One of the fun aspects of our operating group is the variety of backgrounds and experiences the various members bring with them. We are fortunate to have active and retired railroad employees included in the group, and sometimes I get to play with their trains as well.

One of our regulars, Bruce Edgerton, is an engineer on the steam powered Valley Railroad in Essex, CT – not far from the house. I have been lucky enough to get out with him on a few occasions, including a memorable Christmas season nigh time run. (The Christmas experience for me now includes hearing “Jingle Bells” played on a locomotive whistle).

Recently Bruce was called to haul a chartered train of school children who had chartered teh train and river boat for a day out. The train would go from from Essex to Deep River and then north on to Goodspeed's – track not normally used in regular steam train operation. He invited me to ride along, and I jumped at the chance!

Here then are a few photos from that run. (click on photos for a larger version).

		Our ride - Valley Railroad #97 (ex Birmingham & Southeastern), a 2-8-0 built by American Locomotive Works in 1926. #97 has been a staple for years on the Valley, but will shortly be pulled from service for a major overhaul once her sister, #40, has completed her overhaul. We're sitting at the loco service pit where #97 has been coaled and watered. Bruce sits in the cab striking a classic pose as he... talks on a cell phone?!! (click here)
		More shots as #97 sits on the pit. The fancy brass and black kerosene marker lamps are Bruce's. He brings them with him on each run, then they go home with him afterwards. This also makes it easy to identify when he is running the engine!
		Inside the cab #97's steam pressure gauge is hovering just under the maximum working pressure of 175 PSI it is allowed today.
		Now pulled down to the station to await the kiddies. One of the advatages of shooting a charter train is obvious in this shot - what my old railfanning friend John Romer termed the "People Filter" is working very well on my camera today - not a soul in sight. A similar attempt on Memorial Day a few weeks earlier was somewhat less succesful in this regard...!. (click here)
		Two views forward from the fireman's side of the cab - the first as we wait to leave Essex and the second near Chester. Visibility forward is clearly limited by the boiler.
		Waiting at Deep River now as the kiddies get on from the boat. There were two groups today: one that got on the train in Essex and one that got on the boat in Deep River. The game plan was that the Essex group of kids would come north on the train to Deep River first while the Deep River kids would take the boat ride. When the train reached Deep River the boat would pull up and the Deep River group would get off the boat and onto the train for a ride north to Goodspeed's, while the Essex group of kids would get onto the boat for their ride. Everybody was supposed to meet back at Deep River at the same time where ALL of the kids (hopefully) would get onto the train for the return trip to Essex..... Got that?
		This clearly required a great deal of planning and synchronization on the part of the Valley Railroad and Steamship Company. They pulled their end off perfectly. Unfortunately, the school bus company wasn’t so efficient – they dropped the Essex group in Deep River and the Deep River group in Essex, much to the amusement of the train crew monitoring the situation!   The riverboat Becky Thatcher is seen here approaching Deep River Landing to meet the train..
		Easing onto Goodspeed's, Bruce applies the brake to come to a stop just short of the crossing. This stop will trigger the crossing gates for Bridge Road (Route 82). Pior to arriving at Goodspeed's the crew had checked with the East Haddam Swing Bridge to make sure that it would be closed and that traffic was not backed up because of this. Once we have verified that the crossing is clear the train will cross over Route 82 to stop at Goodspeed's Station (now an antique shop) where the locomotive will run around to the south end of the train for the run back to Essex. The famous Goodspeed Opera House can be seen out the cab window between Bruce and the front window.
		While waiting for the kids to load on the way back Bruce and Mike take a break. You might expect that, with two experienced hands like this that the discussion was on the finer points of locomotive operation and fire tending. Actually, it was mostly about Paris Hilton's latest expoits....!
We arrived back in Essex on time with a train load of happy school kids. Their busses even managed to meet them there.... Thanks to Bruce, Mike and the staff of the Valey for a great day out. http://www.essexsteamtrain.com/