Brent is correct. I am an engineer for CSX out of Cincy. I usually work north to Lima, Toledo, Crestline or Willard Ohio. Currently I am working west to Washington, In. I travel 176 miles through Seymour, Mitchell, Big Tunnel (longest in IN) and Willow Valley Tunnel. It is a nice railroad but just slow. The first 130 miles are at 25 mph. For a couple of years I worked out of Garrett IN (30 or so miles north of Fort Wayne) into Chicago IL, Lima, Willard, Toledo and Columbus,Oh.
The railroad museum I volunteer at is the Whitewater Valley RR in Connersville, In. Currently I hold the position of Curator and sit on the Board of Directors. Just recently we had "Thomas the Tank Engine" in for a six day visit and carried over 18,000 passengers. Boy, I was tired. What a revenue boost for the museum.
http://www.whitewatervalleyrr.org/
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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!
I got a real good look at the old Plymoth at SFoT Last Friday. The line for Texas Giant passes right behind it and the Water Tank.
I really should follow the B&O down form New Pal. to and check out the Whitewater Valley. CSX really wants your line to just go away, they just let it slowly die.
Nothing like watching a train on the old Reading from the lifthill on Great Bear at Hershey.
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Whats life if you never get to the Po!nt?
*** This post was edited by kneemeister on 7/15/2002. ***
Wow, Train enthusiast, I am one too :)
I have been to Steamtown and ridden behind the 3254 and 3716 and Baldwin Switcher 20.
I have also been to Cass West Virgina and done that whole tour behind Shay #2
I have been to the B&O RR Museum in Baltimore and will return for the Bicentenial of Railroading in 2003 and hope to hit the Strausburg Railroad next year as well.
For you Ohio Buffs, Ohio Central Railroad operates a daily steam train and also features trips from Coshocton to Columbus behind newly restored GTW 4-8-4
Chuck, who had to cut his day at Adventureland a bit short because the worlds largest operating steamer was only 40 miles away. UP's Challenger :)
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
I am more of a fan of the big freight railroads. I don't hit up tourist railroads much. Been to plenty of museums and on plenty ot trips.
If my website were working I would give you guys teh link to it, but unfortunately it desnt't work worth a darn right now after we moved it to a new server.
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1989, 9 years old bawling my eyes out because I didn't want to ride Magnum. I did anyway and look at me now. Why did ya make me do it Dave? ;)
#12 "Tecumseh"(Blue)is now the "KENNY VAN METER"
#19 "Simon Kenton"(Green)is now the "LEW BROWN"
This is how the story was told to me: "They were KI's first two engineers. They ran the engines by themselves in the very beginning. Lew ran #19 "Simon Kenton" ; Kenny ran #12 "Tecumseh" . They also competed to have the best engine. #19 always got improvements first. Thats the reason #19 has "rivets" all the way around the smokebox, and #12 doesn't. On #12 they're only on the firemans side, becaause that's what you see from the station. Everyone just assumes they're on the other side too. This makes you wonder if the pipes are purposely made to form an 'L' on #19's turbine exhaust???"
From the email I must assume they are finished and the names "Tecumseh" and "Simon Kenton", after 30 years of service, have found thier place in KI's History. :(
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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!
*** This post was edited by lumpy72 on 7/16/2002. ***
I am not going to comment much about the name changes.
One part of me thinks it is a honor too the gentilemen that were first to operate em. The other part of me thinks the whole train is a slap in the face to what the ride was originally built to represent. (Settling of the Ohio Valley)
If the engineers are alive today do they say I operated the Lew Brown in 1972 or the Simon Kenton?
Congrats though to the engineers and their families, I do think that is a honor given by the park and should be seen as such.
Chuck, Trying to be respectful but a bit confused. I guess change comes to everything if you wait long enough.
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
I had a feeling I wasn't the only railfan on this board.I have always been fascinated by things that run on tracks,especially the steam and gravity powered ones.
Silverwood has 3 mile long 36 inch gauge steam railroad.The motive power is an ex-Eureka & Palisade Baldwin 2-8-0 that is a sister engine to Dan Markoffs' 1875 E&P wood burning 4-4-0 that in recent years has ran over the Durango & Silverton N.G.R.R. and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic R.R.
Sorry if this is a little off topic.
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I can fix anything.....where is the duct tape?
I have to agree with Charles Nungester. It does seem to be a interesting issue. There are other ways they could have honored the engineers (which deserve honor) than slapping their names on the train and removing the others. A touchy issue!!!
Who besides me has combined a Coaster Trip with a Train Trip, I did in March. Kentucky Cardinal-Cal.Z-737-Rental Car-SFMM-Bus-LA Blue line- LA Green Line- LA Red Line-SW CHIEF-Cardinal-Taxi
I call it my Trains, Planes, Automobile, Bus, Light Rail, Subway, taxi, coaster trip!!
Last year I skiped SRM to take the Canadian across Canada
Lots of pics on my website http://www.kneebush.com
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Conductor to AMTK 44 passengers, "If you look out the left side of the train you will see the coasters of Cedar Point"- Later that day look quick and you also see Phantom's Revenge- any other train pass two parks.
