Your most interesting cab ride!

I had a really memorable cab ride, once.  Back in the early days of Amtrak you could often talk your way up to the cab for a ride.  At that time I was traveling for business quite a bit and when I could I would take the train rather than fly around the country,  I rode many miles over a number of years in cabs of various diesels    But once, while traveling from New Jersey to Boston, I boarded the train in Penn Station, put my luggage and brief case on to a coach and walked up to the engine which was a nearly new Gen Elec E-60 electric.  The engineer was in the cab preparing for the trip and I casually asked if there was any chance of a cab ride.  The engineer asked: "Are you with the railroad?"  "No", I said. "I'm just a guy who likes trains",  feeling sure that he would turn me down.  "Well then", he said, "Come on in!"  I Jumped at the chance.

Now this was the former New Haven line, which crossed over the Hell Gate Bridge.  Wow, what a thrill that was!  Until then, I never realized that the Hell Gate Bridge had four tracks on it.  Guess i was always used to seeing one Lionel Standard Gauge train squeeze through those immense towers on someone's layout!   I rode with that engineer, up in the cab, all the way to New Haven where, of course, there was an engine change.  Went back to my car, found my stuff and continued on up to Boston behind a diesel.  My most memorable cab ride, of many that I was privileged to take, over the years.

Paul Fischer

With a former Santa Fe official (Tom - aka No. 90) frequenting the Real Trains forum, I'm almost hesitant to mention this one but, I'm assuming the guilty parties are long retired by now.

My most memorable cab ride was in a Santa Fe FP45 shortly after Mike Haverty had restored the Warbonnet color scheme to Santa Fe diesels.  I caught a cab ride while in New Mexico on business and the engineer let me run it for what I recollect was about 50 or so miles.  

Curt

At Western Pacific Railroad museum I got to drive a F7 through their Run-A-Locomotive program.

I've ridden in the cab of many locomotives, steam and diesel, over the years. Some I've been lucky enough to be able to take the throttle! Heck, I even got paid to be the engineer on the local park train (24" gauge, three locomotives (two when I was there) and 10 cars on about 3/4 mile of track for several summers!

One however, stands out. A hot August afternoon at the local trolley museum

It was a weekday. Why I wasn't at work, I don't remember. Maybe it was a "staycation" week or something but I don't remember. The gentleman as the motorman that day was one heck of an interesting guy. I'd seen and talked to him before at the museum and the local hobby shop. He spent much of his career working for Washington Metro and was there in the beginning of the Metro rail system, working on it, etc. He also fondly remembered riding the trolleys in Washington before their demise and I believe one of the cars in the collection was one he regularly rode to grade school and back.

Anyway, it being a weekday, I was pretty much the only customer at the museum. We'd taken several trips up and down the museum's very scenic railway and was just stepping off the foreign (from outside the US). It had to get going, I had enough and needed to get home. I shook his hand, thanked him and began climbing down the stairs and he was going to take the car into the barn for the night.

Before I got to the bottom of the stairs, I heard "hold on, you're comin' with me!"......OK!

Off we went on one more trip down their railway. At the end of the line, before turning around, he gets up and tells me to run the PCC trolley back up the hill to the museum. What a great experience! Interesting getting the car to move via foot petals over hand controls. About half way back, I was told to stop the car. Fearing I screwed up, I was ready to hand the controls back over to him. He told me to stay in the seat. He asked if I had ever experienced a PCC trolley acceleration and if not, I was missin' out!

I said no, I hadn't. He promptly responded, "well then, floor it!" So I did and WOW. I was pushed back into the seat. Incredibly a heavy chunk of steel could accelerate so fast with so wheel slip!. Soon after, we were back and I couldn't stop thanking him enough. What a great experience that was.

Bachmann makes a Peter Witt streetcar in the exact paint colors of the car I operated. While I ran a PCC vs. a Peter Witt, it was close enough and a fun addition to my layout!

juniata guy posted:

With a former Santa Fe official (Tom - aka No. 90) frequenting the Real Trains forum, I'm almost hesitant to mention this one but, I'm assuming the guilty parties are long retired by now.

My most memorable cab ride was in a Santa Fe FP45 shortly after Mike Haverty had restored the Warbonnet color scheme to Santa Fe diesels.  I caught a cab ride while in New Mexico on business and the engineer let me run it for what I recollect was about 50 or so miles.  

Curt

No danger from me, Curt.  I was not from the school of railroad officials who believed "Everybody should be fired if at all possible."  I was the coach of a team, not a policeman.

