Contrasting reactions..... A trio of Amish kids and their pets watch the passage of Norfolk & Western M-Class Locomotive #475 and her mixed consist on Long Curve, with mixed reactions. Note how calmly two of the kids watch, while the third clearly doesn't like the stack-talk. Even more interesting is the reaction of the two dogs. The mellow Golden Retriever seems totally oblivious to the scene, while the Shepard appears to be scared witless. LOL! Although not a planned scene, these kids did happen by the photo line and were asked if they would like to be part of the photo. They (and their parents) consented, but we couldn't predict how the ensemble would react when the train actually passed. This was just one of many interesting encounters during the 2019 "Reunion of Steam" event at Pennsylvania's Strasburg Rail Road, featuring N&W steamers #611 and #475.
True N&W aficionados may note how shiny and clean the 475 looks and be thinking this re-enactment is really lacking in authenticity, A "Mollie" in branch-line service back in the day would likely be much more filthy looking than this gal right here. Unfortunately, the 475 had just recently emerged from some rather extensive maintenance, including a 1,472 Service Day Inspection. Upon completion of that maintenance, the locomotive was given a fresh coat of gloss black paint, resulting in the show-piece look you see in this photo. Note also that during her recent stay in the shop, the 475 also had her headlight moved from it's high-mounted bracket, to the center of the smokebox. N&W Mollies wore them both ways during their long tenure in service, and there are plenty of photos around depicting locomotives with both headlamp configurations.