*** This post was edited by kneemeister on 7/16/2002. ***
His website is of course www.kneebush.com
Anyway our trip to Big Chief's last year was a coaster riding train chasing pursuit. Spent a day following the BN up the Mississippi River and some time at Rochelle. We hit the Illinois railroad museum too. Or was that earlier in the year?
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1989, 9 years old bawling my eyes out because I didn't want to ride Magnum. I did anyway and look at me now. Why did ya make me do it Dave? ;)
Here is a bit more info Lumpy....
#19 has been operated more frequently than #12 that also accounts for it's reconditioning.
If I am correct, the green (#19) always opened with the park in the early days. The blue was added ususally around noon if the crowds dictated. I believe late in the day as the crowds dwindled then #19 (green) was cyled off.
Currently, Green (#19) operates daily and blue (#12) is used on Saturdays or heavy crowd days.
As of Sunday, blue had received it's name change and green had not.
This has been a fun and very informative thread. I literally picked up on it Sunday when I just happened to walk by and decided to ask an engineer all I could about them. I wanted to bone up on my KI&MVRR trivia. The engineer was great and was the one that told me about the change as well as the operational schedule.
Personally, I think it is indeed appropriate to honor those two men that helped baby that train. PKI is fortunate in that they still have it. The other Paramount Parks either did not have them, or have removed them. Although the original shoot out "theming" is gone from PKI's, the ride itself is preserved. And since it serves as a people mover/transit form, then I think it will remain for many years. The "themed" train ride had lost it's draw, but rather than get rid of the glorious engines altogether they kept them and found a new use.
IMO the most horrid thing Paramount has done to their parks since taking leadership is to remove the Old Dominion Line from PKD for *ugggh* Waynes World. To be honest, my issues with PKD are based 99% on this ludicrous decision. Plain out, the ignorant PKD's officials that decided to remove the train took half of the heart out of the park. What a foolish decision.
So again my hat is off to PKI for keeping theirs, allowing the current engineers to keep them in tip top condition as well as honor those that did so in the past.
I have always said that any ride at PKI, with the exception of the train and the carousel, could be removed and would not bother me too much. It is odd, but I literally feel so strongly abotu it that I would boycott PKI (as I did PKD for years) because of it. Those rides ARE King's Island's heart and soul.
Shaggy
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Shaggy
R.I.P. Maestro
Phantom Theater 1992-2002
You are mixing two trips, IRM was in the spring. That was Rochele and Clinton that trip.
Big chiefs was up the river and then a stop to check out the Pioneer Zepher in Chicago on the way home. Well gota go. its 3:30 time to go home.
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Whats life if you never get to the Po!nt?
Shaggy, Do you remember which engineer you spoke with? I am just curious. I am sure that I'm not the only park guest that is on a first name basis with the rr crews/maintance dept.
I guess that would be like Arrow Guy, who I am sure knows every Flyers operator across the country by name. ;)
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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!
All I know about the engineer was that he was a younger guy with what appeared to be longer hair that he kept pulled up under his cap.
I believe that Blue #12 was re-furbed this past season. Is that right?
Shaggy
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Shaggy
R.I.P. Maestro
Phantom Theater 1992-2002
By the way that was Dale you spoke with Shaggy. He is very knoledgeble on the locos out at PKI and really enjoys his job of taking good care of them. Also thanks for starting this thread. I would have never guessed it would have been so well recieved.
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CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!
Shaggy,
IF PKI remove their Eiffel Tower, how would you feel?
I would be very, very sad if that would happen. But I don't think PKI will EVER remove the Eiffel Tower. WHY? Because the special, famous signature landmark is the PKI's heart and symbol. There are so many reasons why they shouldn't remove the Tower...
1. It is very unique
2. It is one of the most popular observation deck towers
3. It is one of the most popular attractions at PKI
4. It is the 1/3 scale replica of the real one in Paris.
5. It is the America's first Eiffel Tower.
Believe it or not, the Tower is my all-time non-coaster rides at PKI. I think it is so awesome. Its structures are very cool, and what color will they paint on the Eiffel Tower? I think they should paint it dark green, just like early 70's.
Derek
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Derek McBride
PKI Dude
Duh, I forgot to say that the Tower is my all-time favorite non-coaster rides at PKI.
Derek
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Derek McBride
PKI Dude
I am very suprised to see all of the post about about a park train. Trains, and model railroading is what led me to coasters. Seeing names placed on an engine is worth noteing. And, sorry to stray from the subject for a second, but there is a group here in Arkansas that wants to build a 36" railway to be used not only as a tourist attraction in Hot Springs, but as public transportation. The beginning of it will begin at Magic Springs Theme Park. I could park my car in down town Hot Springs and ride the train to the park. What could be better!
If you are wondering about my trains, my oldest is a 1930s Hafner, the newest is a MTH M-1000, plus alot of local paper stuff from Arkansas that was given to me when a friends mother passed a few years ago-ticket stubs, brouchers, and such, call orders, long live the Rock!
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mmmmm. its so moist
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1989, 9 years old bawling my eyes out because I didn't want to ride Magnum. I did anyway and look at me now. Why did ya make me do it Dave? ;)
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