After a few quick snacks, the three of us {Don Roe slept in} headed back to the East Ely yard for the morning photo shoot. Sitting out in front of the engine house was the Nevada Northern 93.
Next they brought the engine out of the engine house three times, backing it in and out. I took pictures the first time. I watched the second one as it just fantastic to watch a steam engine at work.
The third time was fantastic. The smell and sounds of steam in 2004! You got to love it!
Coming out from the car shop towards the coaling tower.
A second Photo Runby of the same event.
The Nevada Northern 93 in front of the coaling tower.
A tractor then loaded the Nevada Northern 93 up with coal for the day.
B 2081 rests in the East Ely yard. We returned to Don's vehicle and headed to the east end of the yard where Don wanted some car pictures.
While we were there, the Nevada Northern 93 then headed to the wye to turn for the last Polar Express of the weekend.
The Nevada Northern 93 backing around the wye.
With everyone happy, we stopped by the White Pine County Museum for a picture of the Kennecott electric engine 80 on display there after having passed by it all weekend. The three of us returned to the hotel before the four of us walked to the Silver State for a great breakfast. It was back to the hotel for a little football before our last event of this weekend.
We drove back down to the East Ely Station as the last Polar Express of the weekend was returning backing in.
The Nevada Northern 93 would soon cut off, be wyed and head to the engine house for water before the next train it would work.
The Nevada Northern Winter Photo Freight 12/5/2004The SD-9 204 was making up our mixed train. The final consist would be Nevada Northern 93 pushing three unnumbered box cars, ore cars 1005, 089, 1082, 1219, 400, 402 and 403, tank car W5 and coach 5. Passengers boarded coach 5 which is divided with a men's section with black leather seats in one end and a women section with red velvet seats in the other end. A door separates the two sections. We sat in the 21st Century women's section with those nice red seats. The car was unheated but body warmth and sunlight warmed it up nicely. The Nevada Northern 93 returned to the rear of our mix train and minutes later the Nevada Northern 93 started pushing our train east at 12:50. We passed the wye and Carl noted that at 12:54 PM that I was starting my new mileage as I took a sip of Coca-Cola. We crossed the road crossings and soon we were out of town.
Once past the last grade crossing the train stopped before the curve and we did Photo Runby 1.
Photo Runby 2 at the same location.
Photo Runby 3.
The train continued to Mosier for Photo Runby 4.
Photo Runby 5 also at Mosier.
Photo Runby 6 at Mosier.
The junction with the line to used to go the SP Cobre and WP at Shafter. Future route for me to ride but that line only now goes as far as Shafter.
With us now backing up the High Line we stopped at MP H1.5 for Photo Runby 7.
The Photo Runby 8 at that location.
The third and last Photo Runby 9 at MP H1.5
The Nevada Northern 93 continued to back us to MP H2 where Photo Runby 10 was held. Photo Runby 11 was also at MP H2.
Photo Runby 12 was near Lowen.
Photo Ruby 13 was further up the High Line. Runby 14 was also held here but clouds came over.
The Nevada Northern 93 backed the train to the big cut. Here it was before it backed up.
A posed picture at the big cut.
Photo Runby 15 at the big cut. I watched the next two runbys as the sun popped out of the clouds. Seeing steam in the winter is a fantastic experience!
The Nevada Northern 93 pulled our mix train back to MP H5 for the last three runbys of the day. Photo Runby 18.
Runby 19
Photo Runby 20 was right before sunset which was the last one of our weekend.
A special thank you to Gordon Osmundsen, who was in charge of photo stops, and the Nevada Northern crews for putting on a real first class show the whole weekend. We returned to East Ely after sunset but a nice twilight ride. Everyone was raving about what a great winter steam railroading weekend it was. We all enjoyed our visit to the Nevada Northern. What a great show that they provided for us. We said goodbye to all of our new friends before we all went our separate ways.
The four of us went to Arby's for dinner before we returned to the hotel for the rest of the evening. I wrote the rest of the story up to this point as Carl and I watched "Laura Croft, Tomb Raider." After that we watched Storm Stories on the Weather Channel with the 1979 record snows in Chicago which was fascinating. We called it a night getting a good night sleep for the long trip home.
The Trip Home 12/6/2004We awoke at 4:00 AM and left the hotel at 4:45 AM. We would retrace our route up minus the detour to Boulder City. We stopped at the Alamo Truck Stop for breakfast where I enjoyed pancakes and sausage. We drove through Las Vegas hitting traffic for the first time on this trip. As we left Sin City the traffic thinned out. A stop at Primm for gas before heading down the highway into California. Don Drummer bought two Christmas music tapes. We first listened to the Boston Pops most of the way to Barstow. We had started on the Frank Yankovic tape, "Christmas Memories" as we pulled into Barstow. Love those Polkas! We ate at Toms Mega Burger and I enjoyed the "Hot Dog Special". The view once again provided views of trains. Back on the road we crested Cajon Pass and headed back to Placentia. I said my goodbyes before taking surface streets home ending a great trip on both the Nevada Southern and Nevada Northern. What a fantastic weekend it was!
