Between 1972 and 2025 (and counting), I have been able to ride behind 140 different steam engines, some multiple times.
1972 -- The first one was Disneyland Railroad 4-4-0 1 "Cyrus K. Holliday", built in 1955 by Disney Studios/Dixon Boiler.
1972 -- The second one was with my grandmother Flora at Knotts Berry Farm back in the days when there was no entry fee. Ghost Town and Calico Railroad 41, ex. Rio Grande Southern 41 1916, exx. Denver and Rio Grande 409 1886, exxx. "Denver and Rio Grande Railway "Red Butte", nee Denver and Rio Grande Railway 409 "Red Cliff" built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1881.
1973 -- The Denver and Rio Grande Western narrow gauge was ridden on a family trip, when we took the bus to Silverton and rode the train back to Durango.
1974 -- California Western 2-8-2 45, ex. Medford Corporation 3 1932, nee Owen-Oregon Lumber Company 3, built by Baldwin in 1924 powered the Super Skunk Train at Fort Bragg and my family and I rode to Willits and return.
6/28/1982 -- my first mainline steam engine ride was behind Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985, built by American Locomotive Company in 1943, on its first public excursion, a Salt Lake City-to-Provo round trip.
9/9/1983 -- I rode behind McCloud River Railroad 2-6-2 25, built by American Locomotive Company in 1925, seen here at Hambone, California.
6/15/1984 -- Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1941, led the World's Fair Daylight. I rode the two-day excursion from Phoenix to Los Angeles; this was the photo runby on the first day.
Two engines I rode behind at the California State Railroad Museum on their excursion trains over the years were Southern Pacific 0-6-0 1269, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1914, and Union Pacific 0-6-0 4466, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1924.
8/24/1984 -- W.H. Eccles Lumber Company wood-burning Heisler 3, ex. Boise Cascade Corporation 3 1960, exx. Hallock and Howard Lumber Company 3 1927, nee W.H. Eccles Lumber Company 3 built in 1915, which I fired as a trainee fireman on one of four trips on the Sumpter Valley Railroad.
8/1/1985 -- Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad K-36 2-8-2 489, built by Baldwin in 1925.
8/3/1985 -- Durango and Silverton Railroad behind K-28 2-8-2 473, built by American Locomotive Company in 1923.
5/22/1987 -- I rode the Ghost Train of East Ely with Nevada Northern 4-6-0 40, built by Baldwin in 1910, on the first day of operation.
4/27/1991 -- A double-header with Union Pacific 4-8-4 8444, built by American Locomotive Company in 1944, and Union Pacifc 4-6-6-4 3985, built by American Locomotive Company in 1943, on the Canyon Express. This was the photo runby along the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
12/28/1991 -- My first excursion behind Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751, built by Baldwin in 1927 was on the California Limited between Barstow and Bakersfield. Here is the train passing through Fullerton the day before.
6/28/1992 -- My first Union Pacific Historical Society convention, which took place in Cheyenne, Wyoming, included an excursion with Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 over Sherman Hill.
7/16/1992 -- The Pacific Limited was pulled behind Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 and I rode from Salt Lake City to San Jose over the former Western Pacific. Pictured is the first photo runby near Jungo, Nevada.
7/23/1992 -- That year's National Railway Historical Society convention included an excursion called Circle the Bay, during which I rode Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 up the east side of San Francisco Bay from Milpitas to Oakland, then took a ferry across the bay, followed by Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472, built by Baldwin in 1921, from San Francisco back to San Jose. This was the photo runby at Southern Pacific's Bayshore Yard.
7/3/1993 -- Fillmore and Western operated their former Great Western 2-8-0 51, built by Baldwin in 1906.
7/31/1993 -- I rode Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472 to the Tracy Dry Bean Festival from Oakland to Tracy, then on to Lathrop for wying. A photo runby near Bryon, California.
5/7/1994 - Another Southern Pacific 2742 excursion, this time from San Luis Obispo to Tangier.
