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UltraTek Alkaline Phosphatase

The UltraTek line is our leading edge system, designed to provide optimal staining with incubation times of 10 minutes each for the link antibody and enzyme label. For most procedures, commercially available primary antibodies can be diluted up to 50% further than with other systems.

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Writing an article about the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is hard because it requires using all of the overused descriptive words such as excellent, magnificent, wonderful, marvelous, supreme, outstanding, remarkable, first-rate, premier, unsurpassed, unequaled, unparalleled, unrivaled, and preeminent. Now that I’ve used all these words in the very first sentence, writing about the Durango & Silverton will be even more difficult.

History of the Durango & Silverton

The Durango & Silverton is one remnant of the one time network of narrow gauge railroad lines running throughout Colorado. The town of Durango was actually founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1880. The rail line to Silverton was finished in the summer of 1882 for the principle purpose of hauling gold and silver ore from the many mines in the San Juan Mountains. The mining boom boosted the population of Silverton to a peak of over 1100 before silver prices collapsed and the mines played out.

In the early 20th Century the towns of Durango & Silverton climbed and fell in economic and wartime cycles, while even then tourists flocked there to ride the scenic railroad line between the two cities. World War II brought uranium mining to the region but by the late 1940’s the line faced abandonment by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway, in spite of the popularity of its scenic passenger trains and the recent discovery by Hollywood as the backdrop for many major movies.

In the late 1960’s the Durango & Silverton line was designated as both a National Historic Landmark and a  National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. In 1969 the D&RGW Railroad was allowed to abandon tracks south of Durango, which isolated the line to Silverton. Fortunately, Charles E. Bradshaw, Jr came along and purchased the line from the railroad and set the stage for establishing a successful tourist operation over the scenic route. Steam locomotives mothballed decades earlier were restored to operating condition and wooden coaches were reconditioned for year-round use.

Durango & Silverton today

Today the Durango & Silverton is operated by American Heritage Railways, a company that operates other tourist lines in the United States. Trains operate over the 45.4 track miles between the two towns during the summer months, with a 26 mile schedule between Durango and Cascade Canyon Wye during the winter season.

Trains depart from downtown Durango and the first few miles are in an urban setting. The tracks follow the free-flowing Animas River, and the line cross it five times. Between Durango & Silverton, the train is largely separated from visible civilization as it passes through forested river canyons,and the spectacular “Highline” where it passes over a rocky narrow ledge above the river far below.

At Silverton, trains come right down East 12th Street into the heart of town to discharge the passengers. The riders take in the sights of the town and have some lunch while the train backs up to the wye on Mineral Street to turn around. The train then backs into East 12th Street once again so passengers can re-board for the trip back to Durango.

While these regularly scheduled trains are great, there are other options for those who want to see and photograph narrow gauge steam locomotives operating over the scenic rail line. The Durango & Silverton offers these special photography trains occasionally throughout the year, as do private operators who charter a train for one or two days.

My most recent experience was with a two-day photo tour in the fall of 2005. A group of photographers chartered a steam locomotive, freight cars, and some passenger cars to haul us and our equipment.

We began our journey before sunrise in Durango. Our train departed before the regularly scheduled passenger trains. Not long after we left Durango, a steady rain began to fall. Our first stop was near the Highline, where we got off. Meanwhile, our train backed up to a siding, so that the two regular trains on the schedule could pass. We set up in the rain and recorded both of the morning trains with their gold-colored coaches passing our location. Finally, our freight train appeared and passed the photo line.

Back on board, we proceeded to several more locations along the line where we recorded one or more “runbys” with our freight train. In the afternoon, we pulled into a siding at Elk Park to wait for the two trains returning from Silverton. By then the rain had turned to wet snow. One of the trains stopped briefly to pick up a group of hikers, who had flagged it. (The railroad has a special program for hikers to get off or board the trains at designated locations). After both trains had cleared, our photo freight passed through the beautiful falling snow.

