourist railroads with steam only

My favorites with steam:

Cumbres & Toltec - Antonito, Colorado; Chama, New Mexico.  Narrow gauge. 

Durango & Silverton. - Durango, Colorado.  Narrow gauge. 

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park - Jamestown, California. Standard gauge.

Strasburg, on most?  More, please, and l think this is a constantly? changing list. Cass?

We did Cass's 4 1/2 hour Bald Knob Trip two weeks ago.  Hope to post a thread sometime this week.  Cass is located in Cass, WV, and houses the worlds largest fleet of geared Shay locomotives (six of them). They also have a Climax and a Heisler.  Shay #5 has been in service, at Cass, for almost 100 years.

Isn't Durango & Silverton all diesel now?

Jon1443 posted:

Isn't Durango & Silverton all diesel now?

No.

Every operation needs a diesel for back up. The only exceptionS might be Cass Scenic, Durango & Silverton, and Combres & Toltec. I don't think any of those operations have diesels right now that can make take a train over their full route. The Durango & Silverton has plans to buy larger diesels but they have not arrived, I don't think their current diesels could candle a full train up the grade. 

Strasburg has run diesels as back up a few times over the past decade, making a diesel powered trip rare enough to be considered special by most railfans.

Strasburg uses diesel power on special trips during the Thomas the Tank Engine events. They also run the gas (or is it diesel?) motorcar during the week during the off-season, with the regular steam train on the weekend. I've seen a few instances where the crowd out numbers the seats in the motor car and the diesel and coaches are used. 

I wouldn't say 100% of Strasburg's public operations are steam powered at all. I don't believe there are any, except the Colorado narrow gauge and Cass that are truly 100% steam powered. 

I remember when the Mt. Washington Cog Railway was 100% steam powered - I rode it then. I'll be back there in two weeks for the first ride (but not first visit) since it went to nearly 100% diesel power. 

Diesel-powered trips are not considered special by THIS railfan!  If the D&S is going to even intersperse their steam with diesels, It will be like the WP&Y where you have to carefully (and inconveniently, especially if from lower 48) orchestrate your arrival in Skagway (Durango?) to be there on a good day.  If on a cruise, check its/your time in Skagway carefully.  Maybe restored Geese would be more appealing on the D&S? Might for me.  If Geese could do the RGS, can do the D&S?  But could they meet current safety requirements? Is there any "published", paper or net, list of steam runs?

The American Steam Railroad Preservation Association focuses mostly on the motive power side of things, while other organizations tend to focus on all aspects. Whether or not that means all steam, I'm not sure, but the organization currently has two steam locomotives under their belt (Reading 2100 and Frisco 1352), and no diesels.

jd-train posted:

We did Cass's 4 1/2 hour Bald Knob Trip two weeks ago.  Hope to post a thread sometime this week.  Cass is located in Cass, WV, and houses the worlds largest fleet of geared Shay locomotives (six of them). They also have a Climax and a Heisler.  Shay #5 has been in service, at Cass, for almost 100 years.

Shay #5 is over 100 years old (1905).

Standard Gauge posted:

jd-train posted:

We did Cass's 4 1/2 hour Bald Knob Trip two weeks ago.  Hope to post a thread sometime this week.  Cass is located in Cass, WV, and houses the worlds largest fleet of geared Shay locomotives (six of them). They also have a Climax and a Heisler.  Shay #5 has been in service, at Cass, for almost 100 years.

Shay #5 is over 100 years old (1905).

Correct: 114 years old but not in continuous service.  From the Cass Roster website:

<big>"Shay No. 5</big> -- (Mower No. 5) – C/N 1503, 1905; Class 80-3. Built for the original Cass-based railroad, West Virginia Spruce Lumber Co.’s Greenbrier & Elk River R.R. Shay 5 is the oldest and longest-operating Shay at Cass. Originally assigned to the Cass Hill as road engine; various assignments while based at Spruce and on Elk River – until about 1939 the locomotive came to Cass only for heavy repairs. Became Mower (MLbr Co.) No. 5 in 6-42; equipped with power reverse in ICC compliance (applicable to locomotives 100 tons or over) for operation on the Western Maryland, 6-42. Involved in a head-on collision with a WMRy H-8 2-8-0 at Spruce, 10-2-42; due to her weight and the deteriorating railroad, saw little work after 1953; used at the Cass Mill as a steam source during the "Big Freeze," 3-58 – and as needed for other periods when deep snow prevented logs from being shipped. This service ended in [2]-59 – when all cylinders were cracked by freezing out of negligence. Set aside in the upper end of the shop; sold for scrap to Midwest Raleigh, Inc., 9-60; conveyed by Midwest Steel Corp. to the State, 8-62. What was envisioned as a $20,000 repair – "every part except trucks, cab and boiler replaced" – didn’t turn out as such; CSRR service debut was 5-5-66; shopped during [at least part of 1968 and throughout 1969]; became the regular Bald Knob helper and retained that status until No. 7’s demise, then served as regular Bald Knob road engine until No. 2 took those duties. When shopped for firebox flue sheet replacement ([10]-95), a cracked boiler throat sheet was eventually discovered; repairs included all new stay bolts, a replacement cylinder, smokebox, smokebox ring, smokebox door, exhaust gooseneck; several setbacks occurred in out-shopping (outside-contracted parts not correctly machined, the boiler welder’s retirement) occurred; a newly created water tank was borrowed from Shay No. 11 in 9-99; out-shopped and tested on 9-31-00, then placed into service the next day as Bald Knob pusher engine – an assignment held (as needed) throughout the operating season’s remaining weeks (sans tender letter lettering); served as the Bald Knob pusher engine during the first part of the 2001 season then, with No. 2’s post-shopping reactivation, went to standby status."

Rusty

The Railroad at Greenfield Village (Part of The Henry Ford) in Dearborn Michigan has 3 operating steam locomotives. We DO have a GE Diesel Electric but the number of times it pulled a revenue train last year can be counted on my hand. When it did, it typically wasn’t for the entire day. We only run the GE if we have a mechanical issue in the middle of the day. Depending on when it happens we may warm up another locomotive (a 4-6 hour process if the locomotive is cold) or allow the GE to finish the day. 

Our locomotives

1873 Mason “Bogie” 0-6-4T Calumet and Hecla Mining Company “Torch Lake” #3

1897 Baldwin 4-4-0 Detroit and Lima Northern #7

1932 (Ford Rouge Shops Rebuild) 4-4-0 “Edison” started its life as a 1860s 0-4-0. Ford had it rebuilt and heavily modified to resemble a civil war era 4-4-0.