Locomotive Cab Rides

Thu Apr 5 23:46:43 EDT 2018

Gordon, that's an impressive list that all of us can envy. I unfortunately didn't get any N&W steam cab rides but did get some great memories in their GP-9's in the early-mid 1960's and again in the early 1970's with H16-44's.
During my summer vacations in Roanoke I was fortunate enough to make friends with the Roanoke Station personnel. With the blessing of the Stationmaster I basically had a blank check to roam the area. The passenger switcher crew was amazing and they let me ride with them every night. I was eventually shown how to run the GP-9 and after numerous "student trips" I was allowed to do some switching on the various trains coming and going at night. We pulled head end cars and diners off and on and moved them to/from the storage areas.
The switcher engineer had made arrangements with the engineer of the Birmingham Special engineer for me to ride with him in the Southern E-8's when they were uncoupled and run way down the west end past the station a couple times. What a huge difference traversing the tight station turnouts with that long 6 wheel trucked engine compared to the jarring ride in the GP-9's. Very smooth engines.
I also got to do a similar move with a pair of Redbirds while they switched out head end cars. While the ride was the same as the switchers being in those beautiful Red Geeps seemed much more regal! Those units always took my breath away. Maybe that was the reaction folks had in the days of the J pulling in?
In Norfolk, while in the Navy, I spent as much time as possible at Lamberts Point. On several occasions I was invited into the cabs of the old VGN H16-44's working the coal  yard. They were some of my favorite engines. 
Many years before, we visited the Virginian South Yard (?) in Roanoke and I was lucky enough to get a couple rides in EL-C's as they worked around the yard. Being from the Baltimore area the electrics were a special treat for me. I got a short ride in an EL-2B one summer too. 
Speaking of Baltimore, I had numerous rides from Penn (Union) Station to DC in the fantastic GG1's. In spite of the negative comments about the unfriendly Pennsy personnel getting cab rides was never difficult. The GG1 was just pure raw power and the acceleration was very impressive with those long trains. Riding in the fireman's seat and having a meet with another GG1 powered train was quite unnerving. They seemed only inches apart and the noise, speed and closeness of the event was always breathtaking. 
I had an Uncle who ran passenger trains on the B&O between Camden Station in Baltimore and DC too. Many rides in E-7 and E-8 units were really exciting. It always amazed me how smooth the E's rode. Doing 80mph they would just glide along like a big old Chrysler.
I also got a neat cab ride on a B&O RDC from Camden to Brunswick once. I really liked the RDC's.
On those summer trips we got a lot of time with steam on the Virginia Blue Ridge. They were always friendly and cab rides were no problem. Those little 0-6-0's would really bark and lurch back and forth pulling the grades. The kindly engineers would let me ride in the engineers seat and would let me blow the whistle and sometimes make changes to the settings and shovel coal. Great stuff!
While stationed at NAS Dallas I met a pretty redhead from East Texas and married her. On weekends for a little over 2 years we'd go in to see her family and that meant an early morning trip to Arkansas to ride the Reader RR. Cab rides there were obtained by signing a release until I discovered a cab ride and free rein could be had for a case of Red Man chewing tobacco for the crew! Most of the trips were spent in the ex-Army S-160 #1702 but trips in their little 2-6-2's were fun. The crew taught my wife and I how to operate the 1702 and they would sit in the much cooler location on the sand box on the front of the tender while we ran the train to Waterloo and back. 
Probably one of my favorites was riding along with the crew for several hours on a Western Maryland Ry BL-2 working the Hagerstown, MD yard job once. I always liked the BL-2's and their sound.
When I got discharged from the Navy I headed for York, PA on New Year's Eve 1974 and in a heavy snow storm I spent a few hours in the snug, warm cab of NW-2 #81 on the Ma&Pa switching the yard and then more hours talking trains in the enginehouse gathered around the pot bellied stove. 
Well, I guess none of this can compare to riding in the #2300 but they are very good memories and I wouldn't trade any of them for a zillion bucks.
Thanks, Gordon, for starting this and sparking up the memories!
Roger HuberDeer Creek Locomotive Works 

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