• In 1982, when I was Engineer on the San Jacinto Local, we celebrated the Conductor's birthday by decorating the waycar with balloons and streamers (inside) and painted Happy Birthday Lloyd (on the outside).  My wife baked a birthday cake, and waited at Box Spring, where the highway begins to parallel the then-40 MPH branch all the way to San Jacinto.  We stopped and loaded all six of my children onto the locomotive, and away we went, with Margie driving alongside.  That made a crew of 9 -- 3 railroaders and 6 kids.  (The San Jac Local was under a special agreement and only had one Brakemen.)  Each of the kids took turns in the seat, and I can assure you that the whistle got a lot of use!  Upon arrival at Hemet, we loaded Margie and the cake onto the waycar and had cake and ice cream, after which she and the kiddos departed for home in the automobile.
• Also in 1984, when I was the regular Engineer on Amtrak No.4, the Southwest Chief, between Los Angeles and Barstow, Margie met us at San Bernardino and rode in the cab of the passenger train up Cajon Pass and streaking across the desert to Barstow.  At Barstow, the Fireman took her back through the engine room and helped her get off on the dark side of the train so the Car Inspectors wouldn't turn me in.  He later became an official, too.
• In 1973, I bid in a vacation vacancy on the Oceanside-Escondido Local.  There was an 11-year-old kid named Kevin Trollinger, who was a "regular", watching trains at the Oceanside depot just about daily.  After we got our switching done and were ready to head up the branch line, I told him that, if his Mom said he could go with us, I'd take him on the engine.  He went into the depot and called her, she said yes, and off we went.  After we got out onto the branch line, I let him sit in the seat and, under my direction, he ran the engine out to Escondido.  His Mom was at the station in Vista, waving, and he was a mighty proud young man as he whistled through his home town.
• When I was Road Foreman on the Needles District, I was going to ride No.3 from Needles to Barstow.  When I climbed up into the cab, the Engineer had his grandson with him.  He had a look of terror, as he was sure this would be the end of his railroad career.  I just said hello and advised him I'd be back on the train.  Didn't say a word about the kid.  Neither did he.  A week or so later, I saw him and he said, "Thanks".  I replied, "You're welcome." Neither of us said for what.  He was a good Engineer, never had been a problem to anybody since hiring out in 1940.  What could have been gained by firing him?

So, Curt, I'm sure not gonna cast stones.  (Also, on the Santa Fe, the time limit to charge an Engineer with a rule violation for purposes of assessing discipline was 30 days from the incident.  Too late now, pardner.)  I did coach my team to run the trains by the rules, and tried to lead by example, but you cannot lead men by firing one for giving his grandson a cab ride.  

Boy, I can't follow that. After working in the motive power field since June of 1962, I couldn't spend the time to list all the significant "cab rides" I've been involved in, whether diesel, electric, or steam. A few still occasionally give me nightmares. 

The one that will always stand out for me happened when I was a student conductor for NS.  I was on an eastbound mixed freight out of Conway, PA, headed to Harrisburg/Enola.  We got a helper on the rear at Pittsburgh, and were instructed to cut it off at CP PACK, east of Derry, PA.  As we approached the interlocking, I realized something wasn't right- we weren't slowing down.  The engineer was attempting to use the dynamic to slow the train- I couldn't see the screens on the control stand (GE Dash 9), but evidently it wasn't loading right.  Why he didn't just go after the air is still a mystery to me, but before long the helper engineer was on the radio, telling us we could "stop at any time".  He continued fiddling with the dynamic as the home signal got closer and eventually passed- luckily we had the signal.  Finally he set the air and got us stopped.  The entire time he kept blaming the dynamic, and maybe it wasn't working right, but for God's sake use the air!!

After we dropped the helper and started east again, I had a terrifying thought- we still had to get down the East Slope.  The Red Arrow crossed my mind more than once, so you can imagine my relief when the engineer asked for a helper ahead at C Tower, near Johnstown.  The helper man got us down the mountain with no issues, and as far as I could tell the dynamic was working just fine when we were MU'ed to the helper units.  

mlavender480 posted:

. . . Why he didn't just go after the air is still a mystery to me, but before long the helper engineer was on the radio, telling us we could "stop at any time".  He continued fiddling with the dynamic as the home signal got closer and eventually passed- luckily we had the signal.  Finally he set the air and got us stopped. . . .

I love it!  For those who are not railroad employees, when you have to say something on the radio and don't want to call a lot of attention to a problem you're having, intentional understatement is often used.  What the helper Engineer would have liked to say was, "Stop the %#@*& train NOW, you idiot!"

I'll bet you kept a close eye on that particular Engineer any time you worked with him after that.

Unfortunately, the hiring process does not always result in a perfect fit between an employee and his craft.  Most Engineers these days are very good.  A few are excellent.  However, there are a few like the guy you described, who should not be allowed to run a power lawn mower, much less a locomotive.

Tom spoke thusly: " I did coach my team to run the trains by the rules, and tried to lead by example, but you cannot lead men by firing one for giving his grandson a cab ride.  " 

Thank you sir. A wise philosophy in my opinion.

Dan Weinhold, Lancaster, PA.

