A Ride on the Mount Rainier Scenic

[funnelfan]

I guess Lee Bishop and myself were trading places. I rode the Mount Rainier Scenic today and had a wonderful time. It was about as perfect of a day as you could find. The temps were about mid 80's with a good breeze, and not a cloud in the sky save for the one ringing the summit of Mount Rainier. Good friend Brian Bundridge was conductor and my busy host for the day. Greg and J.B. were the engineer and fireman respectively. The good weather also brought a good turnout of riders, and the train was bustling with activity. I was with Brian most of the time and was mistaken for a volunteer, and ended up answering a ton of questions. People seemed quite pleased with the trip with one person exclaiming that it was the best train ride he'd ever been on.

[funnelfan]

Crowds can be funny sometimes. As the #17 came back to the train after running around, a large crowd gathered at the end of the open observation car to get photos of the approaching loco. Even after #17 hooked on, the crowd continued to stand there not doing much....that is until they realized I was taking a photo of Brian ever so carefully opening the angle cock to allow air into the brake pipe without dumping the air. Of course EVERYONE wanted that same photo and I was soon squeezed out of the end of the car. Brian also had taken some great photos in between the duties as a conductor. I hope he has a chance to post them. A couple of these images were inspired by a photo he showed me.

[funnelfan]

And finally, a couple of parting shots.

[nman281]

Nice stuff Ted. I bet hearing #17 charge up the 3% grade must be something.