SFX Whistle Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa, a Mexican restaurant serving the Phoenix area since 1990.

Raildreams, a designer and builder of custom model railroads since 1994.

Hi, I'm Spencer Christian.

On this episode of Tracks Ahead, we'll visit an operational layout that has recreated the Cajon Pass area, see what roller coasters and trains have in common, and look in on one of the largest railroad museums in the country.

You know, there are few places in America where you can step back and experience a simpler time than you can in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch country.

But while you're there, you can also take advantage of the opportunity to experience one of the most impressive and significant collections of railroad history in the world.

Annc: It is some of the most peaceful and beautiful land in all of America.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is home to more than fifteen-thousand Amish residents, who practice a faith and live a lifestyle grounded in a much simpler time.

In nearby Strasburg there is another rare opportunity to peek into the past.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a home for history.

But, it's a place that recognizes that railroad history is alive and continues to be made.

It's an unfolding story of the industry that helped build this country.

There are more than one-hundred historic locomotives and vintage railroad cars spread out over one-hundred thousand square feet under the roof of Locomotive and Rolling Stock Hall , and under the open skies of Restoration Yard .

It is home to Pennsylvania history, railroad history, and our history.

David: The collection was made or used in Pennsylvania.

So we have a large variety of items that were made in Philadelphia, for example at the Baldwin Locomotive Works, at the Vulcan Iron Works in Scranton, or the Porter Works in Pittsburgh.

We also have a number of railroad car manufacturers such as the Budd Company and the American Pressed Steel Car Company represented in the collection.

And there's something for just about everybody here at the museum.

Steam engines, diesel electrics, electrics.

We have freight, passenger.

You name it, we have it.

Annc: There are impressive examples of each stage of railroad history, be it steam, diesel, or electric.

If you coupled the pieces in this collection together, it would form a train more than a mile long.

David: The Lindberg steam engine is a Pennsylvania Railroad class E6 locomotive which is an Atlantic type that was actually run from Washington, DC to New York City racing an airplane in 1927.

The E7 was the first passenger locomotive, diesel electric passenger locomotive, delivered to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1945.

And it was very successful in the fact that they had to monitor it very carefully because a normal steam engine would go maybe nine or ten thousand miles before it would need major servicing.

And this locomotive ran for almost 80,000 miles before it needed its major servicing.

And when the Pennsylvania Railroad board of directors saw that statistic, they knew that the days of steam were pretty much limited on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

And they began to then phase out steam and go to diesel electric locomotives.

The GG1s were developed by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and GE for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1934.

And these were an electric locomotive designed to run on the new electrified corridor up and down the east coast and also from Philadelphia to Harrisburg.

And these engines were designed for high speed passenger traffic.

They were capable of speeds easily up to 110 miles an hour with a full steel train behind them.

Annc: The museum uses as a slogan, "Real Trains.

Real History.

Real Excitement."

because this is a place where history comes to life.

The Locomotive Cab Simulator lets you feel what it's like to be running an authentic Norfolk Southern Freight Locomotive.

The run may be simulated, but the feeling is real.

There's the popular Air Brake Instruction Car.

There's a working Restoration Shop , where you can see the meticulous attention to detail that goes into the preservation of history.

The popular Stewart Junction Railway Education Center presents hands-on interesting activities for young railroaders.

You'll always find a working model railroad set up here too, such as this impressive RailDreams built HO layout.

David: The Middle Division Layout that is on display in our lobby was donated by the Darrow Family.

The father had passed on and the four sons decided that the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania would be a great place to display it.

So they donated it and got RailDreams to put together a reconfigured layout that fit within our space.

And it is a depiction of the Pennsylvania Railroad Middle Division between Lewistown and Mifflintown, Pennsylvania.

And it has a lot of the features in HO scale of course, that were along the tracks in that area.

Annc: The museum also regularly hosts exhibits featuring railroad art and photography.

Railroading is multi-dimensional, and this museum is, too.

Now right across the street you'll find another of Lancaster County's most popular attractions.

The Strasburg Rail Road is America's oldest short-line railroad.

Founded more than 175 years ago, the Strasburg Rail Road has grown from being a one time freight hauler, into an impressive tourist destination.

The 45 minute trip through the peaceful Pennsylvania Dutch countryside is both relaxing and educational.

You'll have to decide which is prettier, the locomotive or the scenery.

Linn: 475 is a Norfolk & Western 4-8-0.

It's the only one running in this country.

And it was built in 1906, I believe, and it was built primarily to haul freight and was a very large locomotive for it's time.

It had a very short tender.

Its actually built a lot like a narrow gauge engine.

Actually we have more Amish farms along the line than we did when the railroad first started back in '58.

