N&W Class J #611 pulls into Bristol, VA with the Tennessean on the starry night of May 1st, 2021. Meanwhile on the adjacent track the engineer of Southern FP7A #6133 climbs aboard ready to haul hi... (more)
It's a late night inside Shaffers Crossing of the Norfolk & Western Railway as two female hostlers work to replenish Class J #611's 20,000 gallon tender after a long day of running through souther... (more)
Norfolk and Western class J 606 looks regal sitting in the late afternoon sun, rods down, in a photograph taken by my father.
My father took this picture of J 601 sitting near the lubritorium with his old Voigtländer roll film camera. J 601 was posed with J 600 in an official N&W picture as they both celebrated two mill... (more)
Steam Storm: A mixture of happenstance and convenient timing provided an opportunity to observe what ended up being one of N&W 611's last big public excursions as it departed Roanoke in the... (more)
3-Way Meet at Leaman Place. Who doesn't love a 3-way?.....train meet, that is. :) With a little careful planning on the part of Charter Lead Pete Lerro, and some stellar weather, we were ... (more)
Water time for 2102 at Hamburg.
N&W 611 Rests briefly after the long journey north, the small equipment consist is detached and taken away for parking, while the J imposes its sheer girth next to Strasburg's diesel 8618.
a recent recovery of some old digital files brought back some images of mine from 2018! Including the Lerro Productions charter at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Oct, 2018. Center stage... Sou... (more)
There's Something You Don't See Everyday. It's your typical, June afternoon in Portland as...wait...SP 4449 running tender-forward on the mainline? That's right, the 1941-built product of L... (more)
"Last Hoorah!" Shortly before the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society began the FRA required 15 year rebuild of AT&SF #3751 they hosted a night photo shoot at the Amtrak 8th Stree... (more)
"The Big Two": For the first time in at least 60 years an Norfolk & Western J Class locomotive sits side by side with a Norfolk & Western M Class. Although not considered to be classed a... (more)
As part of the "Norfolk & Western Reunion of Steam" event, a photo charter was planned using Strasburg Rail Road owned Norfolk & Western 475 and visiting locomotive Norfolk & Western 611... (more)
As part of the "Norfolk & Western Reunion of Steam" event, a photo charter was planned using Strasburg Railroad owned Norfolk & Western 475 and visiting locomotive Norfolk & Western 611. The 611 w... (more)
Well after midnight in the middle of a weekend-long event of photo charters, 611 opens her cylinder cocks as she gets ready to be put away for the night, only to awake bright and early for another... (more)
Strasburg's 2-10-0 No. 90 posed with the 611 at the "Fire up 611" event
Sears & Steam. Santa Fe 3751 gently eases through the sharp curve that makes up the coupling track on its return to Redondo Junction. Home to the famous 4-8-4 during its active service care... (more)
80 Inches Frozen in Time. Catching the lights scattered across Amtrak's 8th Street Yard, Santa Fe 3751's drivers gleam this evening. The massive 4-8-4, built by Baldwin in 1927, is staged h... (more)
Reading T1 #2124, recently cosmetically restored, basks in the late afternoon light before a night photo session planned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famous Reading Rambles. Alongside ... (more)
As the sun sets on another day in Los Angeles, another work day on the famed 4-8-4 based here, Santa Fe 3751, concludes for the steam crew of the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society. Curren... (more)
After backing out of the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the last remaining N&W "J" class basks in the morning sun awaiting an NS leader to be added.
Big steam in the shadow of the Wasatch. Union Pacific's mighty Northern #844 steams in the yard at Ogden's Union Station on the eve of the sesquicentennial of the Transcontinental Railroad,... (more)
A Golden Spike in Ogden. UP Senior VP, Scott Moore joins several local dignitaries and a descendant of one of the Chinese immigrants who built the Transcontinental Railroad in a 150th anniv... (more)
Union Pacific - Building America! With "Living Legend" 844 as a backdrop, and flanked by local dignitaries and senior UP Management, UP Chairman and President Lance M. Fritz addre... (more)
Almost 39 years ago to the day, Union Pacific 8444 slowly works around a wye under the watchful eye of the crew. The clothes and hairstyles have changed over the years, and UP 8444 is now UP 844, ... (more)
In celebration of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869, the two steam locomotives at the Nevada Northern Railway, locomotive # 40 and # 93, pose head to head in recognit... (more)
4449 started four days of running the Fallbridge Sub to Wishram and back to Vancouver. The special was for documentary an was a complete surprise to many.
Santa Fe 3751 lets off steam on the historic AT&SF turntable at Redondo Junction during the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society's night photo shoot, July 15th, 2017.
