Making Memories with the Big Boy

 It has been a year or two since we first started hearing that the Union Pacific Steam Engine named Big Boy, #4014, would be coming through the Pittsburgh area. Frank and I talked about it a lot discussing where we could go and how to catch it.

    We also reminisced, a lot, about our adventures chasing the Nickel Plate 765 as it came through town. That had been quite a while ago.

    I’ll never forget, back in 2012, as we stood on either side of the RR tracks beside the Emsworth Dam. If my memory serves me right, we were the only ones there. First we heard the whistle, echoing through the river valley. Then we saw it, coming around the bend, rapidly approaching. The whistle sounded again and before we knew it, it had passed us. It didn’t take long to pass but it was long enough to ingrain itself into our memories! We caught it a couple different places during that visit. Wow, what a rush!

    In 2013 we chased the engine again. We first saw it as it was leaving the Conway yards. We pulled over to the side of the road and jumped across the Jersey barriers to get pictures. Luckily the traffic was light! We turned the car around and followed it into the North Side where we watched it back onto the Ohio Connecting Bridge to turn around for its return trip. We followed it a lot that day! There were many more railfans that came out to see it as compared to the year before!

    While it was great hearing the whistle and seeing the smoke, listening to the wheels pounding on the tracks and sharing the views with the other rail fans, the best part was the fun of chasing it. Going out with a friend and seeing what we could catch. Even if our photos came out bad, we still had a great time getting them and lots of memories!

    This year, 13 years later, in anticipation of the Big Boy's visit we took a couple scouting trips to look for possible viewing sites. We searched east of Pittsburgh, looking for a spot that was away from any larger population centers. We finally decided on either a spot a mile or so outside of New Florence or else on a curve near the community of Torrance. The New Florence site was about an hour away from Frank’s house. The Torrance site was closer to our houses but also closer to Blairsville which might lead to larger crowds. We opted for the further site. What’s another 20 minutes of drive time for a good adventure?

    Saturday, the big day had finally arrived. I left for Frank and Kelle’s house just before 9. This is late for Frank and I to leave, we are usually on the road before sunrise. The three of us left their house about an hour later. We had an hour’s drive in front of us and of course, we still had to make a coffee stop!

    I had felt as if I was still in grade school when I tried to figure out what time the train would arrive at our spot. 

    I must have been paying attention because the train arrived within an hour of when I figured. Good thing we left early to allow set up time. We ended up waiting for about 1¾ hours. This gave us time to find our spot, set up and then roam around a bit, and meet some of the others who had come to see it.  There was a couple from Bedford who came here, trying to avoid the crowds. (Good minds think alike!) There was a group of Amish men who had ridden their bikes here and there were lots of kids, parents and grandparents. Where we set up, the closest people were 20-30 yards away.

    While we waited, the sun moved above the trees, stealing our shadows. The weeds near my tripod kept getting trampled further and further back as I tried to stay in the shade and keep cool.

    Finally we heard the whistle, way off in the distance. It was coming! The adrenaline started pumping, even more than it already was. Then we saw the headlight, rounding the curve a half mile away. There was the smoke! It wasn’t going fast and it was on the track right beside us. Just as it passed us, the whistle blew, sending a shock wave through us all. I couldn’t help but yell when I heard that whistle! After a dozen cars passed us, it came to a stop.

    A mass exodus started moving down the tracks towards the engine. A short bit later the whistle sounded again and the wheel sets started to creak. It started moving again and soon disappeared as it continued on its way. We started to pack up our gear.

    The road had a lot more cars on it than when we first arrived. Everyone was trying to leave at the same time. We got out into traffic and then stopped a few miles away to do a geocache. After all, what is an adventure without a find or two? Then we returned to rt. 22 and headed back.

    Nearing Blairsville, on a hunch, we decided to stop at the other site we had considered, just to see if the train had passed by yet. Nearing Torrance, we could see cars lining both sides of the street. Rolling down the windows, we could hear the engine, it was really close. Pulling onto the bridge that crosses the tracks, we were greeted by hundreds of people looking over the edge. The train was directly underneath us! The whistle blew again and we could see the engine coming out from under us. All the people on the bridge turned and ran across to the other side, ignoring my car. So, we just stopped and watched.

    Frank was able to get a couple nice pictures as the crowd rushed around us. We could see hundreds of people lined up on either side of the tracks, almost all holding phones and cameras, getting their own unique pictures.

