Official Valley Railroad Thread (VRR) - 2010

This thread is for the discussion of news and activities related to the Valley Railroad Company and its "Essex Steam Train" operation in Essex, Connecticut.

Official Web Site: http://essexsteamtrain.com/

Friends of the Valley Railroad: http://essexsteamtrain.com/fvrr/index.html

Official Blog: http://theenginehouse.blogspot.com/

Link to the 2009 thread: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=126&t=58032

After a successful restoration of Eagle Flyer trains in 2009, the 2010 Eagle Flyer trains should be running
this year on Washington's Birthday Weekend (February 20 and 21). Although diesel-powered, the trains
run all the way to Goodspeed yard, affording leafless river views that cannot be had in summer weather.
Plan on taking a scenic ride in support of the railroad.

Lee Carlson

I made a bad guess when I posted the dates for this year's EAGLE FLYER. It will be operating on Saturday and Sunday,
Feb. 13 and Feb. 14.

The consist is expected to be 3 coaches, plus the 2 dining cars. Fare is $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for children, 2-11.
Coffee, tea, hot cocoa and snacks will be available for purchase aboard the train.

Dress warmly, and bring your camera and binoculars-last year, passengers saw several eagles and harbor seals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The train will operate on the following schedule. It will make all station stops.

NORTHBOUND
Depart Essex.................................................11:00am 2:00pm
Deep River...................................................11:25am 2:25pm
Chester.......................................................11:30am 2:30pm
Hadlyme (No Ferry Service)................................11:35am 2:35pm
Eagle Landing State Park.................................. 11:55am 2:55pm
Arrive Goodspeed Yard - (Haddam / East Haddam).... 12:05pm 3:05pm

SOUTHBOUND
Depart Goodspeed Yard - (Haddam / East Haddam)....12:30pm 3:30pm
Eagle Landing State Park...................................12:35pm 3:35pm
Hadlyme (No Ferry Service)................................12:55pm 3:55pm
Chester........................................................1:00pm 4:00pm
Deep River....................................................1:05pm 4:05pm
Arrive Essex..................................................1:30pm 4:30pm


Lee Carlson

The 2010 schedule is posted on the website here: http://www.essexsteamtrain.com/schedule.html

Looks like there's some changes over previous years...
Hand on the Throttle has numerous days in April and a good chunk of November
Thomas is coming in May, instead of November (see HOTT and NPX)
Regular season is beginning the weekend before Memorial Day
Summer season is ending before Labor Day
The Halloween train is back!
North Pole Express starts the weekend before Thanksgiving

Seems to make better sense to bring Thomas in early in the usually-slower springtime. Also makes sense so that the crews can have more time to prepare for the Christmas season, instead of just one week in between Thomas and the start of that season.

No updates still to the blog, last update was in August. Progress on 3025? 40 or 97 this year? Or is 97's "service days" used up?

When I was there the last week of December, I was speaking to the engineer of the 40 and he told me that the 97 had about 70 days of operation left in her. The one that is being restored is targeted for 2011, so they must be getting some good work in. I went there for the first time this year, so if the 97 goes down for the next couple of years, I'm glad that I was able to see it run now and will look forward to it running in the future!

i was at the town hall meeting today. it is official the VRR is going to the NORAC rule book for 2010

also the day out with thomas is the 2nd and 3rd weekend in may with the smaller diesel thomas


and the Return of the Haloween or Fright train

There is no diesel-powered Thomas in the US. Besides the steam one, there are 6 dummies (unpowered). The dummies
are pushed from the other end of the train by a locomotive.

the first year we did Thomas it had a small Diesel engine to move it self around

kitn1mcc wrote:the first year we did Thomas it had a small Diesel engine to move it self around

I only know of the actual steam powered Thomas replica, and the rolling dummy Thomas replica that is pushed everywhere, but has a small oil burner to make steam effects. Are there others?

-otto-

Not that the Thomas people know about.

it was the Very first one that was built. before the steam powered one was built. this is going back years

The Valley Railroad's annual eagle-watching train, the Eagle Flyer,
will be operating this Saturday and Sunday, February 13 & 14.
This year, on Saturday only, there's the option of a free shuttle bus from the end of the run to the village of East Haddam for lunch, shopping for tzatchkas, and sightseeing. Looks like there will be snow on the ground, so photo ops should be good.

More info here:

http://essexsteamtrain.com/eagleflyer.html

Lee Carlson

kitn1mcc wrote:it was the Very first one that was built. before the steam powered one was built. this is going back years

He is correct but that thomas no longer exsists

The weather won't be bad. A chance to ride/photograph a train in the snow. I'm told that quite a few eagles
are around this year, too.

Lee

http://essexsteamtrain.com/eagleflyer.html

Regarding Thomas ...
Where is this smaller Thomas coming from ?
The one from years past was from Strasberg and also visited Waterbury.

If this one is from a different organization, maybe they made a better deal with them ?