The Sacramento Locomotive Works and a scene from the past. Union Pacific 844 rests outside The Shops awaiting the highball to enter the California Rail Museum to be on display. Echos of an earlier... (more)
Redondo Junction Nose Study. Old meets new on a cold morning in Los Angeles. A pair of new SC-44 Chargers, soon bound for service on the Pacific Surfliner system, rest near the iconic ex-AT... (more)
On the Coast Daylight. U.S. Military Personnel catch up on current events as they relax in the observation car on Southern Pacific's Noon Daylight, as the power is swapped out during a quic... (more)
844 and centennial 6936 lay over at Denver’s Union Station, before the big re-development. The Amtrak unit is a backup that did end up being used this day. And the Ski train is waiting on the ne... (more)
Daylight after dark. With her cylinder cocks wide open, Southern Pacific's colorful Northern #4449 creates quite a spectacle as she begins to move with a heavy passenger train in the yard a... (more)
Daylight after dark. The blue hour is fast coming to a close in downtown Portland, OR, as the beautiful SP #4449 performs a slow run-by or two for photographers gathered at a 2018 Lerro Pro... (more)
1:87 Scale. An HO scale model GS-4 Locomotive provides a graphic comparison of 3.5mm to the foot railroading vs. 12" to the foot scale. The young gentleman who owned that little Dayli... (more)
Time to saddle up and ride. Friends of the 4449 President, Doyle McCormack checks his watch as he prepares to execute some photo run-bys for a group of photographers participating in a Lerr... (more)
The OTHER "Queen of Steam." East coasters frequently refer to the Norfolk & Western J-Class #611 as the "Queen of Steam", and she certainly has had more publicity than a... (more)
The magnificent Southern Pacific "Daylight" #4449 is seen during the Blue Hour in the yard of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland.
"She said yes!" ===== My brother recently popped the question in front of Southern Pacific 4449 Daylight during a Peter Lerro charter shoot. Fun fact, she got him the H.O. model for Ch... (more)
Rolling toward the flue shop at track speed, Norfolk & Western J-Class No. 611 performs a night runby for photographers attending a N.C. Transportation Museum photo shoot at Spencer on Sept. 1, 20... (more)
"Spencer Shops" ===== It's all about perspective. I climbed atop a shuttered Chicago and Northwestern passenger car undergoing restoration adjacent to the turntable for this shot. The ... (more)
Having just spotted its train, 844 pauses briefly before cutting off the train and moving to a seperate track. The water tank in the background is of D&SL heritage from when steam locos frequented... (more)
P36 steam engine at Podmoskovnaya station. The team engine class P36 (Russian: П36) was a Soviet mainline passenger steam locomotive type. Between 1950 and 1956, 251 locomotives were built. ... (more)
Posing beneath the ex-Santa Fe Railway locomotive sanding tower that still holds its place at Redondo Junction, Santa Fe 3751 eases around the sharp curve on the coupling track as it heads for Nor... (more)
San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society Chief Mechanical Officer, Bob Kittel, looks over the crossheads of Santa Fe 3751 as it carefully backs onto the Redondo turntable for a short spin. The i... (more)
In what appears to be a scene from the 1950's, UP 844 gets ready to lead the Cheyenne Frontier Days train from the Union Pacific's North Yard in Denver, Colorado.
With Chief Mechanical Officer Bob Kittel firing on this gloomy morning, Santa Fe 3751 sends a pillar of steam skyward as it slowly eases off the original ATSF turntable at Redondo Junction. The 90... (more)
"Pocahontas Division" ===== N&W 611 slowly maneuvers past intermodal cars on it's way out of Crewe Yard. Canon 5DsR super crop magnified from near the beginning of the yard near the... (more)
One last time... Santa Fe 3751 catches the morning light as it backs toward the Redondo turntable following a quick inspection of the locomotive's underside. Once in North Yard, the engine'... (more)
At 89 Years Old, She Still Looks Like She Just Rolled Out of Baldwin. Easing her way up Amtrak's 8th Street Coach Yard, Santa Fe 3751 passes by the passenger rail company's service and in... (more)
"Crew Change in Crewe, Va" ==== N&W 611 departs Norfolk Southern's Crewe Yard after changing volunteer crews headed for Petersburg. Taken from The Falls Rd overpass through the honeyco... (more)
With her preparations complete, Santa Fe 3751 backs off the Redondo turntable as it prepares to join a pair of leased, BNSF AC4400's for the short jog from 8th Street to Union Station. From there,... (more)