    We turned around at the end of the bridge and wended our way through the crowds of people returning to their cars. People were laughing, smiling and happy, some walking down the center of the road, oblivious to the car right behind them. I can understand the mood they were in, we were feeling it also! We lucked out for sure, we took a chance and we caught the train for a second time, just as it passed under us! Cool!

    On Sunday morning, Ann Marie and I were on the road just after 7. We were heading to New Brighton in Beaver County. There were already lots of people along the tracks when we arrived. We walked in and found a good site, the one I had scoped out four days before. I set up, and then moved as more people arrived and finally set up on a pile of RR ties. Further down the track there was an even larger crowd. The tracks run alongside the town, easy access for the population.

    Our location was about five miles from the Conway Railroad Yards. The train was due to leave the yards at 9, it arrived at our location at 9:45.   We talked with the people around us and watched another train go by before the steam engine arrived.

    Then, in the distance a light was seen. The crowd surged towards the tracks. Once again, just as it passed us the whistle was blown. It was followed by not only echoes but cheers from all the spectators.

    The same thing happened as the day before, the people all left with smiles on their faces. They were laughing and sharing their experiences, they were happy!

    Once we were able to get out of our parking spot, we started back towards Pittsburgh. We stopped at a small place in Ambridge, the K&N Restaurant for some breakfast. It was just the type of place we like, opened in 1958, reflecting that time period. We ate at the counter, enjoying the bustle and rush of the waitresses. We had a good meal at a great price and best of all, we just lucked into it. Sometimes those are the best places to eat.

    Our next stop was to visit Arlan at City Books. As we walked in her face lit up as she came over, ready to share her own adventure into railfandom. She had watched the Big Boy as it crossed the Ohio River. She had debated on whether or not to close the shop early and thankfully decided to do it. We were like a couple kids sharing our stories. The visit to the book shop just added to the excitement of the day!

    Looking at my pictures later I was thinking about how many people across this country had come out to see this engine. I am also amazed how some people had no idea at all about it. My one neighbor asked me if the restaurant chain was opening up again. I tend to forget that not everyone is excited by the same things as me.

    We, as a country, have to thank The Union Pacific, and Norfolk and Southern Railroads for providing this wonderful show for us. Millions of people have lined the tracks across the nation, all unified together, millions of people that we share these memories with. I’m also thankful that I had Ann Marie, Kelle and Frank to share this event with. Having people you care for along with you, always makes better adventures!

    I was still pumped up Sunday night; nine hours after watching the Big Boy go by. So, I took my camera and went down over the hill and caught another train as it came out of the Lower Glenshaw tunnel. As you can see in the picture, I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t gotten his fill (Phil?) of trains that day!

It Is Getting Closer...

What is it exactly that gets us interested in trains? For many it is the circle of track running around under our Christmas trees. Or maybe it is from looking at our early picture books or the reciting of The Little Engine That Could, night after night before bedtime. Some of our interests stem from our parents or grandparents who lived through the years when trains seemed to be everywhere.

    I believe my own interests come from a combination of all of the above. Trains were a part of my family in more ways than one. My grandfather worked in the Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse in Verona, PA. He later drove a streetcar on the rails through town. My father and my brother made an HO train layout of the Kiski Junction, a location across the river from Freeport. 

     My father had taken many pictures of trains during his lifetime. In 1924 he had the opportunity of riding in the cab of a steam engine, an event he documented in one of his albums. “Over sixty miles an hour!” Some of his pictures grace the walls of my library.

    I imagine that it was inevitable that I would become a rail-fan myself. Being a photographer, I fell right into the hole. There is an anticipation I feel while waiting for a train to come. The feeling rises as the engine comes into sight. The noise increases and the train seems to get faster as it nears. The loud blaring of the whistles sends a shiver through me. It is a rush I feel, one that continues to draw me back time and again. The "pictures" may only be an excuse to hang out at railroad crossings…

    The Union Pacific’s Big Boy, steam engine #4014 has been taking up a lot of space on the internet. Facebook’s algorithms put numerous postings on my pages daily. The train is in the second half of a cross-country trip. It has been to the West Coast and will soon be entering Pennsylvania. It is scheduled to be in Philadelphia for the 4^th of July, our country’s 250^th birthday. It will be returning to its home base later, going through Pittsburgh in the process. (July 11^th)

    This steam engine is a monster! Weighing over a million pounds, it is 133 feet long. It has 16 driving wheels and because of its length, the frame is articulated to allow it to round bends. It was built in the early 40’s, engineered to pull very heavy loads. The 4014 is one of 25 engines built by the American Locomotive Company. (ALCO) Only eight of these massive engines remain and only the 4014 is still in operation.

