It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is of 353 stopped at the station for the shift change and to load and unload passengers for their ride around the grounds. Rides are free and you can ride as many times around as you would like. 353 is an ex Soo Line switch engine.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! I have a project coming up where I need to do some photos that look antique so I decided to practice with a great subject for that, trains! This is locomotive 353 from the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion that I get to help fire on processed with an antique look to it.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is one I took right before my shift of firing the 353. It was approaching the station to stop and pick up passengers and this is also where shifts change. It was a beautiful clear day in Minnesota over Labor Day Weekend.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is a steamy shot of locomotive 353 pulling out with it's load of passengers for a trip around the grounds. Locomotives open their cylinder cocks to let water escape that may have condensed while sitting and can damage the pistons if too much has built up and it tries to move against it. This creates all the steam as the locomotives move out after they have been sitting awhile because steam escapes along with the water.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image goes back to my roots in photography as I decided to do this one in Black & White. This is former Soo Line Switcher locomotive 353 heading out for a trip around the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion show grounds with it's train.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is one that I don't think I have ever showed before, it is inside the cab of Locomotive 353 in Minnesota that I get to help fire on. I am usually scooping coal in through those "butterfly" doors (which operate with steam pressure by a pedal on the floor or the handle that is hanging down when no pressure) or I am sitting up in the left hand seat operating the Injector to get water into the boiler, the 2 valves you see on the very left. The pressure gauge is currently reading 0 but when we are operating it's sitting almost completely opposite at about 165 to 175, hopefully anyway. 😃 The "Sight Glass" for the water level in the boiler is just below that gauge. Most of the gauges and levers on the right hand side for the engineer are for braking. The bar that goes across just under the 2 gauges is the throttle. The lever next to the window on the right is the Forward/Reverse. A couple of pieces of equipment up above are oilers. The 2 levers hanging from the ceiling are for the whistle. There is one for the bell as well on the left. These are all the main things we are using and paying attention to while operating the locomotive with the most important being the pressure gauge and sight glass.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Since I shared the Porter locomotive in the Roundhouse, here is the other locomotive I get to help fire on, 353, in the Roundhouse as well. It was also having some work done and I was there painting the area under the part that was being repaired. I am looking forward to firing on this locomotive again over Labor Day weekend.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! I captured this image of 353 sitting outside the roundhouse while I was waiting for a meeting to start. I was there for the annual Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion where I get to help fire on this locomotive for 2 hours for 4 days. It's a fun experience and I am grateful that things worked out that I get to do it. 353 is over 100 years old now.
It's a double digit day! 😀 It's also Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image goes back to Minnesota and the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion. This is locomotive 353 sitting outside the roundhouse on a day before the show started up. I took this when I was at the roundhouse for the safety meeting.
It's an interesting date day today. 😁 It's also Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is of the full size locomotive that I am able to work on during the show in Minnesota over the Labor Day weekend. This is ex Soo Line switch engine 353 which is now 102 years old. It's great that it is still in operation and it's quite fun to fire. It is a coal fired engine.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image goes back to Rollag, Minnesota and the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion. This is a drone shot I got while the 353 and it's train was leaving Baker Depot and heading out to the other side of the grounds to it's stop by the water tower. It was the year of Military Vehicles and you can see one displayed on the flatcar behind the locomotive.
It's the last Steamy Sunday of 2023! What an interesting date to end the year on as well. Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Hope next year will be better than this one for all of us. Today's image is a composite one. The locomotive wasn't even taken in the evening and the fireworks are from the last time I was able to see and photograph some which was a couple of years ago now. Hope you enjoy it.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is another drone shot I took of locomotive 353 and it's train pulling out of the Baker Depot. The Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion show featured military vehicles this year and the flat car behind had a couple on it for display one of a which you can see the front of on the very right side of the photo.
If you haven't seen it yet, I have a video on YouTube that shows this in action HERE.
It's October, wow the year is flying by! It's also Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is another that I took with my drone at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion of locomotive 353 and it's train. There is a companion video on YouTube HERE which is a continuation of last weeks video. We change shifts here at this depot. To the upper right, just out of the photo is where they are loading and unloading passengers as well.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! I was in Minnesota over Labor Day weekend working the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion show. After my shift I was at my trailer and decided to shoot some drone video. This is a shot of the locomotive I get to fire on as it went past my camping site. I would have liked to get it more out of the trees but because of these trees I would have lost sight of the drone which is a flight no no. I thought it was kind of a neat shot even with the trees though. 😊
I have posted a video of 353 heading to the Baker Depot where we do shift changes on YouTube. In the description I give a bit of information on what is going on in the cab shortly before this image.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! As I have mentioned in the past, black & white photography has been a favorite of mine because that is how I began with my more serious photography such as when I was in college and taking photography classes. B&W is great for steam trains in my opinion because they are rather gritty subjects and it also gives them a timeless feel. This is 353 pulling it's train on the south side of the grounds at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion over Labor Day weekend 2022.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! I was at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion this past Labor Day weekend. I was attending the railroad safety meeting and both the full size locomotives that I get to help on were sitting outside the roundhouse steamed up. I was able to get this shot of them which I liked with the steam and smoke. The Porter is on the left and 353 is on the right.
I have been experimenting with my new drone and you can watch a short video I made of 353 HERE. I need to get a bit better with the controls but I was pretty happy with how this one turned out. It was quite windy that day as well but the drone handles it quite well so I was pleased with that.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! I was in Minnesota over Labor Day weekend at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion. I was able to play with my new drone a bit, not as much as I would have liked due to the wind though. This is locomotive 353 stopped for loading by the water tower. I was playing with the drone after my shift on it during the beginning of the day. This view shows only a small portion of the grounds, it's a large place with lot's to see and do.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image goes back to Minnesota and the Steam Thresher's Reunion. This was just after my first shift of the show. We change shifts at the Baker Depot which is at the opposite end of the grounds from the roundhouse. This is former Soo Line Switch engine 353, now 101 years old.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog. Today's image is locomotive 353 at the Baker Depot during the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion waiting for passengers to load. This locomotive is now 101 years old. I am happy to be able to be part of the firing crew during the Reunion Shows.
