Re: Of smoke and 'railfans'

Yes, it's unfortunate that many 'railfans' are so misinformed about correct steam engine operation. I suppose it's a case of "the customer is always right". Of course this simply promulgates more misinformation.
Y'mean like folks'll be confused and misinformed that this was the real WP&Y? Or that they'll think this was a real revenue freight?
C'mon! It's a staged event. A photo freight!
I recently shared some images of the UP's 844 on the Greeley sub. In one, the steam locomotive (not, < ahem > 'steam engine'- we all have our pet peeves, don't we? " />) went by me at something in the neighborhood of 60 MPH with a squeeky clean stack. That stack stayed clean while I watched for the next 30 miles or so. I complemented the crew for it. Like most folks who are interested in steam, I appreciate a clean stack and proper operation.
Still, steam locomotives do make smoke at times, it isn't always a result of improper operation, and a bit of smoke would've made for a more compelling picture, giving a better sense of drama, speed and power. The resulting image was a bit dull to anyone but an enthusiast - ie a railfan.
Since pictures were the point of the recent event at the Sumpter Valley, a bit of smoke on request was entirely appropriate. On most photo runs, a lot of things happen which aren't SOP - opening of cylinder cocks at odd times, unnecessary blow-downs, whistle blowing for no good reason and so on. In an event such as this I don't see a doggone thing wrong with any of it, so long as it doesn't harm the equipment.
Quite honestly, it's the sort of thing that only a railfan would notice and get annoyed over.
Scott