    The engine worked until 1961, twenty years and during this time it covered over one million miles before it was retired. It was eventually rebuilt, converted from coal to oil and then returned to the rails in 2019.

    Needless to say, there are many, many people looking forward to seeing this engine, myself included!

    While we wait for this monster engine to steam into Pittsburgh, I have been searching for a spot to photograph it. My rail-fan friend Frank and I have been scouting out various places, checking out the lines of sight, the ease of access and whether or not there are any nice background buildings or rail signals. (Having a nice background can make or break a picture!)

    We are looking for a spot where there will be a minimum of people. Spots where the train will be stopping or where it goes through towns and cities will probably be overrun with spectators. Granted, no matter where we see it, it will be worth it, BUT, we would like to get some good pictures at the same time!

    This coming Thursday, we will be going out again on another scouting trip. The weather forecasters are predicting a day of clouds with minimal chance of rain. Hey, we’ve been out in the rain before, a little rain never hurt anyone. Hopefully, rain on the 11^th will be non-existent.

    While I am waiting, I go out and take more pictures of trains, practice, practice, practice! I also search the maps, imagining how shots from along the lines might look. I find that as I sit and watch the TV or read my book while lying in bed, a portion of my brain is thinking about camera speeds, locations to visit, B&W or color, or both, what to bring along and a multitude of other things. I’m not complaining, it’s all part of the fun of being a rail-fan photographer!

A Short Glimpse into Railroads Past

While searching on my computer for some pictures I had taken many years ago in West Virginia, I came across a file containing a small batch of black and white railroad pictures. They were all taken on film, before I discovered the joys and wonders of digital cameras. The pictures were all taken in the Pittsburgh area, mostly in the late 80’s. 

    Trains have always been a part of my life. I think my first memories of trains, after the picture books I had and the train set-up under the Christmas tree, was listening to them pass below the house when we first moved into Shaler. There were two sets of tracks there along with a couple crossings and the trains seemed to go past every 15 minutes or so. As a young boy, my friends and I would walk down to the tracks and watch the trains go by, hoping that the engineer would wave to us and counting the cars. I’d listen to the whistles at night and imagine where the trains were. The love of trains is still with me all these years later.

    This is just to take a short stroll through some of the railroading in the past. A mere 35 years ago the lines often had more than one set of tracks, steam engines still ran excursions through Pittsburgh, and the trains ran more frequently, back in the “good old days!”

    I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did!

Early morning in McKeesport. (1988)

The Pat Train, taken on the morning of its last run. (April 1989)

A Conrail train going through Alleghany Commons Park on the North Side. (1990)

Changing tracks in Sharpsburg. (1988) 

Pittsburgh Railroad Station (1989)

    Back in those days we had a variety of steam excursions come into and through the city. Due to insurance and maintenance costs, they rarely come through anymore. There is nothing like hearing a steam whistle echoing through the valleys as the train thunders past. 

The Nickel Plate 765 crossing the Alleghany River to the Northside

Nickel Plate 765 in Emsworth (1989)

Taken in the Southside

Southside (1993)

Taken from the West End

    Then there were the cabooses. I can remember watching for them as a kid sitting in the back of the car. Slowly they got fewer and fewer until they were almost all gone. I still see one every once in a while, but sadly most of them have been recycled... scrapped. In the town of Sharpsburg there was a scrap yard that did the evil deed; most of them there were Conrail cars.

Taken from the Highland Park Bridge (1988)

Taken from the Aspinwall side of the bridge (1988)

They were lined up all the way down to Millvale at times, like this one. It is a fitting end to this short batch of pictures, the end of the line. 

Memories of a Wild State

         It was the end of October, Halloween weekend, and Ann Marie and I decided to take a run to the hills, the hills of West Virginia! Figuring that the changing leaves wouldn’t be around much longer we made some plans and hit the road once again!

        On-line we purchased the last available set of tickets for a ride on the Cass Railroad and found a room to be our home away from home in Elkins. Seneca Rocks was our first planned stop, there were no tickets needed for this! We planned a slow trip, back roads if possible with plenty of time for photo breaks or side trips.

        The drive started with a stop at a local bakery for some donuts and a couple large cups of coffee. The car was fueled up and so were we. The weather didn’t look very promising; we never saw the sun on our first day. The windshield wipers were used most of the day.

        Nearing Seneca Rocks, it had tapered off to a very light mist. The road here is spectacular, there are places where you can look into the deep valley and see the roadway far beneath you. The valleys are steep and close, making the view that much more exciting. 