We loaded up and finally made it to Silverton, where we did some additional runbys before retiring to our lodgings for the night.

The next morning we were greeted by bright sunlight and mountain peaks covered in the white snow that fell the day before. It would turn into a wonderfully bright autumn day with glorious fall colors. We did some runbys by the old Silverton depot before loading our gear onto the train. Throughout the day we we were blessed with great light all the way back to Durango.

The video story of our photo experience on the Durango & Silverton can be found on DVD Steam in the Mountains 1.

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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About the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad runs on former Milwaukee Road tracks in the shadow of the volcanic mountain. Visitors board trains at the depot in the small town of Elbe, Washington for the seven mile trip to Mineral, where the railroad has a large yard and shop.

Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is a not-for-profit operation run largely by volunteers. Its collection of geared logging type locomotives from each of the major builders: Climax, Heisler, Shay, and Willamette is well known and respected. In fact, the railroad’s Willamette is the only operational example in the world. These locomotives were built for steep  grades and tight curves typically found in the forest industries.

In addition, Mount Rainier Scenic has several conventional rod-style steam  locomotives and a couple of diesels in operation. There are an even greater number of heritage steam and diesel locomotives in the collection but not currently operational. 

The normal operation is over a curvy line between the small mountain hamlet of Elbe and the even smaller town of Mineral, however occasionally special trains run all the way to Tacoma. The line used by Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad are actually part of the extensive rail network owned by the City of Tacoma. The city operates commuter services as well as freight traffic serving the region’s port and manufacturing industries. The museum has long-term arrangements with Tacoma Rail for using their portion of the line. 

Our Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad experience

We visited this working railroad museum twice in June, 2011, just days apart. Our first visit came on a sunny day which happened to coincide with a charter for some German railfans who had arranged for two steam locomotives and a string of empty log cars to operate with several photo runbys. A few days later we were there for the 2011 National Railway Historical Society convention, which included rare mileage on a portion of the Tacoma Hill line and some changeable Washington State summer weather. On both days we were welcomed to safely look around the yard and shop facilities at Mineral.

The log car train was interesting in many ways. West Fork Logging Heisler #91 brought the empty cars and a caboose to Elbe, and then switched the train so the caboose would be on the rear as it returned to Elbe. Meanwhile, Hillcrest Lumber Climax #10 traveled light from Mineral. At Elbe, #10 took charge and headed to Mineral. Right after leaving, an unknown problem developed with one of the log cars, so #91 hooked on to the rear and pulled  the train back to Elbe, followed by #10. The issue was quickly resolved and the train was on its way again.

Six days later, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad hosted the NRHS convention trip. My wife, Jan, was now with me to cover this event. As the train arrived from Eatonville rained poured down on us and it rained periodically the rest of the day. 

The star attraction for the NHRS trip was newly restored Rainier #2, built by Willamette. While not much for speed, the engine put on a fine performance. There was ample time to look around the shops and yard at Mineral. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad volunteers also moved some of the other equipment around, which was a nice bonus.

Visit Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad

If you visit Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, the line between Elbe and Mineral has limited accessibility. At Elbe, a small yard near the depot competes with the nearby highway and logging trucks. It has a large parking area shared by the railroad, the historic Little White Church, and nearby businesses. After leaving Elbe there are spots along a short stretch of State Route 706/National Park Highway to pull off to watch the trains. Further along, the tracks go away from all road access until veering south to cross the highway near park Junction Road. After this point the line is largely going through private land until it reaches Mineral.

There is plenty here to see and do. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is professionally run and offers a variety of experiences for rail enthusiasts and the general public. It's easily accessible from the Seattle-Tacoma area. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad website has a great deal of information about the equipment, area attractions, and even current weather conditions and forecasts.

Go! You will love this place!

