NKP 765 Throttle Time 12/06

[@drfunk411]

I was about six when i first saw this locomotive. It is one of the main reasons i enjoy steam so much. Getting a chance to blow the nathan whistle was definetly worth 75$

[@drfunk411]

It still makes me smile.

[@drfunk411]

After you move the johnson bar it only takes a few seconds for the train to move. Reverser was smooth. Whistle was on a lever. Took a couple tries to get that low note.

[@clyde41]

Those Lima-built Berkshires were magnificent machines, weren't they

[@09JDCTrainMan]

Observe her beauty.

[@Kleman09]

@manga12 765 is fired up several times a year for excursions anywhere in the USA. This past year we were at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and at SRI to cover for 1225. 765 has about 4,000 horsepower and takes about 8 hours to steam up. .

[@LeonardFShanerJR]

That was a cool video Dr. I remeber seeing 765 blast through Pottstown, Pa. on it enroute to the Blue Moutain & Reading Railroad back in 1987. Have you ever ran steam before? I have, a few times.The first time I ever ran steam was in trhe cab of the Blue Mountain & Reading's 425, with the Late Charlie Kachel, That was in 1992 between Pottstown,Pa. and Boyertown, Pa. the special was called Iron Stone Ramble. Check out the video clip. Len.

[@BigBerk765]

Uuuuuhhhhhhh??? Is that train chuffing while sitting still? Whoa!

[@prr1361]

Dr, Points off for not leaning all of the way out of the cab while backing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, by the way I AM jealous !

[@pianomanmaestro]

wooo is she a beaut or what!!!!!

[@JaiahHazelnutBrown]

Nice. I've never seen that one. In fact I don't even know when it runs.

[@produKtNZ]

Amazing :D - When did the grin fade?

[@thetrainman407]

awesome!!

[@drfunk411]

@12riccal actually its "Throttle time". They society offers engineer for an hour with a small diesel. I havent heard anything about taking the 765 for a spin in awhile.

[@drfunk411]

I forgot to close the cylinders on my second pass forward. I really hope they get a shot at running her this year. I'll be there, you can bet on it!

[@Kleman09]

running the engine is fairly easy once you understand how it works.

[@CGiordano464]

@Kleman09 well thats good to know. It looks like 3751 over here on the west coast still has a pretty old crew but not that much physically intense labor like shovling coal on her. i hope to get in down there but It lokos like ive got a pretty good chance at getting a job down on the disney engines which are im told realy easy cause their arent many grades and we have an engine at are club with almsot an identicll same cab layout as the C.K. Holiday in 3.75 inch scale so its not a tiny one! haha

[@Kleman09]

@manga12 I dont know if im related to those klemans. The society is open every Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Volunteers work on Saturdays from 10 to whenever work is done. 765 is steamed up at least twice a year for open house. My job is a hostler. Its not so hard once you get the hand og it. Lots of physicaly demanding work, but lots of fun! Yes the crew is 32 and under with help from guys like rich Melvin and Steve Winniker.

[@robertgift]

Great! What a memory! Is that a leak around the "piston rod" when it is being pushed forward. Or does it seal as it gets hotter from use? Thanks

[@CGiordano464]

ive spent like my whole life time running minature live steam locos and i dont see why kids like me can be able to do something like this!

[@JaiahHazelnutBrown]

Thats still a big engine though I'd like to try it.

[@manga12]

I see I thought though that she was steamed up more often then just a handful of times a year, if you were to start her now how long from a dead cold start would it take to get running like at 23 degrees, is it true it takes almost a day to get it running and get enough pressure to run? and how many horses is she? I have seen the life begins at 40 video where they ran her from a rusted stop and spun the wheels free in a cloud of rust, that was epic. So you do yardword for them eh?

[@Kleman09]

@CGiordano464 full sized trains are a lot harder to handle than minniature live steam trains. Theres also a matter of state laws regaurding child labor. 765 operates under class 1 railroad rules, so they must follow laws regaurding who can and cannot work on the trains.

[@Hiei2k7]

@produKtNZ I still don't think that has faded....I remember when i was 6 and the 261 came to Savanna....I GOT TO RIDE THE CAB FROM SAVANNA TO ROCHELLE!!!!!

