gr@uvacs.UUCP (12/01/83)
I guess now diesel trips are scheduled more often, but in the past a diesel trip was more often an impromptu substitution for an ailing steam engine! Our own backyard Southern Railway here schedules diesel trips using their 4 FP7s that they keep and maintain. Trip flyers usually rant about the "historic, vintage FP7s", "former power for the Southern Crescent and other great name trains of the South", etc. More recently, while I was firing ex-CP 4-6-2 1238 on the C&O between Covington, Virginia and Alderson, WVa, it was determined that because no wye or turntable was available at Alderson, that we would be pulled backwards on the return trip (east) to White Sulphur Springs. The trip was a special run for a USF&G convention at the 5-star Greenbrier Hotel at White Sulphur Springs, so alas the passengers were more taken with the quality of the gin & tonic served in the bar car over the contrast of steam and diesel, sights and sounds, etc. An interesting note: Upon arriving at Alderson, the diesel would not start (it had been dropped at the siding earlier) and the only tool available to the crew was the tire iron from their rented station wagon! Finally after many sparks and several flames (not to be confused with net flames!) the big B&O SD40 came to life and we covered the 24 miles back to White Sulphur in 20 minutes! - Greg Richardson UVa Academic Computing Center Charlottesville VA