Our visit to Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is now a 45 minute chapter on Steam in the Mountains - Volume 1 DVD from Yard Goat Images. Previews and additional information about Steam in the Mountains Volume 1 & 2 can be found here. 

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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The day after the Rock Island Train Festival I traveled with NKP 765 as she headed east from East Peoria, IL to Logansport, IN on the Toledo, Peoria & Western (TPW), a short line operated by RailAmerica. Just after the festival closed, NKP 765 headed out of town to East Peoria where it would spend the night.

Instead of following NKP 765, I chose to spend the evening at the Rock Island rail yard as the Iowa Interstate QJs were preparing their train for what would be a high speed run across Iowa to their home in Newton. (Videographer Mark Paulson followed the QJs for a program which is also featured on the Steamin’ Summer Volume 3 DVD).

Following NKP 765

On Monday morning I got up early, gobbled the “free” breakfast at the motel and checked out. Not knowing exactly what time NKP 765 would be leaving East Peoria, I stopped at the yard first to confirm she had indeed left. Turned out she had moved out really early, and it was not until about 100 miles later that I caught up with the train near Watseka, Illinois.

It was another hot day but less so than the westbound trip the previous week, so the railroad did not have any heat-related speed restrictions. Due to the general condition of the track, there were a few spots where the speed was slow, but overall the train was able to move along at a reasonable clip, which made for a more interesting chase. There were a few chasers, but it was a weekday, and possibly the previous four days of high speed chases to Bureau, Illinois and Iowa City, Iowa was enough to satisfy many potential participants today.

The day was excellent in terms of good light, and despite the heat, it didn’t seem nearly as awful as some of the previous days. Maybe I was getting tough.

Most of this line was new territory to me, and we traveled through some beautiful areas, especially as we we were getting closer to Logansport.

NKP 765 Arrives at Logansport

Arriving in Logansport brought out crowds of local folks, many of whom had the chance to see NKP 765 the previous week when it traveled west. As the engine was serviced on the TPW, a large group gathered in the late afternoon sun to see and be seen. As I finished up with video and photos, I realized my 11 day steam quest (Little River Railroad, Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad, and the Rock Island Train Festival) had just come to end.

After both celebrating and feeling some sadness at this milestone, I ate a meal at Mr. Happy Burger and departed Logansport for 10 more hours behind the wheel.

As I headed northwest, I thought about my great day traveling with NKP 765. I also thought about the crew members who had ferried the engine to and from Rock Island, and all those who helped service the engine at the Rock Island Train Festival. My mind wandered on that long trip, thinking about all the volunteers who had helped restore NKP 765, and the people who contributed financially for that effort. Plus all the continuing work and expenses required to keep NKP 765 active.

For those of us who enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of steam locomotives, we owe these individuals a great deal of thanks. I hope you will consider donating or becoming a member of the Fort  Wayne Railroad Historical Society. You will help keep NKP 765 running now and in the years ahead.

You can learn more about the Steamin’ Summer DVDs and see a preview of this historic trip by visiting the Yard Goat Images website. 

Thanks, Steve, Yard Goat Images

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January 5, 2012

Maybe I sound like a broken record about the days we worked on the Steamin’ Summer DVDs, but one of the hottest, most unbearable days I’ve ever experienced was the day I attempted to follow NKP 765 Travel to the Rock Island Train Festival across Indiana and Illinois. I say attempted because the extreme heat put a temporary end to the locomotive’s journey just short of the Illinois border.

My day started in northern Indiana near the Michigan border where I was getting footage of the three tank engines (Flagg Coal 75, Lehigh Valley Coal 126, and Viscose 6) in their truck convoy to Rock Island. The convoy had started late due to a problem with one of the rigs as they were leaving the Little River Railroad in  Coldwater, Michigan. I was set up in LaGrange, Indiana for quite some time to record the trucks passing through town. The owner of 75 and 126, John Gramling, was advising me of progress by cellphone.