844 Leaving the station full steam early mornin time...
Positioning on the turntable at Redondo Junction, AT&SF 3751 is brought to a stop in the proper spot by a brakeman. This night photo shoot was organized by the San Bernadino Railroad Historical S... (more)
Easing onto the turntable at Redondo Junction, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 3751 prepares to go for a spin. A May, 1927 product of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, 3751 was the first 4-8-4 built by B... (more)
The San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society held a very unusual event on the evening of July 15, 2017. After the locomotive was displayed all day at the Union Station Summer Train Fest, she was... (more)
The calm before the storm. Late Friday night found a freshly washed N&W 611 with a skeleton night crew tending the banked fire overnight. The next three days would be a powerhouse weekend with the... (more)
This is what it’s all about! My boys and I had the opportunity to see N&W 611 under steam as it made round trips from Roanoke to Lynchburg and Walton Virginia. This was the first time they had e... (more)
The "queen of steam" leaves the "queen city" behind her as she leaves Charlotte headed back to the NCTM in Spencer NC
Santa Fe 3751 comes off the turntable at the Amtrak Redondo locomotive yard in Los Angeles for a trip out to the 2017 Fullerton “Railroad Days” festival. 3751 was built in 1927 for the Atchis... (more)
It is true that even railroaders can have the energy and impulse to be comical after a day's work. Such was the case after the 4449's spur of the moment run on the Portland & Western to Tigard. Th... (more)
Passing the site of the Norfolk and Western Crewe roundhouse, N&W 611 leads the eastbound Cavalier excursion train away from Crewe, Virginia.
ATSF 3751 is being prepared by San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society crew members for what could be her last outing before the clock runs out on her 15 year rebuild. The destination today wi... (more)
It's just before dawn, but UP 844 is at operating pressure and ready to head out with UP Train PKCMV2 29. The FEF-3 is chomping at the bit in Kansas City Union Station, making its way back to Che... (more)
844 came in with UP Train PCVKC2 27 earlier this evening, and takes a well deserved nap after a day on the road. The Union Station sign on the background is actually the lettering off the Union P... (more)
Making a grand entrance and dodging raindrops back into the Denver area is UP Train PDVDV1 23, the Frontier Days Special behind 844, passing BNSF Train R PWR4503 23I, a roadswitcher at Sand Creek.... (more)
UP 844 is back in service after a 3 year hiatus, and in a few hours will be fired up, hot, and ready to head UP Train PDVDV1 23 to Cheyenne and back. For now the engine lays over almost silently ... (more)
The Class J 611 sits in the Bob Julian roundhouse getting some touch ups before her 2017 excursion schedule begins!
In a timeless scene of steam in Southern California, Santa Fe 3751 slowly backs off the Redondo turntable and onto the coupling track as it heads for North Yard to join the display equipment waiti... (more)
N&W class J 4-8-4 611 poses for a rods-down portrait while being readied for a weekend of excursions from Atlanta.
The Soviet locomotive class P36 (Russian: П36) was a Soviet mainline passenger steam locomotive type. Between 1950 and 1956, 251 locomotives were built. The locomotives were nicknamed "... (more)
The cylinder cocks on the big, Santa Fe Baldwin release a shot of steam outward on the fireman's side of the locomotive as 3751 eases off the Redondo turntable and onto one of the "whisker" tracks... (more)
The UP 844 creeps away past a lineup of modern UP power at Armourdale Yard in Kansas City, Kansas.
With its final inspections at Redondo complete, Santa Fe 3751 backs toward Amtrak's North Yard and past the AMTK 509, still wearing its phase IV paint scheme. Out of picture to the left, the annua... (more)
The queen of steam 611 breaks the silence of the Bob Julian roundhouse in Spencer as she gets put into her spot for the night.
The last museum train of the day, pulled by Class J 611, rolls past the row of Crape Myrtle trees in full bloom on the NCTM grounds.
611 gets turned at put back to her spot at the NCTM in Spencer.
What looks like sometime in the 1950s, is actually in 2016. The Southern Railway 6900 stares down the Class J number 611 as she gets put away to her usual spot at the NCTM grounds.
Streamliners at Spencer from the sky.
On April 6, the former Reading turned Reading & Northern T-1 4-8-4 2102 was taken back out on the mainline for the first time in 31 years. After more than 3 decades of napping, owner Andy Muller ... (more)
Following a day of break-in runs, the Reading T-1 4-8-4 2102, now RBMN, gets some evening TLC at the Port Clinton, PA Steam Shops after a 31-year nap.
20 minutes before sunrise NW 611 heads towards the exit of the North Carolina Transportation museum for her trip back to Roanoke.
After a multi-year, multi-million dollar restoration, the fruit of the R&N steam crews hard work comes to bear as the big T-1 simmers at Outer Station.
Still letting off a few traces of steam after having returned from a run the day prior, the 3751 cools down before being put back in its pen.
The Empire Builder departs Portland. With a loud hiss of steam from her cylinder cocks, the Portland to Spokane segment of Great Northern's Empire Builder gets underway in the Portland Yard... (more)
In full afterburner! Looking a bit like she's got a JATO bottle stuffed in the back of her trailing truck, the Spokane, Portland & Seattle's big Northern #700 flies past the Oregon Rail Her... (more)
Running wind sprints. Doing photo run-bys with Spokane, Portland & Seattle #700 in the Portland Yard is a bit like taking an Indy Car to the drag races. We've got a machine that was built ... (more)
