Having made quick work of the eastbound portion of her first mainline trip in 21 years, Southern 4501 turns on the Bradley Wye in Cleveland, TN for the run back west. The trainmaster asked if they... (more)
The power behind the plow: White Pass #73. The antithesis of White Pass #69 is the beautiful Mikado you see here. This is White Pass Locomotive #73. It is quite literally THE last word i... (more)
This was on the first revenue run of the Southern 4501 after her extensive rebuild.
Snowy McEwen Sunrise. A mountain snow flurry that drifted in from the nearby Elkhorns continues to lightly dust the McEwen Yard, as the sun rises amid breaking clouds to the east. This sur... (more)
Passing the local at Hawley Spur. A Sumpter Valley local mixed with Heisler #3 on the point, holds the Hawley Spur west of McEwen for the passage of a hot-shot freight making the run out to... (more)
A sporty ride. The reflections of the impending sunrise are already visible in the windows of Caboose #3 as the crew of a Sumpter Valley freight protects the rear of their train while it ba... (more)
At North Pole Station. Engineer Ken Blandina gets the lantern signal from his Conductor that his locomotive has been decoupled from the passenger consist, and he may now pull forward to beg... (more)
Now departing Essex..... With her cylinder cock steam stirring up the last of the fallen leaves, the Valley Railroad's Mikado #3025 slowly eases 9 heavyweights out of the Essex Yard to begi... (more)
On the table - It's the end of the day and #15 prepares to roll into her stall in the Orbisonia roundhouse.
East Broad Top 3-ft gauge 2-8-2 number 12 backs to the station and train on the last day of July.
Welcome to ghostly railroad "museum" of Baquedano.
A Pot of Gold in Chama! After a 15-car doubleheader Saturday morning, a 10-car train 215 came into Chama with little fanfare, a lot of it in rain. After the train let everyone off, they pulled for... (more)
Showing signs of her true identity, "Rio Grande Southern No.455" takes water from the Rico, er, Chama Water Tank on a crisp September Morning.
Southern Railway's most famous Mikado pulls onto the 100-foot turntable in Summerville, GA that was put into service in 2002.
Lined for the Main. Rio Grande Southern 455 takes to the main on a crisp fall morning in Chama New Mexico.
As a large crowd cheers to the arrival of The Queen of Southern Steam, locomotive #4501 smoothly guides her train of nine cars into the historic depot at Summerville, Georgia on the first of seven... (more)
A caboose hop leaves Durango headed for Farmington. It will pick up its train at Carbon Junction, where the cars were set out the prior evening by a train from Chama. The caboose, two loaded boxca... (more)
Southern Face-Off Southern Railway #'s 630 and 4501 are readied for the day of railfest excursions.
Southern Sisters TVRM's two operable Southern steamers make for a beautiful sight as they stand side-by-side at Railfest. Yes 4501 is black.. where else can you find two operable ste... (more)
Southern #4501 joined the TVRM excursion fleet during Railfest 2014, seen here posed with 2-8-0 #630.
Closing out the final day of Railfest 2014, newly restored #4501 rests at East Chattanooga with sister #630 as crew members tend to final shutdown procedures for the evening. The glowing harvest ... (more)
Sneaking out the Back. Chama, New Mexico. July 2013.
Cleaning the Fire
A Mikado and an Edsel. Valley Railroad's New Haven-ized 2-8-2 No. 3025 rests at the former Witch Hazel plant in Essex, Connecticut as a Ford Edsel passes by. Part of the 2012 Lerro Productions p... (more)
Assuming the pose of a million engine crews before them, these engine men wait on the loading of their train. Although shot in 2000, I like to think this has a timeless feel.
The East Broad Top... (more)
A trio of K-36's are gathered outside the engine house in Chama as the sun prepares to disappear from the western sky. The locomotives gathered around the engine house tonight are the 484, 488, 48... (more)
Osier: Water for the horses. Baldwin K-36 #487 eases up to the old D&RG water tank at the depot in Osier Colorado. Once the home of a section crew, Osier was a convenient way-station for t... (more)
Weather can play a big part in the mountains and getting wet is one of them. Baldwin K-36 No. 480, leads today's first section through Hermosa past the D&SNGRR Maintenance Yard in the rain. The h... (more)
CN 3254 has coaled up and is heading for it's train for today's excursion.
This is an outtake from my upcoming book on Steamtown. I hope you enjoy it.
