Re: NNG, 2248 is back on her feet.
| October 25, 2010 10:56PM |
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The 2248 was dolled up for PR purposes in the early '50s and ran for some time after the end of revenue steam operations on the SP. Not bad for an 1896 Cooke with a lap seam boiler. 2475, 1744 and 4460 were also kept on hand for "end of steam" excursions, with the latter holding the distinction of pulling the very last in 1958.
Here's 2248 at Los Gatos, CA, with the Louis Chess retirement special, one of many events it participated in during its show career. Chess was the SP's final steam-era General Passenger Agent and the man ultimately responsible for the donations of "park engines" which, if not for his intervention, may well have met their fate as Toyota parts -- 2472 included. When these shots were taken in July of 1957, it had been some eight months since steam had graced these rails (which would be gone less than two years later) Who, in the diesel era or otherwise, would ever have imagined an 1896 Cooke with a modern bilevel gallery car on the old SPC narrow gauge right-of-way?
E.H. Chase photos
Here's 2248 at Los Gatos, CA, with the Louis Chess retirement special, one of many events it participated in during its show career. Chess was the SP's final steam-era General Passenger Agent and the man ultimately responsible for the donations of "park engines" which, if not for his intervention, may well have met their fate as Toyota parts -- 2472 included. When these shots were taken in July of 1957, it had been some eight months since steam had graced these rails (which would be gone less than two years later) Who, in the diesel era or otherwise, would ever have imagined an 1896 Cooke with a modern bilevel gallery car on the old SPC narrow gauge right-of-way?
E.H. Chase photos
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.