First hi-rail "cab" ride.
You may be shocked but I have gotten my share of cab rides. When I was about 5 (I think), my family and I were driving across a railroad crossing. We saw a parked train a little ways down, and naturally, because my brother and I both liked trains at the time, we stopped. The engineer then invited my whole family into the cab of the first locomotive, which was a patched Santa Fe Warbonnet, and we got to see the cab controls. We didn't move, but that was fun.
A few years later, I was at Lake Placid, New York, and was riding the excursion train there. I was invited into the cab, while the train was still moving, and got see the engineer in action! She even let me put my hands and the controls and "drive" the train (with her guiding my hands, obviously) and blow the horn! I still remember that, and probably will never forget it.
I've had plenty of cab rides, mostly in steam, in my lifetime.
But I got a couple of diesel ones I enjoyed a lot. The most fun was in the Valdosta Southern, in Georgia. I understand that they aren't as open to the public as they'd had been. the engineer would let me signal for grade crossings as well... I was in my teens and early 20s then.
Rob Leese posted:All of us like to hear stories on this forum.
Tell us about your first invitation up in the cab. My first time was so long ago, I don't think we will get anyone investigated over this.
Skipped school one day in the '70s and went to New York Penn Station instead. I was invited aboard the Amtrak station switcher (a GG1) and rode with the engineer while he made some switching moves in the station. I caught hell when it came out that I skipped school but it was so worth it. For a machine that was 79'-6" long there was very little space given over to human habitation. I remember having to duck out of view when we passed under "Tower A" at the west end of the platforms, lest I be seen and get the engineman in trouble.
Mine was at the n.c.transportation /spencer shops.It was the rail days weekend.Steam locomotive 604 was out.The crew was nice enough to get a ride in the cab.I even got to blow the whistle a few times.Yes I was on cloud 12.What can I say I like steam locomotives.
My first cab ride was when I was 3 years old at Camden Station in Baltimore, Md. The engineer of the station switcher ( SW 1 ) invited me and my father on board for a while as the crew did some switching chores. I sat on the engineers lap and he put my hand on the throttle, along with his, and the locomotive moved forward down the tracks. What a thrill!!! AND I still remember it well!
Several years back I got a chance to operate this 1800 HP GP9 back and forth on a siding, supervised by a real engineer of course. The track I rode on was leased by the Orrville Railroad Heritage Society of Orrville, Ohio. The club had a member appreciation day so a bunch of us member got to experience a little throttle time.
Sadly the organization lost their lease of the tracks to the Wheeling and Lake Erie railroad last year, so I don't think I'll ever have another change again.
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I've had a fair share of cab rides for being 15, partly because a family member is an engineer for a railroad in my area. My first cab ride was on the now defunct Westmoreland Scenic Railroad in PA when I was about 3-4 with my uncle at the throttle. Then when I was about 6 I got a cab ride in AVR GP10 1802 (the engine MTH made recently) as my uncle made switching moves around Glenwood Yard. I've had MANY more cab rides than that, but those are the most memorable.
Forty-five years ago, in one of the dumbest thing I'd ever done I decided to try to "hobo" on a freight between two cities. I won't mention the railroad. I selected a freight and sneaked in the yard and hopped in a gondola. Plan stupid. I could have been arrested, but this was on my "bucket
" list. A friendly brakeman saw me, and said "You'll get hurt riding there" and invited me to the caboose, where I had a nice ride, coffee and we shared my back[pack of hero sandwiches with the crew. We were both Vietnam vets and exchanged baloney. Then he gave me a name and invited me to apply for a job. Actually I had a job and was on vacation, but was too embarrassed to admit that. But it was an interesting and bumpy ride.
Wyhog posted:Your statement about riding in a gondola reminded me of seeing teenagers and college kids riding trains when it was "the thing" in the 1990s. I hope you chose an empty gon? Twice I saw these idiots riding in the end of a gon that had a load of steel pipe or a load of telephone poles in them. Slack action is bound to shift those loads at some point in their travel and would certainly smash the riders between the load and the car end. Both times I called the officials to have the cops meet the train and get them out of there.
Yeah, an empty car is better and has more legroom.
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I knew a guy who's first cab ride was on 4449 due to a odd set of circumstances that makes for a very long story (yes, he has photos to prove it as people don't believe him often when he tells the story). Talk about everything after that being anticlimactic!
Nick Chillianis posted:Rob Leese posted:All of us like to hear stories on this forum.
Tell us about your first invitation up in the cab. My first time was so long ago, I don't think we will get anyone investigated over this.
Skipped school one day in the '70s and went to New York Penn Station instead. I was invited aboard the Amtrak station switcher (a GG1) and rode with the engineer while he made some switching moves in the station. I caught hell when it came out that I skipped school but it was so worth it. For an machine that was 79'-6" long there was very little space given over to human habitation. I remember having to duck out of view when we passed under "Tower A" at the west end of the platforms, lest I be seen and get the engineman in trouble.
I truly like this one !!
This is a really great thread.