And it's pretty much untouched since then and its just beautiful farmland.

Annc: The beautifully restored parlor and dining cars offer both nostalgic elegance, and modern convenience.

If you really want to live the high life, climb aboard the Reading Car #10, a genuine railroad presidents private car.

Linn: The presidents cars also were called business cars and typically they were used by railroad officials to travel over their respective railroads Reading car 10 is pretty unique in a number of different ways.

First of all, it's only had two homes, the Reading Railroad and the Strasburg Railroad.

Three fellows here at the railroad bought the car back in the early 60's.

And it came basically right off a Reading business trip delivered to the Strasburg Railroad.

The interior is vitually original.

There's been some modifications made mostly by the Reading, a few modifications here at Strasburg.

It's beautiful inlaid mahogany.

The marketry is just gorgeous on it.

It's really a cool car.

Annc: The entertainment at the Strasburg Rail Road doesn't stop the moment you get off the train.

There's affordable fun for the whole family.

Here on the grounds there are experiences for the kids that will live on long after your trip to the Strasburg Rail Road has ended.

And for the mechanically inclined, a visit to the well respected shops here will show you how the trains are refurbished and maintained.

A day in Strasburg is indeed like a day in the past.

But you'll leave with a new appreciation for how the railroading industry helped pull the country into the future.

Be sure to check in advance for operating times for both the museum and the railroad.

The Cajon Pass area always has been a favorite railroading spot.

There are plenty of trains, and lots of operational possibilities.

That area has been recreated on a layout that takes 20-25 people to operate.

Let's take a look.

Annc: Cajon Pass.

at the northern end of the Los Angeles basin.

It's the setting for dozens of stories about railroading legends.

And in Ted York's basement in Alpine, Utah, the pass comes alive in HO gauge splendor, much to the delight of the modeling aficionados who are fortunate enough to come here to play.

Ted's love of railroading and modeling began at a remarkably young age.

Ted: I was born on Christmas Eve and my dad tells me he was playing with my Lionel train set the next day under the Christmas tree.

You know from there he built a 4 by 8 RR in a sandbox.

He was in the military and we moved all around and we took that 4 X 8 with us everywhere we went.

I can remember the earliest days watching the railroads as we traveled across country looking at buildings and trains and wondering what it would be like to model them.

Anyway, when I moved into my current home, I was looking for a prototype to model and I had a lot of Union Pacific and Santa Fe equipment and so I was trying to find something where I could use a lot of what I already owned.

and the Cajon Pass was a natural We're modeling the pass between the years.

well, between the late 40s, and early 50s.

We're modeling from San Bernardino up to a place called The Summit which was actually the summit on the RR where they turned the helpers for their return back to San Bernardino.

We cover about between 4 and 6 miles of what was actually 25 mi.

on the prototype.

We've compacted the prototype, so we had to figure out what we would include in the design and what we would take out of the design.

I wanted to build a RR that would support trains long enough to look like they needed helpers anyway and so I had to put in some fairly long sidings and so we had to drop out a lot of features I'd like to have modeled.

The vertical planning was a challenge.

As an example, if we modeled, if we had the lateral distance to model the entire 25 miles, we would have needed 37 feet for the vertical, and even with the 4 miles we have we still needed to compensate and we did things like, we leveled the track through the depot areas so that we didn't climb as much and then we also brought down the grade a little bit.

Unlike the prototype, we wanted the steeper grade to be on the uphill track because we want to be able to justify the helpers and make it difficult for the, operators.

On the other hand, on the downhill track we didn't want it to be as steep, because that creates mechanical problems with the locomotives.

One of the things that I had to do was to hand carve all of the rock work, and we were trying to duplicate actual rock work that you can still see today.

And the usual methods of creating molds and such were not going to work.

So, what we did was, I would throw the plaster on and actually carve it or sculpt it while it was setting up and hardening.

And then, of course, we had to come up with ideas for vegetation such as our sagebrush and the yucca plants and the various things that were found on the pass.

Most of the buildings are scratch built to the actual structures that were on the RR at least to the best of our knowledge.

And we'd gather photographs and data and talk to people and then create CAD drawings and then from there we cut up sheets of styrene and start out with a basic shape and then from there we'd start adding details and then, of course, obviously paint and such and weathering to make them look like the actual structures that were there.

We run the helper operations pretty much like the actual RR.

None of our helpers are imbued to the head end crew, meaning that we use 2 engineers to run every train up the hill.

And the helper engines are controlled separately from the head end locos.

We turn when we get up to the summit we turn the locos and we run them light back down to San Bernardino and so the operations are pretty prototypical.

Annc: With countless hours invested and a photographer's eye for detail, Ted has created a layout in which he can honestly take pride.