I finally caught them when they passed through LaGrange, then I was able to get ahead for a freeway shot near South Bend. Because of the delay and the probability of getting caught in Chicago sprawl before I would get ahead of the trucks again, I decided to break it off to see NKP 765 Travel to the Rock Island Train Festival.

Finding NKP 765

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I was intrigued when Roger Holmes of the Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad, invited me to a Photo Special to be held in July, 2011. The photo session was conveniently scheduled between the Little River Railroad Birthday Celebration and the Rock Island Train Festival.

Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad - Background

The Silver Creek & Stephenson Railroad is located at Freeport, Illinois, and operates on the former Milwaukee Road right of way on track that was relaid by museum volunteers. The mission of the not-for-profit organization is to present examples of branch line railroad operations once common across the country.

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I’ve been interested in visiting the Monticello Railway Museum for some time, and that interest grew considerably in 2010, when steam locomotive Southern 401 was restored to operating condition.

It took me another year before finally making it there. I arranged with museum president John Sciutto to come down for a weekend when 401 would be operating. When I arrived early one Saturday summer morning, I was totally amazed by what I saw. 

Visiting the Monticello Railway Museum

The museum property is huge! They have a large engine shed big enough to hold four locomotives. Behind the engine house there is a back shop building. Other large buildings house car storage, machinery, equipment displays, etc. A new three track car storage building had just been completed, and volunteer track workers were making progress on complex switches leading to the structure.

They need all those buildings to hold a remarkable variety of equipment including more than a dozen steam and diesel locomotives. Many of the diesels are in operating condition. The museum not only has a vast collection of passenger and freight cars, they also have a sizable amount of “company service” equipment, including cabooses, cranes, a snow plow, a pile driver, Jordan Spreader, tool cars, etc. plus many types of maintenance of way equipment. A complete equipment listing can be found here.

There was a lot of equipment stored outside when I was there, but no doubt much of this will soon find a home indoors when the tracks are in place inside the new building.

The Monticello Railway Museum, is located in Monticello, Illinois . It is a not-for-profit organization which has been around, under various earlier names, since 1966. 

Its tracks run on portions of two parallel railroads, the former Illinois Terminal and the Illinois Central Gulf, over lines which ran between Monticello and the town of White Heath. A cross over track constructed by volunteers enables the trains to reach the historic Wabash Depot in downtown Monticello.

Even though the museum owns several steam locomotives, none had operated since 1987. In the mid 1990’s a donor proposed selecting one locomotive for restoration. Southern 401, on display at the museum since 1971, was determined to be the best candidate, and after many years of work, the locomotive made its debut in 2010. It was converted to burn oil during the restoration work. Today 401 operates one weekend per month from April through October.

So, my main purpose for the weekend was to experience the beautiful 401, a 2-8-0 Consolidation built by Baldwin for the Southern Railway in 1907. When I arrived the fire was already warming the water as the engine sat inside the shed under the smoke hood. Several hours are necessary to bring the boiler to operating pressure, so there was time to meet some of the volunteers, and wander about taking some pictures of the equipment.

After awhile it was getting close to moving the engine outside, so I set up two video cameras, one outside the shed for an external view, and the other one on the deck of a Milwaukee Road NW-2 which was parked ahead of 401 inside the building. Tape rolling, the beautiful engine began backing up, and the EMD mounted camera produced a beautiful image as the headlight came on as the locomotive moved out.

Outside, a few more moves coupled the locomotive to the train, switched tracks, and then a backup move to the Nelson Crossing depot on the museum grounds. This depot was donated and moved to the museum in 1977 from its original site on the Illinois Central in Deland, Illinois. It serves as one of two boarding locations for the train ride as well as a gift shop.

To reach this depot from  the engine house, the train backs past it on the far side of the parking lot, then switches to the station track, which is now the only portion of the Illinois Terminal Railroad in revenue service. Leaving the station, the train once again reverses to the connection to the old Illinois Central track.

