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-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Berg
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 9:20 AM
Subject: Engine 40
Hi Michael,
I've landed in North Carolina after leaving Microsoft and traveling about.
Saturday before last we rode the White Pass and Yukon Railroad from Skagway,
Alaska to Bennet, BC. It was the first trip for their new Baldwin steam
engine, #40. This week (give or take) is the 100th anniversary of the
completion of their line to Whitehorse, YT--they're planning a re-enactment
of driving the golden spike, complete with two steam engines!
Hope you're well,
-Greg Berg
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael heavener
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2000 7:05 PM
Subject: Re: Engine 40
Greg --
So you skipped out on the "evil empire" and went home. Good for you -- are you still doing tech writing?
Where all did you travel during your recent gypsy period -- I see you were in Skagway -- did you get anywhere else up there (Dyea, Chilkoot trail, etc.)? You must know how jealous I am of your experience. Where did you go between MSoft and North Carolina?
Cool photo. Any chance I might have permission to use it on my web site (with proper attribution, of course)? My railroad section is growing weekly and taking shape as a reference resource -- and there will be a section on the WP&Y because of its innovations and impact on narrow gauge railroading overall. I printed it out several weeks ago and when I discovered I had almost 200 pages, it sparked that I might have a book here.
Thanks and peace,
Michael
From: Greg Berg
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2000 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: Engine 40
Michael,
At risk of making you jealous, I'll tell you where we've been this year. After leaving Microsoft at the end of January, I spent about 6 weeks selling our house and putting all our stuff into storage. Then we flew to New Zealand to visit my wife's sister.
In New Zealand, we traveled mostly the South Island. We managed three train rides: The TranzAlpine from Greymouth to Christchurch, the Christchurch to Picton, and then the Wellington to Auckland. And some of the train cars crossed the straight from Picton to Welllington on the ferry boat with us!
The Greymouth to Christchurch was most impssive! Just before Arthur's Pass (mid route) we went though a long tunnel with about an 8% uphill grade. They added two pusher engines behind our four passenger coaches. And it took three engines to make the trip. It was ptty jerky with engines at both ends of the train. Still, it's the most engines for the fewest cars
I've ever seen!
After New Zealand we came back to Seattle, pickup up our truck and trailer, and drove to North Carolina, via the desert southwest. We visited the Grand Canyon, but didn't ride the train (I heard later that we missed a treat).
We flew up to Alaska with my parents in July to spend the last bit of my savings from Microsoft. And then we we back to work :-(
You are of course most welcome to use my picture on your Web site. I'd be happy to send you the real photos if you'd like to scan them yourself. I won't get around to it anytime soon, but I also have digital video of the WP&YR train I could make into a reasonably sized clip--the sound of that old steam engine is wonderful.
Regards,
-Greg
From: Michael Heavener
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2000 3:17 PM
Subject: RE: Engine 40
Three locomotives for four cars -- seems pretty normal for real-world narrow-gauge railroading.
Narrow gauge lines were never profit-oriented. The crews (if not management) ran trains as a life-style, as a love affair with extremes of weather, economic conditions, precariousness of right-of-way, and because people needed the trains even when they couldn't adequately support them. Maybe that's why those hearty little railroads are all gone under the onslaught of Harvard management school practices. We Americans gave up something beautiful when we fell in love with Wall Street.
An eight-percent grade means the locomotive's motors had to be angled differently from level ground. I believe that line is on a rack (a toothed "rail" between the running rails which is engaged by gears on the locomotive). That steepness is almost the limit of adhesion railroading, there was only one eight percent in the United States and they moved two or three loaded freight cars at a time, often with two or three locomotives (gilsonite -- really profitable stuff ;-). Lots of funny practices abounded to make the terrain admit that humans were the masters. Hah! Anyway, geared drive would account for the jerking you felt.
I'd love to scan your photos and use them as part of my growing railroad section.
Thanks and peace,
Michael
Photo of WY&Y #40 © 2000 Greg Berg. All rights reserved. Used by permission