        In the parking area beneath the rocks we pulled out our hiking staffs, crossed river and started our climb. The trail is only a little more than a mile long but it goes up 839 feet! (Not that anyone is counting) The path is rather wide and well maintained and it is rarely very steep. We took our time and made it to the observation platform without any problems. We met lots of others making the climb including some with dogs. It was a nice wet Saturday, a perfect day to be outside!

        We have both made this climb before and I had climbed on the rocks also. Summiting the top of Seneca Rocks after a multi-pitched climb in my early fifties was one of those “mid-life” things. I was happy I did it, but once was enough. I’ll stick to the trails from now on. It was a good feeling to be able to still make this climb!

        The views from the top were mostly hidden by the cloud banks. Fog drifted past us, occasionally teasing us with quick looks at the valley below. While the views weren't as good as past visits, we still had that satisfaction of making it to the top! It seemed to take us less time to go down as compared to going up.

        While driving to Elkins we pointed out places we had eaten and explored in the past. We stopped a few times to photograph the mountains and to just absorb the beauty all around us. Most of these photos didn’t do justice to the scenery; the best photographs are the ones we hold in our memories!

        The next day we got in the car and headed south towards Cass. On our way, we were searching for a diner to get some breakfast. Fast food just didn’t cut it but that was all we saw. Chain restaurants and fast food, where are those old fashioned diners that used to be scattered alongside the highways?

        We stopped in the small town of Durbin across the street from an old railroad station. A poor excuse for a restaurant, (which was up for sale) provided our lunch. A couple tourists ate at flat tables by the window as locals sat drinking coffee and pop at the counter in the back of the large, unadorned room. The best part of this experience was that just as we finished with our food, a steam engine pulled into the station. While the passengers disembarked, I took pictures. 

        The train was pulled by a Heisler steam engine built in 1929 in Erie Pennsylvania. It was originally owned by the Hog Hollow Tile Company.

        Continuing on our way south, we drove through the community of Greenbank where the Greenbank Observatory is located. The huge 330 foot dish of the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope could be seen from the road.

        A short while further, we pulled onto the road that leads into the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Less than a half mile into this road, we saw a Bald Eagle. It flew to a tree about 20 yards away from where we stopped the car. We were close enough to see how huge this bird was and how magnificent it looked. I can understand how it came to represent our country! By the time I got the camera out, he had flown away. Once again, the best shots are in our memories!

        In the town of Cass, we visited the stores and took some pictures before boarding our train. It was pulled by a “Pacific Coast” Shay engine. It was built in 1928 in Lima, Ohio for the Mayo Lumber Company of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It was last used commercially in 1970 for switching cars on the Vancouver docks.

        We sat right in front of the engine. Personally, I think the sound of the steam whistle was one of the best things about the ride! When we first arrived, we could hear the whistle of a train leaving the station. It echoed through the valley bringing back memories of the other steam engines I’ve seen. It is a sound of the past! The sounds of the engine are loud but when the whistle sounds, the screech of the steam covers everything. It is a sound that resonates through your body! When looking at the whistle from where we were sitting, it can actually cause pain, but still, I looked. There are only a couple road crossings on the ride and I was looking forward to each one of them!

        The views of the mountains, whenever we left the cover of the trees were breathtaking! Watching the smoke swirling out of the smoke stack was mesmerizing. It wasn’t a “peaceful” ride, it was rough and loud and I found it tremendously exciting!

        After we returned to the station, we took a short hike to visit the ruins of the burnt down Cass Lumber mill. Originally built in 1902, it caught on fire twenty years later. After being rebuilt it was worked until 1960 when it was abandoned. In the 80’s, arsonists set fire to it again.

        On the way back to Elkins, we thought we had hit pay dirt when we came across a gas station with gasoline for only $1 a gallon! Just our luck, it was closed!

        The next morning we left for home. We passed more spots we recognized and stopped at a few of them to take pictures. Blue skies and sunshine accompanied us on our ride back home along with the memories of trips made in the past.

        During our trip the leaves were mainly brown and yellow but with the sheen of the rain on them, they looked great. In the mountains, the trees looked like carpets covering the valleys and folds of the slopes. The occasional red trees grabbed our attention, standing out from all the others! We saw so many familiar spots that brought back memories, it became almost a quest. What would we see next? In the process, we formed more memories for our future trips.

        The little bit of bad weather we experienced wasn’t going to stop us from having a great trip; it actually enhanced our visit to Wild West Virginia!