Sitting outside Denali National Park watching train of Alaska Railroad go along shelf up on side of a mountain. Great modeling scene during the day and a single headlight along the side of the mountain in the dark. I think we ride it, tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing your travels. Make me envious that I can not take that long of trips. Keep trip new coming. Later RJD
We are back on “terra firma” in Seattle. Getting everything back to normal or at least to what it was be for our cruise. The cruise included a days travel on the Alaska Railroad in the Princess Cruises and Holland America private coaches. Nicely done. Each car is self-contained with domed seating upstairs and dining and galley down stairs. This is the way rail travel should be.
Our cruise also included a trip on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad. I know many of you have done this, but this was truly a bucket list item for me and it was as good as I hoped. Friends of ours did it almost 20 years ago and it was something I just had to do. Great scenery and a fun ride with steep grades along canyon walls. The stories of the Gold Rush provided a great narrative.
There was a young couple on board the WP&Y from Australia. Traveling by hiking or hitch hiking and tent and sleeping bag. No clue where they were going to sleep that night. Young love and adventure. I know some of you guys can remember that.
Our plans were to travel further west and along the coast, but the inner guilt says we need to spend some period of time with family before heading south in November. So the grill is getting pointed south and east tomorrow. The adventure isn’t over, but we are already making plans for next year.
Heading east and in Butte, Montana for a couple of days. Drove I-90 through Idaho and have to say that is some of the prettiest scenery we’ve scene.
There is snow on mountains, that 3 weeks ago were brown and green. I believe they want moisture out here anyway they can get it. Wanted to drive back I-84 past the Cascades Locks, because we understand the fire jumped the Columbia River there and wanted to see where that happened. I know kinda sick and like watching a NASCAR race for the wrecks. Just normal American tourists However, I-84 is still closed in that area.
Double post, sorry! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Looks like a great trip. I have been enjoying all the photos Jane is posting on FB. Thanks for sharing your travels.
Overnighted in Sheridan, Wyoming after visiting the “Little Big Horn Battlefield”. A nice memorial showing the battle from both sides. It was truly the end of the Plains Indians way of Life and the expansion of the U.S. government over the entire lower 48. Drove past the “Powder River” coal basin, again. I tell you for a railroad buff, traveling these Interstates really shows how coal and west coast container ship imports travels the rail. The modern units with permanent power on both ends, plus helper service working to get back down for the next assistance up the big grades is all right along I-90 and other roads that follow the tracks, that followed the streams through these mountain passes. Great scenery and the only word is “vast”. Today, with GOD’s will and blessing, we head for Cheyenne.
Made Cheyenne, although a high wind warning for high profile vehicles made it exceptionally enjoyable. Last night’s low temp was 47, but the windchill made it feel like 33. Nice! Plan to be here a couple of days and then chase the UP, east toward North Platte along I-80. The Union Pacific created Cheyenne as a supply depot and named it for the local Indians, that constantly made their lives miserable.
Too bad you din’t make it to California! I would have cleaned up the layout!
Always another trip, Doug.
Visited downtown Cheyenne, yesterday evening. Beautiful old depot with part of it bow being a small brewery. Right downtown, “The Plains Hotel” and all. From an overpass we could see the roundhouse and engine shops. Isn’t this where the UP Steam Engines are maintained? Nothing outside, except a number of tenders and water cars. Just more evidence there is good stuff in those buildings.
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Today, we visited the “Golden Spike Tower” of Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska. 8 floors up over the 8 mile long and 2 mile wide Bailey Yard and Engine Facility. Almost too big to pick out detail. 2 hump yards, one westbound and one eastbound, both sending cars toward the east. I’m thinking this may have something to do with local wind. Huge engine facility, servicing over 300 engines a day and pumping 14 million gallons of fuel a month.
Well worth the time. I ended up working for the Union Pacific from 1982 to 1984, after the merger/take over of Missouri Pacific. Wow, that was 35 years ago…
Tomorrow is Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. I’m thinking we should be back in Carlyle on Sunday or Monday.
Doug Arnold said:
Too bad you din’t make it to California! I would have cleaned up the layout!
laf… me to…
California was visited a couple of times in our lives and one of our goals was to make it into all 50 States. With knocking out North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, we achieved this. We also visited British Columbia and the Yukon, so a couple more Provinces were accomplished. Places like Nebraska were explored further. Literally, our only visit to Nebraska before this trip was to the Cozad’s and Nebraska City, so we saw a whole lot more of it and many other States.
Now we are back home, still trying to get the old KVRwy layout removed from the old location and satisfying family obligations and things we want to do, like going to Andy and Jane’s October Ops, before we head for Florida, November 1st. It is depressing and a little frustrating to tear up over 20 years of enjoyment of the hobby, besides taking away time from working on the new layouts. However, we have been blessed to have a life of this much fun and have met so may great friends because of this hobby and the great people in it. Time marches on and we keep trying to keep pace.
Man. did it turn cooler!
Decided to get out of “Dodge” and head south. Eventual destination is the Ridge Live Steamers for the “Winter”. Got a couple of Aunts I need to see in Oklahoma and Texas, so we are headed to RLS via Yukon, Oklahoma and Richardson, Texas. Thinking about a trolley ride in Narlins along our way East.
Cold front has sagged all the way to Claremore, Oklahoma with 30 degrees being the low tonight under a breathless clear sky. Warming back up as we move south and then east.
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Saw a nice “grain train” with a couple of “BNSF pushers” (didn’t see the head in power) along the old Frisco r.o.w. just east of Springfield, Mo. along I-44.
So you will be spending the winter in FL eventually? Have you changed locations when you will winter in FL? Later RJD
Hey RJ,
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Currently posting from Lynnsville, Tn. as we make our way home for the Thanksgiving family celebration. We make the “Ridge Live Steamers” our “Winter Home” and plans are to be back down there by the end of the next week. “Ridge” is located in the Lake Wales, Dundee, Frost Proof area and great fun. There is a number 1 gauge track on the property for track power, battery and live steam, however my interest have evolved toward the 7.5 inch ride on stuff when on the property. Working like crazy to improve my live steam knowledge and the days are full with all that brings.
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If you, or any other member of the “LSC Family”, are in the area, drop me a note and we can arrange a nice tour of the railroad.
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All the best and a Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends here at LSC.
On the first of December we arrived back at the Ridge Live Steamers and have had a couple of great weeks there. Yesterday was spent running the live Steam Crab. Had a good run. The addition of the trailing water car and hand pump resolved all the issues of keeping enough water in the glass. All the other pumps required momentum or a lot of steam pressure and the hand pump was just the ticket to resolve the low water anxiety.
Today, we start moving north toward the home anchorage and being with family and friends for Christmas. All this traveling is a balance between family and peace in our household as Jan wants to maintain the Holiday traditions and I guess my live long traditions of liking to play with trains. Living the Dream with GOD’s blessings.
Rick will you be returning back to FL after Christmas? Some of us LS folks meet up in FL around Orlando not to far from Dundee. Later RJD
HI RJ,
Yep, plans are to be back at Ridge for a ride on Ops session on the 30 and 31st of December. Any one interested, should contact me. Its great fun and we can always use more operators and crew members. Ridge is about one hour south of Orlando.
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http://www.ridgelivesteamers.org/
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This rant has been going on for a number of years and plan to close it out at the end of the year and start a thread for each year, hoping to keep the number of pages shorter. I never could compete with Daktah Jon on the number of pages, anyway. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Sure would like to make it on the 30th as I will be in Velrico till Jan 2 visiting friends. Later RJD