In my life I have ridden many steam engines. We start with the first one then go to the present adding new ones as I ride them. Now let's go all the way back to my first steam train ride.
The first one was one of the Disneyland Steam Engines but I don't know which one.
The next one would have been at Knott's Berry Farm back in the days when you could walk into there for free. Too bad those days are gone forever.
The Rio Grande Silverton narrow gauge was ridden on another family trip in 1973 at Durango. We took the bus to Silverton and rode the train back to Durango.
The California Western Super Skunk Train 2-8-2 45 in 1974 at Fort Bragg. We rode Fort Bragg to Willits and return
In 1982 my first mainline steam engine ride was behind the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 on its first public excursion which was a Salt Lake City to Provo round trip on 6/28/1982.
I rode the McCloud River Railroad behind the McCloud 2-6-2 25 seen here at Hambone, California on 9/9/1983.
The Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 was on the World Fair Daylight in 1984. I rode the two day trip from Phoenix to Los Angeles and here was the photo runby on Day 1 of that trip 6/15/1984.
Two engines I rode behind at the California State Railroad Museum over the years were the Southern Pacific0-6-0 1269 and Union Pacific 0-6-0 4466 on their excursion trains.
The W.H. Eccles 3 was a steam engine I fired as a training fireman one four trips on the Sumpter Valley Railroad on 8/24/1984. This photo is from Sacramento Railfair 1991.
I rode the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad K-36 489 on 8/1/1985.
I rode the Durango and Silverton behind K-28 473 on 8/3/1985.
I rode the Ghost Train of East Ely Nevada Northern 4-6-0 40 on the first day of operation on 5/22/1987.
I rode behind both of the Union Pacific Steam Engines 4-8-4 8444 and 4-6-6-4 3985 on the Canyon Express on 4/27/1991. Here was the photo runby along the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
My first trip behind the Santa Fe 3751 was on the California Limited between Barstow and Bakersfield on 12/28/1991. Here is the train passing through Fullerton, California the day before my trip.
My first Union Pacific Historical Society Convention was in Cheyenne, Wyoming and there was an excursionbehind the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 on 6/28/1992 over Sherman Hill. Here was one of the photo runbys on that fantastic trip.
The Pacific Limited Trip was pulled behind the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985. I rode from Salt Lake City toSan Jose over the old Western Pacific. On 7/16/1992 the first photo runby of that day near Jungo, Nevada.
A NRHS 1992 Convention Trip was called Circle the Bay which I took the UP 3985 up the east side of the bay from Milpitas to Oakland then a ferry across San Francisco Bay and the Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472 from San Francisco back to San Jose. Here was the photo runby at the old Bayshore Yard on 7/23/1992.
The Fillmore Western ran the ex Great Western 2-8-0 51 on 7/3/1993. Photo just west of Fillmore, California.
I rode the SP 4-6-2 2472 to the Tracy Dry Bean Festival from Oakland to Tracy then on to Lathrop to be wyed. Here is the photo runby on 7/31/1993 near Bryon, California.
The next SP 2472 trip was the San Luis Obispo to Tangair on 7/7/1994.
Down at the Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum at Campo I got to ride behind their freshly restored Southern Pacific 2-6-0 2353 on one of their Miller Creek Excursions on 9/21/1996.
Needing to ride a train in South Dakota started my relationship with the Milwaukee Road 261. The first trip I ever did with that engine was the Camerail Club three day trip from North Kansas City to Minneapolis Jct. Here is the photo runby at Hills Siding in Minnesota on Day 2 of that trip which was 9/1/1998.
At the NRHS 2001 St Louis Convention I rode behind the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 St Louis to Gorham on 6/19/2001. Here is the photo runby at the ghost town of Valmeyer, Illinois from that trip.
The next NRHS 2001 Convention Trip was pulled by the Frisco 4-8-2 1522 on 6/21/2001 form St Louis to West Quincy and return. Here is the photo runby at Llasco, Missouri on the return trip. This engine had the loudest bark of any engine that I had ever ridden.
The final NRHS 2001 Convention Trip was again behind the Frisco 4-8-2 1522 St Louis to Newberg on 6/22/2001. Here is the photo runby at Newberg, Missouri.
My next Milwaukee Road 261 Trip was the trip to Duluth on 5/18/2002. Here is the photo runby near Hinckleyon that trip.
The Milwaukee Road 261 next took me from Minneapolis Jct to Chicago Union Station on a two day trip down the former CB&Q Line. Here is the photo runby from 6/19/2002 at Nelson, Wisconsin.
The Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 took me on a two day trip down the former Rock Island Spine Line from South St Paul to Kansas city. Here is the photo runby from 6/22/2002 near Ellendale, Minnesota.
The NRHS 2002 Convention at Williams, Arizona featured the Santa Fe 3751 and Grand Canyon 4960 and 18which I rode behind all three at one point. Here the Santa Fe 3751 and Grand Canyon 4960 did a photo runby at Anita on 8/24/2002.
The return trip I rode behind the Santa Fe 3751 from Williams to Los Angeles via the Peavine Line and the Arizona and California Railroad. Here is one of the three photo runbys at Milepost 100 just east of Parker, Arizona on 8/25/2002.
The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad three truck Shay 10 was ridden behind on 8/30/2002.
The Iron Horse Roundup in Oakdale, California on 8/31/2002 let me ride behind both the Sierra 2-8-0 28 and Quincy 2-6-2T #2 at that event.
The City of Poway, California runs the Poway-Midland 0-4-0 3 in Old Poway Park. I rode behind this engine on 4/5/2003.
The trip which was suppose to go to Yoder behind the Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 became a trip to Laramie and backover Sherman Hill. Here is the last photo runby of the day near Burford, Wyoming on 7/1/2003.
The Milwaukee Road 261 was the engine that pulled the Grand Excursion 2004. I rode it from Milwaukee to La Crossevia Galesburg, Rock Island, Davenport, Savanna, Bureau and Dubuque. This view was taken 6/25/2004 just north of Galesburg, Illinois.
The Milwaukee Road 261 took me on a Circle Trip via the ex CB&Q Line to La Crosse and the ex Milwaukee Road Lineback to St Paul. After that trip the Milwaukee Road 261 stormed up Westminster Hill in St Paul on 7/2/2004.
On 7/4/2004 the Milwaukee Road took me up Short Line Hill in St Paul to end the Grand Excursion 2004.
After the Grand Excursion the Friends of the 261 offered tickets on the four day move from Shoreham Yard to Portal, North Dakota behind the Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 2816. I rode all four days and here is the first photo runby ever done by the CP 2816 at Mantador, North Dakota on 7/8/2004.
The Winter Photo Freight on the Nevada Northern let me ride behind the Nevada Northern 2-8-0 93 on the last photo runby of the day on 12/5/2004.
