I Got to Run a Steam Locomotive!! - Pioneer Tunnel's Hand on the Throttle Experience

Описание: On Saturday, November 4th, 2023, I got to live out one of my childhood dreams - operating a steam locomotive!! Thanks to the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train in Ashland, PA who were operating their first "Hand on the Throttle" experience, I was able to run their 0-4-0T steam locomotive #1, also known as the Henry Clay or the Lokie.

The Henry Clay is a Vulcan-type steam locomotive built in 1927 for the Pioneer Tunnel to transport miners and anthracite coal to and from the Pioneer Tunnel Anthracite Mine owned and operated by the Philadephia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. The locomotive was only in service for a few years, as the Great Depression resulted in the Pioneer Tunnel suspending operations in 1931. Being a unique narrow gauge locomotive of 42", the locomotive was sidelined and had nowhere to run until the early 1960s when the Pioneer Tunnel was reopened by the Ashland community as a Tourist attraction. Today this attraction is owned and operated by the Ashland Community Enterprise.

Another unique fact about this locomotive is it burns pure, locally mined Anthracite coal, which is a shiny and hard coal that is not used in many steam locomotives still in operation, as this type of coal requires special parameters within the firebox to burn efficiently. Unlike bituminous coal that is used in many locomotives in operation today, Anthracite allows for a very clean stack, and you will see from the numerous clips in this video that very little smoke comes out of the locomotive as a result.

So, to give a little context of the experience, we were initially paired up in groups of two, and after a brief lesson on the controls of the locomotive, one of us operated the locomotive heading upgrade and out toward the mountain, and then the other operated the locomotive returning downgrade to the station. On my first run, I operated on the return to the station. Then as the crowd began to die down, we were allowed to take a second run if we so desired (of course I did!!), in which I got to operate in both directions!

This truly was a really incredible experience, not only for myself but for everyone else who attended. I personally have gone to the Pioneer Tunnel for many years as a kid and always enjoyed a steam train ride on my visits. Being able to operate this locomotive now that I'm older really was a full-circle experience. This can equally be said for my girlfriend, who was able to ride along in the cab with me and was kind enough to film my operation as well!!

I'd also like to thank fellow YouTuber and friend ‪@JamieMakin‬ for allowing me to borrow her Osmo action camera for a second angle within the cab on my runs, as well as for filming me along the tracks!! Make sure to visit her channel and check out her video, as she got to operate the Lokie as well!

I'd also like to give a thank you to my mom and stepdad for coming out to film my first run as well!

Lastly, thank you all so much for 5,000 subscribers on this channel! I cannot believe how much my audience has been growing lately, and I cannot thank you all enough for the amount of support that you have been giving. This video is dedicated to all of you, and I very much look forward to the road (or tracks!) ahead!!

Now, please enjoy my first time operating a steam locomotive!!

0:00 Intro
0:53 "The Lokie" and the day's events
3:15 Onboard and intro to the controls
4:03 Operating heading toward the station
6:27 Blowing the Whisle for the town below
7:22 Heading into the big curve and approaching the crossing
8:11 Trackside footage courtesy of Jamie Makin
8:44 Back onboard and approaching the station
10:24 Arriving at the Station
11:11 Heading out for a second run!
12:37 Trackside footage at the crossing Courtesy of Jamie Makin
13:32 Back onboard and climbing the grade
16:33 Heading back to the station
19:36 Trackside footage courtesy of Jamie Makin
19:56 Back onboard for the second return to the station
21:34 Outro

Music in this video:
Song: Straight Fuse
Artist: French Fuse
Licensed to YouTube by: YouTube Audio Library

Song: Fine Dining
Artist: TrackTribe
Licensed to YouTube by: YouTube Audio Library