Once on the mainline, the train passes the main yard area of the museum grounds, then  proceeds toward a bridge over the Sangamon River,  which was dry when we were there. Once past the bridge the train picks up some speed as it covers the rural and urban terrain to reach downtown Monticello.

The Monticello depot is a former Wabash structure built in 1899. The depot has been moved twice, first in 1904 when the Wabash line was moved and straightened, and again in 1987 to its present location. It now serves as the second boarding location for the train ride.

Once the train reaches the downtown depot, there is a short layover, allowing passengers to get off and take photos and visit with the crew. The train then makes a reverse move through town, across the river, past the museum, and continues almost to the town of White Heath. From there, it moves forward, switches to the Nelson Crossing Depot track, where the trip concludes.

I was invited for a cab ride. Since the locomotive is oil fired, the cab is remarkably clean. Cab ride video is always challenging because of the brightness of the windows and the generally dark interiors. In a smaller cab such as 401’s, it is even more difficult. Then add in the jointed rail and general vibration of a steam locomotive, and, well, it is what it is, but a great experience. 

Overall I really enjoyed my visit. All the museum volunteers were friendly and helpful, and very enthused about what they were doing. The grounds looked well maintained, and aside from some of the equipment that had really been outdoors a long time, most of what I saw appeared to be in at least cosmetically good shape. I liked seeing the new construction, especially on such a grand scale. 

Southern 401 is great looking locomotive. The restoration was worth it. We owe the folks who made it happen a great deal of thanks! The museum is always looking for new members, volunteers and contributors to carry on the mission. 

Put Monticello Railway on your list

Even if 401 isn’t running when you visit, I think you will find much to see and enjoy here. My time was pretty consumed with video documentation of 401, and I regret not allowing an extra day to explore all the other equipment available at this fine museum.

Our trip to the Monticello Railway Museum is documented in our program Steam at Monticello, which is a chapter on the DVD Steamin’ Summer Volume 3. 

.

Thanks,

Steve Mitchell

Yard Goat Images

http://www.yardgoatimages.com

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The big event in railroading during the hot summer of 2011 was the Train Festival in Rock Island, IL. The four-day event was held along the Mississippi Riverfront in downtown Rock Island on park land and the adjacent rail yards.

Among the highlights were seven steam locomotives: QJs 6988 and 7081 from Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS), NKP #765 from Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, Flagg Coal #75 and Lehigh Valley Coal #126 from Gramling Locomotive, and privately owned Viscose #6 and Leviathan #63. The Illinois Railway Museum arrived with the streamlined Nebraska Zephyr train-set with its stainless steel-clad E5 #9911-A plus two classic diesels from their collection. In addition, modern equipment was on hand from Iowa Interstate, BNSF, and Iowa, Chicago & Eastern. Amtrak sent two units painted in Heritage 1 and Heritage 2 paint schemes to mark their 40th anniversary.

Two daily round trips from the Festival to Walcott, IA over the famous Government  (Arsenal) Bridge led by one of the big steam locomotives brought many opportunities to ride and railfan in both urban and rural settings. There were also day-long trips, notably Bureau Junction, IL trips, one led by #765 and the other with the Nebraska Zephyr. A third trip led by newly “Americanized” QJ 6988 to Iowa City was also popular. All trips during the Festival were sold out in advance.

On the Festival grounds there were equipment displays, vendors, food, children’s activities, and a live-steam demonstration. 

The other significant opportunities for viewing steam railroading were the ferry moves by the large locomotives. The QJs came from Newton, IA as a double-header, first hauling a passenger consist to Iowa City, then a record setting freight train to Rock Island. After the Festival the QJs completed the trip to Newton during a one-day fast paced jaunt to Newton with the tool and water cars, two IAIS business cars, and a short freight train.

