Have you ever had the urge to take a big steam engine like this for a little ride? For $500 and half a day of your time, you can slide your butt into the hot seat on this one. For just a few days, every spring and every fall, The Valley Railroad conducts its "Your Hand on the Throttle" (YHOTT) program. When you make your reservation, you'll be sent a home-study kit, which will acquaint you with the theory of operation and the rules of the road. On the day of your appointment, you'll attend a private briefing by one of this country's most experienced steam locomotive gurus, Valley CMO J. David Conrad. With that preparation under your belt, you'll head out to the cab and meet your instructor and Fireman. For the next hour, you'll be the hogger on this beauty, as you make a run to Chester and back, negotiating grade crossings, bridges and even a rock cut. When the students dismount at the end of their session, they have a tough time wiping the big, wide grin off their faces. If this sounds like something that's on your "bucket list", don't drag your feet. The limited YHOTT slots fill up well in advance of the event and throttle time on a steam engine like this is not going to get any cheaper!