Ted: Well, I think one of the things is that it's a prototype layout again with the scratch built structures and such it doesn't look like everybody else's layout.

And another thing is that it's based on mainline running we do a lot of operating sessions.

We bring in 20 to 24 folks and we actually run about a 24 hr.

schedule.

and it's mainline running.

We move trains.

We don't do a lot of switching.

We probably do 80 train movements in a period, in about a 5 ½ hour period.

And I think that makes us just a little bit different than the average layout.

Annc: It's not easy to say goodbye to Ted York and his Cajon Pass layout.

After exploring the magnificent results of all the years of Ted's hard work, we just want to stay and play for awhile.

Ted says that you should pay close attention to the technical side of your layout.

If it doesn't run well, it won't be any fun.

In a moment, we'll visit one of the railway museums that should be on your "not to be missed list."

It can be found just northwest of Chicago, in the little town of Union, Illinois.

But first, what do railroads and roller coasters have in common?

When a park in Sandusky, Ohio built its latest, greatest roller coaster, it looked to a steam train for inspiration.

Annc: Welcome to the Cedar Point Amusement Park.

Leave your stomach at the door.

This is the roller coaster capital of the world.

Here you'll find seventeen of the fastest, tallest, scariest coasters along with dozens of other rides that swing, spin, twirl and plunget thrilling speeds.

Tony: Cedar Point is on a peninsula on Lake Erie, it's located midway between Cleveland, Ohio and Toledo and it's jutted out onto Lake Erie.

It's 364 acres and it encompasses this entire land surrounded by water on three sides.

It's got a very unique atmosphere, named for the cedar trees that grew here and home obviously to the most rides and roller coasters anywhere on earth.

Annc: But Cedar Point has another claim to fame.

It's also the second oldest amusement park in North America.

The traditional rides of the midway are here, along with another classic ride, the steam train.

Other parks have trains, but Cedar Point is one of the few parks in the world to be running genuine coal-fired steam locomotives.

Tony: Most amusement parks don't have live steam, a lot of them have diesel type engines that look like steam engines but they're not.

But the parks that have steam locomotives are a little bit more special because it takes a lot to maintain them, a lot to run them, and of course it's something that the families enjoy when they ride them.

Annc: The Cedar Point Amusement Park got its start back in 1870 as a beer garden and bathhouse, accessible only by a 25 cent steamboat ride.

The park expanded as a public resort and playground until the 1950's when developers threatened to fill the area with private homes.

Tony: But the state of Ohio and residents in the area wanted to prevent that from happening because this was an area that guests came to to enjoy the beach and take day trips over here and stay at the hotel and things of that nature Annc: Public outcry saved the park and new attractions were built to expand its appeal, including the Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad.

In 1963 this engine nicknamed Albert, was the first of six steam locomotives brought here to run an excursion train through the park.

Albert was built in 1910 to haul sugarcane in Louisiana.

While the engine is currently out of service, it remains the personal favorite of Randy Catri, a fulltime engineer at Cedar Point.

Randy: Albert's always been my favorite.

It's a 1910 Davenport and right now it's on display on the trail.

It's a 2-6-0,it's a little older, built for a plantation owner in Louisiana.

When I first started it was the engine we ran quite heavy.

It's just the engine I enjoyed running.

Annc: Currently, the two engines that run most of the daily excursions are known as Myron and Judy.

They were built in the 1920's for mining companies and both have undergone major work to keep them up to speed during the busy summer season.

Randy: Both engines are Vulcans, they were built in 1922 and 1923, they were rebuilt in 1990 by shop services in Iowa.

The last couple years we've stripped them down and gone over them and reworked them as far as new tubes and boilers were checked and rejacketed so, they've been pretty good engines for us.

Annc: At 10 AM the park is opened for the day and the steam train is ready for boarders.

For Randy, this is the part that makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Tony: Here at Cedar Point over 3 million guests visit us every year and the train is of course one of our most popular attractions and the reason is it gives guests an option for going from the front of the park to the back of the park.

Annc: But the train is more than just a way to get to and from the midway.

Along this scenic, two-mile excursion, the roller coasters become part of the scenery.

At times, the train travels right along side the coaster tracks, giving passengers a unique view of the ride in action.

In 2007, the Cedar Point Amusement Park introduced its seventeenth roller coaster, the Maverick, a ride that plummets from dizzying heights and zips through hairpin turns at speedseaching 70 miles per hour.

The inspiration for this high tech scream machine?

The classic steam locomotive.

Tony: The Maverick roller coaster was themed to the Old West and part of the Old West is of course the steam locomotives and steam trains.

