[PRCo] Fw: Nickel Plate 765

[Dennis F Cramer]

Sorry if things get reposted--

My time stamp was off by 10 minutes, so they got to Lilly at 2:45 P.

We all know how dirty the coal industry can be. Fred shoveled coal at Strasburg (their locomotives are too clean also) and I worked 2 summers in the beehive coke industry. 

The speed seemed faster than 40 MPH, but I do not have a smart phone, so I could not access the tracking device once I left home to check the speed. I will look before I go back to chase her next Monday on the return trip from Enola to Conway.

The cars are leased from Mid America. http://www.midamericarailcar.com/

The gondolas carry the coal and or have coal loaded there first to avoid having it scooped from the ground. Apparently at some time in the past while loading coal trackside, a front-end loader picked up a tie plate and it did a number on the screw of the stoker, so now they load their own coal.

The service and water stop was Altoona, as Derrick mentioned.

Both Johnstown & Altoona television covered the trip.

http://www.wjactv.com/news/news/old-steam-engine-travels-along-prr-line/nQ9r8/



          Dennis F. Cramer
http://home.windstream.net/dfc1