9/21/1996 -- At the Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum in Campo, newly-restored Southern Pacific 2-6-0 2353, built by Baldwin in 1912, on one of their Miller Creek excursions.
9/12/1998 -- The need/desire to ride a train in South Dakota started my relationship with Milwaukee Road 261, built by American Locomotive Company in 1944. This was a three-day Camerail Club excursion from North Kansas City to Minneapolis Jct. Pictured is the photo runby at Hills, Minnesota.
6/19/2001 -- At that year's National Railway Historical Society convention in St. Louis, one of the excursions was Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 from St. Louis to Gorham. Here is the photo runby at the ghost town of Valmeyer, Illinois, since the town itself moved two miles east after the Great Flood of 1993.
6/21/2001 -- The second steam excursion at the NRHS convention was led by St. Louis-San Francisco 4-8-2 1522, built by Baldwin in 1925, from St. Louis to West Quincy and return. Pictured is the photo runby at Ilasco, Missouri on the return. 1522 had the loudest bark of any steam engine I have experienced.
6/22/2001 -- The final steam excursion during the convention was again behind St. Louis-San Francisco 4-8-2 1522 from St. Louis to Newberg; this is the photo runby at Newberg.
5/18/2002 - My next encounter with Milwaukee Road 261 was during an excursion to Duluth and the photo runby near Hinckley.
6/19/2002 -- Milwaukee Road 261 took me from Minneapolis Junction to Chicago Union Station on a two-day journey down the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Line. This photo runby is at Nelson, Wisconsin.
6/22/2002 -- Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 took me on a two-day excursion on the former Rock Island Spine Line from South St. Paul to Kansas city. The photo runby near Ellendale, Minnesota.
8/24/2002 -- That year's National Railway Historical Society convention, based in Williams, Arizona, featured Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 built by Baldwin in 1927, Grand Canyon 2-8-2 4960, built by Baldwin in 1923 and Grand Canyon Railway 2-8-0 18, built by American Locomotive Company in 1910. All conventioneers rode behind all three during the event. Here, Santa Fe 3751 and Grand Canyon 4960 are in the midst of a photo runby at Anita.
8/25/2002 -- At the end of the convention, I rode behind Santa Fe 3751 on its return from Williams to Los Angeles via the Peavine Line and the Arizona and California Railroad. This is from one of the three photo runbys at Milepost 100 just east of Parker, Arizona.
8/30/2002 -- The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad three-truck Shay 10, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1928.
8/31/2002 -- The Iron Horse Roundup in Oakdale, California enabled me to ride behind both Sierra 2-8-0 28, built by Baldwin in 1922, and Quincy 2-6-2T 2, built by American Locomotive Company in 1924.
4/25/2003 -- The City of Poway, California runs Poway-Midland 0-4-0 3, built by Baldwin in 1907.
7/12/2003 - Sherman Hill Railroad Club's excursion with Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 to Yoder instead became a trip to Laramie and back over Sherman Hill. Pictured is the last photo runby of the day near Buford, Wyoming.
6/25/2004 -- Milwaukee Road 261 pulled the Grand Excursion, which I rode from Milwaukee to La Crosse via Galesburg, Rock Island, Davenport, Savanna, Bureau and Dubuque. This view was taken just north of Galesburg, Illinois.
7/2/2004 -- Milwaukee Road 261 took me on a circle trip via the former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy line to La Crosse and the former Milwaukee Road Line back to St. Paul. Upon return, it stormed up Westminster Hill in St. Paul.
7/4/2004 -- I was onboard behind Milwaukee Road 261 as it travelled up Short Line Hill to end the Grand Excursion 2004.
7/8/2004 -- After the Grand Excursion, the Friends of the 261 offered tickets on a four-day move from Shoreham Yard to Portal, North Dakota behind Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 2816, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930. I rode all four days and this was the first time 2816 had performed a photo runby; at Mantador, North Dakota.
12/5/2004 -- The Winter Photo Freight on the Nevada Northern allowed me to ride behind Nevada Northern 2-8-0 93, built by American Locomotive Company in 1909, on the last photo runby of the day.
