SVR Grande

Yesterday, I spent the entire day at the Sumpter Valley Railroad in McEwen and Sumpter, Oregon.
WOW ... muy grande.
My wife and I decided to head for a 3 day vacation, much like a trip to Durango or Chama. The flight was a lot shorter than the drive. The closest large airport is Boise. The UP paralells most of the trip from Boise to Baker City.
The effort to go to Oregon is positively worth it. The entire railroad is a class act operation. Sorry, there's no McDonald's close by. There's not even an ex-D&RGW, ex-C&S, or ex-RGS engine there. But, the guys there and the equipment are great. There's a great variety of equipment from all over.
The mainstay for head-end power is 2-8-2 SVR #19, which had a few years on WP&Y. Bill Stettler and Doyle McCormick outdid themselves on the restoration. I saw this locomotive in 1984, and it was bright orange from rust and looked like it had been dropped on all sides. Today, it shines with smooth glossy black and is kept darned near spotless. For all those naysayers out there ... if this locomotive could be restored to operation from its rusted state of disrepair, most others should be able to also.
Also steamed up yesterday was Heisler #3. This engine alone is worth the trip to Oregon.
Expect big things from SVR, as they're building shops big enough to restore several cars at once. They've also got land and right or way to expand in to.
A huge thank you to all the guys at SVR for a great visit.