D&RGW narrow gauge K-36 480 simmers away in the roundhouse at Alamosa, Colo. before its run tomorrow to Chama, and then on to Durango. It would be the last winter D&RGW operated its narrow gauge... (more)
Kentucky & Tennessee #10 beginning the day at Stearns, KY || January 1962
Westbound on the Stump-Dodger. Leaving the McEwen Yard behind, a Sumpter Valley Freight, affectionately known as the "Stump-Dodger", heads west toward Prairie City on a frigid February morn... (more)
Morning mixed to Baker. A morning mixed train from Prairie City to Baker City passes a short work train at Hawley Spur, about 4 miles east of Sumpter. The power on the mixed is Sumpter Va... (more)
EBT Mike #15 heads South for Robertsdale, PA with a string of empties to be loaded with coal from the mines of Central PA.
Valley Railroad veteran Mikado No 40 works the south end of Essex yard at the end of the second to last day of the 2013 season. 40 and her distant cousin No 3025 spent the evening hauling four so... (more)
On a brisk Dec. 21, 1963 at Chama, N.M., D&RGW 2-8-2 493 has another Mikado, 488, in tow as the two of them head for the wye to turn and then take a 3rd cut of cars up to Cumbres Pass summit, and ... (more)
Checkin' the oil. Valley Railroad locomotive crew members perform a quick check of the lubrication system on the trailing truck of New Haven 3025 during a brief break between their daylight... (more)
The engineer, fireman and conductor job brief on a bitterly cold early January morning, transporting the photographer back in time as if he were alongside Plowden, Shaughnessy, and others recordin... (more)
Two crew members line up #15 on EBT's "Armstrong" turntable before wrapping up a hard day's work.
It's just before 9 AM on a Fall day in October and the crew has a full load headed out of the yard at Obisonia en route to Mount Union, PA. EBT #17 and #18 sit idle under steam (actually smoke st... (more)
EBT #15 charges south towards Robertsdale, PA with a load of empty hoppers ready to be filled. They will be returned by days end to be interchanged at Mount Union with the Pennsylvania Railroad. ... (more)
EBT #15 passes by the sand house in the yards at Orbisonia, having just topped off in preparation for day's work along the grade. As it was then, it is now - times are tough at the railroad as it... (more)
C&TSRR 488 takes on water in Antonito before departing for Chama.
With the light of the rising sun glinting off of it's train, JS 8081, departs Xibolizhan for another days work in the open pit mine of the Sandaoling Coal Company. The morning shift change has jus... (more)
On a cold autumn morning in 2010, SY 1378 storms past the interlocking tower and through a grade crossing at the Wulong Mine. This train is bound for the spoil tip just 4 kilometers away but over ... (more)
3 years ago when I took this photo I thought for sure I would still be going to orbisionia for some great times and photo ops. Now I sit here just wishing that the owners and operators could just ... (more)
Two spouts, no waiting. The early morning sun filters through the grove of trees on the east side of the Chama Yard as multiple steam locomotives are readied for duty on Cumbres turns. In ... (more)
Bed-time for the Mudhen. After a day-long freight drag from Chama via Cumbres Pass, a trusty K-27 Mudhen is now in the hands of the shop crew at Antonito, Colorado. As the Engineer and Fir... (more)
Chama sunrise. With the newly risen sun filtering through the trees on the east side of the Chama Yard, the shop crew brings the 487 to a halt at the dual-spouted water tank. Having just c... (more)
Here you see a shot from the not long ago good old days at Steamtown. CN No. 3254 is in the background with sister Mike No. 3377 in the foreground. No. 337 is younger of the two and her wheels an... (more)
The Conductor-Trainee, following safety procedure, is "walking" the No. 3254 out the Gangway track at Steamtown to make sure no civilians are in any danger. The hulking Mikado obediently follows. ... (more)
K-37 engine 492 rests within the Chama Yard of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, New Mexico.
Colorful East Broad Top. The change of seasons is readily apparent in the hills above EBT's Orbisonia Yard as a mixed freight charges the brakes for an early morning departure to Mt. Union.
CN No. 3254 getting steam up in the Scranton roundhouse. All locomotives get bigger inside, even medium size locos like No. 3254. Unfortunately, this was to be the locos last season. It is unknown... (more)
Rustic East Broad Top. EBT Locomotive 15 pauses at the sand house in the Orbisonia Yard, while her crew fills the domes in preparation for a freight drag up to Mt. Union.
