Re: NNG/AFT, 40 Years Ago This Week - 02/24-27/76 (#610 in Ft. Worth (2))

Russo Loco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello again -
>
> One of the best features of the Freedom Train's
> display site in Fort Worth was the openness. 
> It was easy to back away for a clear broadside
> shot, and usually no problem with people getting
> in the way - at least before the exhibits opened
> at 10:00 a.m.  As can be seen from the
> changed position of her rods, by evening of the
> third day #610 had been moved far enough - about
> nine feet, at least - to put her sunny side in
> classic "rods down" pose: *
> [attachment 34720 760225b08-12.jpg]
>
> Another nice touch in Fort Worth was the
> lighting.  At some locations - like San
> Francisco - the engine was a few blocks away from
> the train; in Fort Worth the 'Home State' 2-10-4
> was a major attraction in her own right, and she
> was accompanied by her own set of flags and plenty
> of illumination.  IIRC, it was late in the
> evening on the third day when #4449 had been fired
> up and moved into the lights for a while. 
> The sky soon darkened, and #610 - being not quite
> so brightly painted - required a bit more
> light.  The headlamps of two or three cars
> solved the problem:
> [attachment 34721 760225c01-06.jpg]
> (Note the shiny rods - carefully steam-cleaned by
> yore's trooly sometime earlier in the day.)
>
> Counterweights?  COUNTERWEIGHTS??   We
> don't need no stinkin' counterweights!!:
> [attachment 34722 760225c09.jpg]
> Is #610 the embodiment of a Plumber's Dream - or a
> Plumber's Nightmare??
>
> On the fourth day in Fort Worth things were a bit
> more relaxed.  Most of our work done, several
> of the crew gathered around a cooled-down #4449 -
> well away from most of the crowd going through the
> train or visiting steamed-up and occasionally
> whistling #610.  Andy Adams horsed around
> with the train numbers while Roy McCormack relaxed
> in the cab, then Andy and Yore's Trooly took turns
> playing cave troll in the engines firebox:
> [attachment 34725 760227a01b05.jpg]
>
> Andy and Roy, then Russo and Andy, took turns
> trying to look serious on the fireman's side of
> #4449's cab.  Then most of the long-term
> volunteers and some visitors posed on the front of
> the engine:
> [attachment 34726 760227b09c07.jpg]
> The photo on the left shows Craig Thomas at top
> center, then Andy Adams, Judy (?), Tom Nosera,
> Fran (?), Bill (?), Roy McCormack, Bob Slover and
> Frank (?) on the lower level.  In the right
> photo there are volunteers Bob Slover, Tom Nosera
> and Craig Thomas in the top row, AFT hostler Roy
> McCormack, fireman Andy Adams and volunteer Russ
> Sperry on the ground.
>
> (To Be Continued.)
>
> - Roosso
>
> *  Driver diameter times Pi => 63" x π =>
> 63" x 3¹/₇ => 63"x3 + 63"/7
> => 189" + 9" => 198" per revolution or 16.5
> feet; the rods on the engineer's side were
> just a little back of top, so #610 had to be moved
> more than 8.25 feet forward to get to 'rods down',
> or about nine feet.  (Or some multiple of
> 16.5 feet, plus 9 feet . . . )

I'm calling a foul here. Clearly by the time 4449 got to Ft Worth, it was wearing proper Espee font number slides in the number boards. These slides are basic sans-serif numbers it had many months before...... So when was the pic of Andy playing musical numbers taken????