So we wanted to reflect that era of the trains on this coaster and you'll see that the front of the trains have cow catchers on them that are themed to an old steam train, it's got rivets along the side that look like real steel and we wanted to capture that Old West feel in all of those trains so all six trains have that theme on them.

Annc: As the roller coasters of Cedar Point find new ways to defy gravity, the classic steam engines of the Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad continue their daily excursions through the park as they have for nearly half a century.

Their mere presence is a rare thrill indeed.

Tony: Here at Cedarpoint we've taken great pride in having these locomotives and having this railroad here and having a position that started back in the 50's and will continue as long as we can maintain it.

It is unusual, but we're fortunate to be one of those few that has it.

Music Annc: Just northwest of Chicago, and south of the Illinois Wisconsin state line, you'll find one of the largest collections of trolley and railroad items in the United States.

The story actually started back in 1941, when a group of Chicago enthusiasts tried to purchase an interurban car from an abandoned line in Indiana.

World War 2 and a lack of funds halted their plans but a second chance arose in 1953.

This time, the group was ready Ed: Well, the museum was founded on the basis of the 65 car.

It was a group of ten individuals got together, and they wanted to save this one car.

And they did save it, and that was the beginning of the Electric Railway Museum.

Annc: With Chicago and Milwaukee area cars ending their useful lives, the Museum decided that one or two of the more important types should be saved.

Their first project was a 1906 Chicago Surface Lines car that had been turned into a salt spreader.

Ed: What the Surface Lines did and the CTA did they chopped holes in it, they did everything they could possibly do just to not use it as a street car again.

It was a project that took almost 17 years to do.

But it's in pristine condition.

It's totally restored, Annc: Since that time the Museum has acquired and sheltered an impressive collection of locomotives and cars.

Visitors will find engines of all types and sizes.

But the pride of the collection is found in two historic train sets.

The Nebraska Zephyr, and one of the two 1941 Electroliners.

Ed: It ran on the Chicago North Shore Milwaukee Railroad.

It was rather an experimental car.

It was the first car to have air conditioning.

They were in service until 1963 and both were sold to Philadelphia, where they ran on one of their high speed lines.

Annc: It takes a lot work and a great deal of time to bring just one of these cars back to life.

Take car #141 as an example.

Frank: It was built in 1924 by the Cummings Car Company in Paris, Illinois, and shipped to the Chicago and West Towns Railway.

After abandonment of the streetcar system in 1948, the car was slated to be scrapped, but instead was sold as a car body.

It was stripped of parts and was sold to the farming community in DuPage County, Illinois.

After we received the car and brought it here, we kept it covered up.

And then later it was put into buildings, and we started the restoration project in ah the early 90s.

Annc: In addition to the static displays, visitors will find a two division demonstration railroad.

Steam, diesel and heavy electric trains run on the five mile long mainline, which takes weekend visitors from East Union depot on a forty minute round trip to Kishwaukee Grove.

The second division is a mile long street car loop.

Shady streetcar stops evoke the past as visitors get a short ride to Central Avenue and to the refreshment stand.

It isn't all engines and cars.

Neon signs remind visitors of the great area surface lines of the past.

An historic station and junction tower are all still in use.

Restoration on both steam and diesel engines is ongoing.

Ed: We're working on our decapod which is a 2-10-0, a Russian decapod made by Baldwin in 1918.

Annc: Internal combustion is not to be forgotten, as they work to restore items such as this Baldwin center cab, a GP-9, and this Alco RS-3.

Ed: We do have the U Boat which is a U30c.

That has just been restored too.

Annc: Volunteerism is a major part of the museum's operation.

From the early days to the present, it's been volunteers who do the work, man the cars, and run the museum.

Ed: That's the backbone of our fleet.

Our volunteers are the most important thing that we have.

Most of the work you see done out here are done by volunteers.

Annc: The museum offers researchers extensive information in two unique libraries.

The first is the Strahorn Library, an extensive collection of railroad books, periodicals, technical data, and professional journals.

Second is the Pullman Library, where you can find all the remaining construction drawings, photographs and technical data from the Pullman Car Company.

The museum currently has over 400 pieces in its collection, and has an acquisition program to obtain more.

Ed: It's impossible to restore everything of course but we do try our hardest to restore one type of equipment, that we might have two, But we still try to restore the one and have it for display.

Annc: The Illinois Railroad Museum has a right to be proud of its growth and accomplishments.

Its vast collection of historical engines and cars make it one of the must see stops in the Midwest.

The museum has a varied schedule, so be sure to check their website for current information.

That's it for this episode.

Please be sure to join us next time for more, Tracks Ahead.

Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa, a Mexican restaurant serving the Phoenix area since 1990.

Walthers, manufacturer and supplier of model railroading products; serving the hobby since 1932.

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