Much of the in... (more)
Gloomy East Broad Top. An lonely, almost ghostly EBT Mikado reverses through the morning mist toward the south switch, in preparation for a run to Mt. Union. I could wax poetic about the h... (more)
East Broad Top after dark. After coaling and watering their locomotive, an EBT Engine Crew waits for switches to be lined for their last move of the day; the move to the roundhouse. Their... (more)
Foggy East Broad Top. On a misty fall morning, EBT Crew Members turn Mikado #15 on the "Armstrong" Turntable in the Orbisonia Yard. Nestled in a valley in the hill country of south central... (more)
As Eli and Joe run 8419, Stephen and John grab shots of the train coming out of town and across Marion Street for the trip to Fraser.
Foggy East Broad Top. A member of the EBT Shop Crew opens the underground valve that feeds the water plug, as Locomotive 15's Fireman prepares to top off his engine's water supply. The cre... (more)
After running around their train at Fraser, the first excursion train of the day returns back into Boone, Iowa passing the depot and train order signal.
Crew Photo, Durango & Silverton Railroad, 2010.
Here is one of the youngest steam locomotives on the planet built 1988 in China. It's youth is one of the reasons the Valley RR selected this as it's most recent locomotive. It is much younger tha... (more)
#447 is readied at Camden Terminal. PRR Class L1s.
Time on the high iron is almost up for this pair of 2-8-0's, #3583 and sister #559 at the west throat of Thorndale, halfway between Philly and Lancaster. These locos were used as helpers to assist... (more)
Another scene for the modelers in the audience, as PRR Class L1s #1685 waits with a cut of cars, the Renovo shop buildings in the distance. The spotlight-equipped '51 Plymouth might have been a c... (more)
Black Beauty gets a once-over at the rack in Renovo while the photographer gets eyeballed by the laborer. This Mikado had a PRR class designation of L1s, and the "NOR" stencil on the pilot design... (more)
Fill 'er up! In this unusual view from the top of the locomotive's oil tank, Sumpter Valley Engineer Eric Wunz fills the tender cistern on the railroad's 1920 Alco Mikado #19, as his train ... (more)
Filling up #463 with coal for the grueling climb to Cumbres Pass. That day #463 would double head with #484 to the summit. From there, #484 would be cut off of the front of the train and #463 woul... (more)
The Conductor signals the Engineer to ease his 1923-built K28 back for a hitch to its consist. The Silverton is set for a 9 AM departure. All aboard!
Steamtown's CN 3254 is backing up on the Hopper track to pick up it's trains for the trip to Moscow PA while surroundied by it's admirers.
In the Scranton roundhouse, AKA "the barn," Bruce and Kevin were prepping steam locomotive CN 2-8-2 No. 3254 for the days run after repairs the day before. They were using a fork lift to replace t... (more)
487 & 488 sit under the coal dock in the Chama Yard. It isn't hard to imagine them getting ready for an early morning run to Cumbres Pass and then on to Antonito A Lerro Productions Charter
Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 #587 in Asheville, NC in this September 1987 scene, in town for the NRHS convention.
488 and 487 simmer outside the Chama Engine House on a chilly late autumn evening. A Lerro Productions Charter
All four active engines on the C&TS gather around the double-spout water tank in Chama Yard. A FarRail/Lerro Productions night photo session.
Railfans are scattered through the Rockhill Furnace yard to watch EBT 2-8-2 15 pass by with a coal train after turning on the wye. This shot, taken from the now-removed coal storage pile just east... (more)
It's a foggy Saturday morning during the 2007 Fall Spectacular as EBT 2-8-2 17 sits in the Rockhill Furnace yard at the head of a freight train. Unfortunately, 17 had been out of service for a few... (more)
It's early on Sunday morning during the 2008 Fall Spectacular and EBT 2-8-2 15 has just pulled out of the roundhouse and is heading back through the yard to pick up its train for the first run of ... (more)
Polson Logging Co. #70 takes another trainload of passengers around the balloon track in Mineral on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. The track in the foreground is the the main track to Morton.
It is 1950 and Rio Grande No. 487, a K-36, stops for a drink at the yard's dual-spouted water tank in preparation for a heavy freight to Cumbres. In reality this scene was captured during a Pete L... (more)
It was a busy morning in Scranton as two D-L jobs were at work in the yard adjacent to Steamtown...an SB-3 grain train and PT-98 with the RS3s seen at left. Here Steamtown's Scranton Limited shor... (more)
The Rio Grande never sleeps. The D&RGW Chama night hostlers position a K-36 helper locomotive for a drink at the yard's dual-spouted water tank, in preparation for a heavy sunrise freight t... (more)
