What I'm Thankful For

With Thanksgiving come and gone already, I thought I should write a short article on two things I'm thankful for. Of course there are a bunch of nice models released in the last year to appreciate, but that's what MRN's printed magazine describes. I'd like to consider two more abstract and, I think, more meaningful things.

Thanks for Appreciating Railroads
For one, I'm thankful for a shift in attitude towards trains and railroading. Today's young generation never had close contact with railroads like generations past; major passenger service was long gone, and freight railroads had long since cut down public relations to a bare minimum. So, trains were a curiosity, whereas for past generations, they were an obsolete thing, replaced by trucks and airplanes.

But the truth is, trains are not obsolete, and I think more and more people are realizing their worth. I experienced this firsthand when inviting several friends to my dorm room for a video game night. My model railroad sits against the far wall of my room, so everyone noticed it right away. And once the few gasps of surprise died down, this mix of college students (both boys and girls,) started talking for a few minutes about how helpful the trains of the real world are. Most of us had ridden Amtrak, and certainly all of us had been in traffic jams before. My friends knew trains provided an alternative to road transportation and congestion, and they appreciated that. I felt so glad to see this, and I'd die contented if I can make it my life's work to spread this acceptance. Maybe we'll live in a nicer, cleaner, and safer world if people embrace trains for the tasks they do best.

Thanks for Kind Hosts
I had been to Todd Treaster's home before for an open house last year, so when I learned of another open house event taking place this year, I made plans to attend. Todd has a fantastic built-to-run model railroad empire capturing the spirit of contemporary west Pennsylvania mainline railroading. Best of all, he and his wife Becky make great hosts to the crowds that come to visit each year.

When the crowds thinned a bit in the early afternoon, Todd gave me the proverbial proceed signal to put a locomotive of my own to work on the layout. After waiting for the modern freight trains to make room, I took two modified Bachmann models for a spin. It made such a difference to run them on broad, sweeping curves amidst truly complete scenery... I'm really thankful for people who have such complete works of model railroad art, and especially those who make the effort to share them!

Nov. 27, 2010: restored New Haven 4-8-2 no. 3303 waits at a vintage PRR position light signal on Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh Line. The steamer and matching caboose will travel west to Pittsburgh unassisted, as a caboose-hop steam excursion.

Unsuspecting NS workmen (and a stray railfan) all do double-takes as the steamer gingerly steps past.

Paused on a bridge while a Roadrailer train passes, no. 3303 and its caboose reflect nicely in the waters below. The water is about to join the Susquehanna River, just as 3303 is about to pull out and continue its journey.

Coming back the opposite direction that day was an even more unusual excursion: A restored PCC streetcar from Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Railways car 1724 has a "sill car" with a diesel generator in tow. The sill car is coupled to a railroad tank car, hauling fuel to power the trolley in this land of no overhead wires. The idea of powering a trolley by a cart, generator, and extension cord worked for the fledgling Rockhill Trolley Museum in the early 1960s, and the idea works once again.

Another trailer train passes the 1724 as it pauses in Lewistown, PA. The dispatcher radioed the trolley operator to inform him that another train was waiting to use the trolley's track, so the trip from Lewistown to Harrisburg was very fast. A PCC can really move, given the right track and the luck that the light and crude sill car will hold the rail!

As one last note of thanks, I appreciate you taking a look at this fun little photo story of things that are only possible today in models. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with much to be thankful for, and may the upcoming December holidays be merry and bright!


-Steven Goehring
Model Railroad News Associate Editor