[@Kleman09]

@manga12 most volunteers are older because the younger guys have jobs and families. however, when it comes to operation, us young guys are there. We all help as often as possible. :) the society now has a yt page. fortwaynerailroadhistoricalsociety is the username. look up Life Begins at 40 Prologue and ull get our yt page. :)

[@drfunk411]

75$. Money well spent.

[@manga12]

you go and answere that now? now that I have seen it under steam in person, and I post the videos of the cab tour and seen all what all the controls do, and aside that from some of the videos on the run with ladyberkshire its no walk in the park, and very physical trying to yank the throttle back on the fly as well as staying attentive to when to feed the boiler water and coal. I love comming out there but I am kind of made there were no public excurstions this year only for the railroaders.

[@Kleman09]

that is the air pumps

[@Kleman09]

@CGiordano464 You are incorrect about who is in the cab. On 765, the oldest crew member is only 33 this year! The older members have sort of stepped aside to let us young guys take over. I know of few 70 and 80 year olds who are able to shovel coal or run the train. Often times im dut to work doing things that the older volunteers can do anymore, such as work in the smokebox.

[@manga12]

it was the societies anniversery as well, it would have been nice to let the city and area celebrate as well, she is an ambassetor of the city after all, and on the national registery of historical places and things, I would have liked to have taken an excursion by her up in alma or north judson or somewhere like they have done in more recent past during the summer season. I am kind of dissappointed.

[@2102FAN]

Ah ok, It must of been a time you will never remmber!!

[@CGiordano464]

@Kleman09 well i was being sarcastic but i do agree and disagree with your statement. when it comes to brakes yes i can imagine that full size trains are harder but, it is alot harder to keep steam in such a small boiler and when it comes to firing an oil fired engine it can be just as hard sometimes. Ive had the chance to run some provate 30 inch gauge steam engines and I tought it was easier then the minitures. In a miniture one man is doing two jobs

[@ishkode71]

Air compressors are running.

[@2102FAN]

When you got to run this, is there any other way to run it fauther then you did?

[@Kleman09]

It is easy enough when you have worked on it for a while. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to maintain and operate 765 and other steamers. Where you thinking it was easy? Its nowhere near easy! As for no excursions for the public this year, it was a contract with NS to run for their 30th birthday, employee special. Keep an eye out, you never know when 765 will be out next for the public. Ladyberkshire's youtube video does not do justice to the reality of operating the engine.

[@JaiahHazelnutBrown]

It cost $75 to move it back and forth 75 feet? Thats 50 cents for every foot.

[@drfunk411]

they have some more track past that. They dont really want you to go buck wild i guess.

[@CGiordano464]

@Kleman09 Well yes you do not want a 8 or 9 year old responsible for a 100 ton steam engine but I have spent time also in some coal fired steam engines and got to shovel some coal. I think it would be nice if they let some 15 or 16 year olds up int othe cab to do that instead of havving some 70 or 80 year old man do it as I have noticed in alot of cab ride videos and etc

[@manga12]

I knew about the excursions all over so its got about 4000 sounds like a decent set up not exactly a big boy loco but I am sure It could still haul just as much freight as even a modern train due to her massive weight. eight hours does seem like a long time but history like this is ment to live not rust away or be cut up too much of it was lost to that and sadly the most powerful steam loco the allegany there were many built and only two exist one in the ford museume and one in penn. sad.

[@Kleman09]

@CGiordano464 I would be careful about saying its easier to fire a full sized steamer. Try shoveling 22 tons when the stoker fails. Thats not exactly easy. Top that off with having the same responsibility as the engineer to know the railroad signals. Not quite an easy job. Also you'd be handling the train at speeds as high as 50 plus mph! I doubt any minniature train can go that fast. The real basic reason for ur kids and teens not runnin full size is because of laws we have.

[@MandavoshkaMajafaja]

And people pay money for this?

[@637thanku]

Santana zoo train ride VDon’t have to

[@637thanku]

Santana zoo train ride I’ll talk Santa Anna zoo train ride

[@mikes47jeep]

your not a train buff you wouldent understand