Years ago, I built an o gauge layout for a (late)railroad engineer friend of mine, I met him through a referral from a local hobby shop.. I would not accept any payment for my services even though he insisted.  In exchange he gave me  some railroad memorabilia, which he saw no sense in keeping.. I went to the  not to be named CSX yard and rode many weekends in the cab with him building trains..(When the 'bosses' were not around) He was an old timer, and knew about everyone.. He took several pictures of me in the cab of the switcher, which are very dear to me.. Got to visit with several other engineers, who gave me cab tours.. 99% of the engineers, NS and CSX have been very cordial to me once they found out what I was up to (taking pictures etc) because of my interest in what they did.. Although I don't do much 'rail fanning' anymore, I carry a book of pictures with  me, in case of inquiry from railroad police.. On the rare occasion I was 'interviewed' by the railroad police, I showed them my picture book and all was well.. Even got to tour some stuff on railroad property which I NEVER entered without permission.. Fun times!!  

Plenty of diesel cab rides over the years, but my first was the best, I think...

I was 11, I think, when we visited TVRM in Chattanooga for the first time. I was the first 'real' railroad museum with steam running I'd ever been to. I remember I couldn't sleep a wink the night before at the hotel.

Back then, the brick depot near the (under construction) NMRA HQ was still being finished and not much rolling stock was at the main end people board the train at now, so the train rides originated out of East Chattanooga where the shops are now.

The ride was short but it didn't feel like it at the time. I rode in the caboose because for a kid, that's the cool place to ride. Along the way, my Mom came up and said she talked with someone to ask if I could get a cab ride, so I just needed to hop on when they turned the train at the wye.

Keep in mind, this was SRR 630. Even then, I knew her better as ET&WNC 207, a loco my parent saw plenty of times before that line traded her back to the SRR for some ALCO RS-3s.

I climbed up to the cab and was given the set right behind the fireman. They asked me to sign a hold harmless waiver, which I thought was funny as even at that young, naïve age I knew was legally worthless as I was a minor. Rode back to E Chattanooga in the cab and even rode the turntable there. I had a grin on my face you couldn't blast off with explosives.

This is not a photo from that run and not one of mine, but it's the same location and timeframe, showing the engine just as she did that day (I have some photos but they're from a 110 camera and not all that good).

30 years later, almost to the month, I got to see 630 at TVRM, but she was cold at the time, yet had just run a trip the weekend before. Yes, I got cab ride again but it was in a GP unit diesel and I was surprised how short the ride seemed that time.

I will be heading through Atlanta in the fall for a trip and I'm seriously thinking of returning to TVRM. If 630 will be running when I'll be in the area, I'll for SURE go to see her again.

Firing the SPS700 up through the Yakima River Canyon with Kenny Prager on the throttle pulling a 21-car passenger train!  Best ever!

Gee, I've only had "cab"oose rides.  My most interesting "taxi"cab ride was from downtown Paris north to that airport, when our business group asked the cab driver in a large black sedan, in bad French,  to get us there on time.  (this before terrorism and airport early arrivals, etc.)  We pooled a pile of francs (before euros, too) and off we went.  It was gridlock on the route, with traffic not moving.  No problem....at the intersections (think like interstate four lane intersections) the driver took to the berm, went down the ramp, across the lower street in front of oncoming traffic and up the other ramp, gaining several car lengths.  This was repeated several times.  We got there and out on time.  I have been tempted to try that maneuver in traffic jams, but always been "chicken".  I keep visualizing getting broad-sided on the lower streets.

We filmed almost every run the last week of the Sugar Train runs here in Maui. I've ridden in a number of cabs but a narrow gauge cab ride on bad track is something else. You really need to get your "sea legs" to stand up. This is a few shots of the very last run on the very last day. Don

Have ridden in the Southern Pacific 2472 cab many, many times. Wasn't really a cab ride but the most interesting was Matt from the forum was doing sound for me as we were filming from the top of the tender doing some brake testing. When they poured on the smoke both of us got hit in the face. We were men of a different color by the end of the run. Don

scale rail posted:

Have ridden in the Southern Pacific 2472 cab many, many times. Wasn't really a cab ride but the most interesting was Matt from the forum was doing sound for me as we were filming from the top of the tender doing some brake testing. When they poured on the smoke both of us got hit in the face. We were men of a different color by the end of the run. Don

Yup...I remember it well, Don!  Fun trip!  Matt

In about 1965, when I was 15 or 16, I was at Pauline, KS watching the local come in and do station work. Behind the caboose, it was towing the old 2-8-0 "Cyrus K Holliday" back to Topeka from a display somewhere. The Trainmaster was riding with. He recognized me, and after talking to the Agent, who knew me, offered to let me ride it with him, on down to Topeka. That was great, it's in a museum now, and I might be the last living person to have ever ridden it. So, after switching a little in Topeka, and picking up our train we departed with the train heading back to Emporia. I got to ride the lead unit back to Pauline, where I dropped off on the fly. They had a FM, I think it was 3008 or 3009, I'd have to check. Anyway,  I think that experience lead to my eventual career in Santa Fe/bnsf engine service career, with 42 years altogether.