As for #765, it started out near North Judson, IN where it had served earlier in the summer at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum. It took a somewhat convoluted route to get it to Logansport, IN where it reached the Toledo, Peoria & Western (TP&W) for it’s straight west shot to East Peoria to gain IAIS tracks. It was on the TP&W when the excessive heat caused the railroad to limit the speed to about 10 miles per hour, then finally halted all traffic on the railroad as the temperature climbed above 100 F. The locomotive continued its trip after sundown and arrived at East Peoria in the wee hours, then pressed on to Rock Island. After the Festival, #765 made a much speedier trip back to Logansport. 

The Festival itself was a joy. The site was ideal spreading out along the river. Plus it was across the street from downtown businesses and restaurants, with plenty of low cost or free parking. The displays were arranged for easy access plus there were vantage points for a wider view from Centennial Bridge over the rail yard, or from the Great River Trail on top of the levee.

The only negative was the record-breaking heatwave that descended upon the Midwest, plus some wild thunderstorms. But, it’s July, and those things happen. Bravo to the volunteers and especially the steam engine crews for carrying on despite the discomfort.

Despite the overall success of the event, apparently the promoters did not meet their expectations, and some creditors were left without being paid. Although the parties are working to reach agreements, it does put a large cloud over future events such as this. It’s been reported that other such festivals in recent years have had marginal or no profits as well, so we will all need to hold our collective breath that it does not mean an end to ambitious events of this kind. 

Our video record of the Rock Island Train Festival, excursions, and locomotive ferry moves can be found on our DVDs Steamin’ Summer Volume 2 & Steamin' Summer Volume 3. If you were there, maybe you’ll see yourself! And if you weren’t able to make the event, here is your best chance to see what you missed.

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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I wrote earlier about the 100th birthday celebration for Little River #110 (http://yardgoatimages.com/birthday-bash-for-little-river-110). Now that the event is behind us, it might be good to tell you about it.

Being at the Little River Railroad Birthday Celebration

Of course I was there with our video cameras to record this one-time event that took place over three days between Coldwater and Hillsdale, MI. Little River Railroad normally operates between Coldwater and Quincy, but for this special occasion #110 pulled longer trips all the way to Hillsdale.

Besides #110, there were four other steam locomotives in operation, all tank engines. These included Little River #1, Viscose Company #6, Flagg Coal #75, and Lehigh Valley Coal #126. This was the first time #126 operated in revenue service since being rescued and restored by Gramling Locomotive.

The first two days had identical schedules, with four round-trips between Coldwater and Quincy, and one round trip Coldwater-Hillsdale. The tank engines took turns powering  the Quincy trips. It was quite a scene at the Coldwater depot each morning as engines arrived from the shops located near the edge of town. Passenger cars were switched and deposited at the station platform for the first three trips, leaving at 15 minute intervals! Train watchers had a good vantage point at Quincy too, as the Hillsdale train passed through while the “local” was on the siding.

On the third day, there were just two Quincy trips, but the slim schedule was compensated by the sight, sound and smoke of FIVE steam locomotives leading the long train, which included the entire car fleet! The two trips were spectacular with a solid block of five black coal fired locomotives giving there all with tremendous plumes of smoke, and lots of steam whistles.

Each day, there was an afternoon singing of Happy Birthday and five “cakes” made from log circles and butter-creme icing. A cake was delivered to the crew of each locomotive, where it was promptly tossed into the firebox!

Some of my favorite moments were not available to the general public. I made it a point to be at the shop building well before the engines departed so I could record the early morning activities as the crews prepared for the day. The low sun angles lit the glorious scene of locomotives, smoke, and steam. 

I really appreciate having been a part of this and I’m grateful to Travis Bloom and all of the Little River Railroad volunteers who made everything work in spite of the uncomfortable heat and humidity. The owners and crews of the visiting locomotives deserve big thanks as well. 

Our program about this amazing event is finished! You can see it all on the Steamin' Summer Volume 1 DVD.

Thanks, Steve Mitchell, Yard Goat Images

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