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HAROLD H. CARSTENS (1925-2009)


PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER HENRY R. CARSTENS


VICE PRESIDENT JOHN A. EARLEY EDITOR


E. STEVEN BARRY


ASSOCIATE EDITORS WALTER C. LANKENAU OTTO M. VONDRAK


CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JAMES D. PORTERFIELD


COLUMNISTS NICKEL PLATE ROAD 2-8-4 NO. 765 AT MG TOWER NEAR HORSESHOE CURVE, PENN., MAY 27, 2013; PHOTO BY STEVE BARRY Getting up to steam


STEAM LOCOMOTIVES ARE EVOCATIVE, but also divisive in the railfan community. When steam is running—especially famous muse- um locomotives on a rare excursion—the at- mosphere is often an anathema to what a railfan seeks trackside, with old men, small children, and hundreds upon hundreds of gawkers crawling about the landscape every which way. If you hear a pipe organ and smell popcorn and cotton candy, it’s proba- bly just your imagination. Probably. Yet the rarity of these functioning en- gines from another time makes them a po- tent draw on the public’s imagination no matter where you go. Today, according to some estimates, there are only seven big “main line” steam engines remaining in op- eration on the continent. That’s a far cry from the more than 40,000 that used to run in the United States every day.


Then there is the unforgettable experi- ence of steam. You do not merely see a steam locomotive, but you hear it, feel it, smell it, even taste it. If you doubt this, stand beside the tracks while the fireman in the cab sands out the flues; you will never forget the taste of that air on your tongue. Once experienced, it’s difficult to shake the appeal of steam engines. The big seven excursion engines, for example, have be- come almost superstars. It is not unusual to find a railfan 3,000 miles away in New Jer- sey wearing a t-shirt with the Southern Pa- cific 4449 emblazoned on the front in all its red, orange, black, and silver glory. More- over, it would not at all be shocking for an otherwise very casual railroad enthusiast to be able to rattle off her basic statistics, and tell you her last four and next six scheduled trips within 400 miles.


Railfans sometimes shun steam, for ad- mitting to being a steam fan can mean con- fessing to a kind of obsession that some- times leads to very public, very questionable behaviors. For instance, many main line ex- cursions often develop a rabid caravan of au- to-bound railfans on parallel roads. I am not certain, but I suspect that there are few


4 JUNE 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


places in the U.S. where driving at passen- ger train speeds while pointing a camera is legal. Further, the carnival-like popularity of these excursions means that it is some- times difficult for the railfan to have that up-close experience of steam that leaves such a lasting impression.


This doesn’t always have to be the case, however. On pages 42-47, editor Steve Bar- ry takes us to visit the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass, West Virginia, on the fiftieth an- niversary of this steam-powered tourist line. Cass is at the head of a whole class of North American steam operations that are far more representative,


accessible, and en-


chanting than the big locomotive bellowing down the high iron. From Maine to Califor- nia, from the Yukon to the deep south, small and mid-sized steam railroads still ply rails at the fringes of the national network, often through some of the most beautiful and re- mote scenery. More importantly, it is here, on these smaller roads, where visitors can reach out and touch the steam engine, feel the heat of its fires, smell the fuel oil or the coal, listen to the breath of engine. I once got into an argument with a friend,


a railfan younger than I, because he felt that such locomotives were merely “teakettles” that held no more relevance or meaning than a ride at Disneyland. I told him then what I tell you now: go find your closest, small-town steam railroad. Spend even a few moments in the cab of that iron horse. The boiler gives off warmth, the air com- pressor pants, and valves hiss and seethe. Steam engines are living, breathing ma- chines. Even a half-century after their dis- appearance from daily life, they remain an iconic part of our railroading culture no mat- ter which side of the fence you are on.


Alexander B. Craghead is a writer, photog- rapher,


watercolorist, and self-described “transportation geek” from Portland, Ore. You can reach out to Alex on our web site at www.railfan.com/departures.


ALEXANDER B. CRAGHEAD THOMAS KELCEC GREG MONROE GEORGE M. SMERK JEFFREY D. TERRY WES VERNON


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