I like that smile she got when she put it down in the corner and the engine started barking. Been there, done that and it's a great feeling. She does a good job!
Rikki is living out what was a dream to many a kid, including myself when I was one, when steam still was used. Her Dad is a good teacher. Well done to all of you.
Lanny Fullerj how the fuck is he downgrading women? He said "she is living the dream" Youre not the only person in the world who can say good things about women. Now buzz off.
Rikki, you run like an old-timer - you were born to do it! I'm going to show this to my 12 year old daughter and cross my fingers that she will follow in my footsteps. I've got about 25 years firing and 12 running steam on the BR&W and Bel Del in NJ. We run ex-GW 2-8-0 #60 and Chinese Mike #142 - both great engines to work on. And firing 844 and 3985, you lucky dog! Must have been mind-blowing experiences! Congrats and keep a roll on 'em! Regards, Frank
I fired my first locomotive in 1945, this young lady did a wonderful job. My 84 year old eyes don't see as well as they use to, seeing where the johnson bar is would this be an Alco steamer.
Built in Sept of 1916 from Baldwin, shipped to Washington state for the Puget Sound and Cascade Ry, later the Cowlitz Chehalis and Cascade Ry. Retired in the 50s she was put on display near my house in Chehalis, then she was restored and returned to steam in '89 and has run in Chehalis and Centralia, Currently she is being repaired but will soon return.
90 ton built by Baldwin in the mid thirty. This locomotive sat in the Chehalis park for years . I think this is the Old engineer s Granddaughter. He was in his eightys . back in 2005 .
Rikki looks right at home running that engine, its an amazing feeling running a train. I feel more at home running up and down the Montreal Secondary hauling 10,000 ton than I do driving my car down the interstate. I see this vid is a couple years old, I sure hope they post more of her in the future as I have only seen 2. Keep up the good work.
I think there are 2 of her running the #15 and one of her on I think it was the challenger, maybe the 844, been a while so I don't remember exactly which one it was. Either way she is awesome.
Awesome job Rikki. I got chills watching this video. I could see the huge smile on your Face when you opened up that throttle. I would love to do that sometime!
Best part of these videos is that she looks right at home in the seat and actually knows what she is doing. I wish there was more videos of her running. I know there are, but they are very hard to find for some reason.
Yup, that young lady knows a thing or two about steam railroading. Been there and done that myself. Nothing sounds or feels better to a hoghead than when an engine is responding well. You can tell by the sounds it makes, the feel of the throttle, even the smells of the exhaust. When you have that engine working hard and you hear that nice even cadence of the barking exhaust, and everything is running smooth, you got a good hot clean fire and plenty of steam--there's no feeling like it.
This is just awesome to see. I dream of this kind of stuff and love seeing women into this too. I run 1.5" stuff and my daughter now 4 cant wait till she is old enough to run them (in training). She is all about trains just like me and she loves to see other women/girls that run trains too. Rikki is an insperation to my daughter and me. You are just awesome.
My dear James, I did in fact, fire the 844 for 100 miles from The Dalles to Hinkle, OR back in 2009. I rode with Ed Dickens from Portland to the Dalles, and when Steve Lee swapped him seats, I was invited to fire. It was one of Steve's last runs before he retired. UP is that nice, or at least they are in UP Steam. I met up again with them in Walsenburg, CO This last October and Ed Dickens was letting all kinds of people in the cab. They're a fun bunch.
@@robkrasinski6217 he was invited to retire after safety violations and (rumored) alcohol violations. He ignored speed limits running the 844, which caused some damage to the locomotive. No room in modern corporate railroading for old school railroaders that fly by the seat of their pants. And yes, Ed is his successor; they used to work together. Steve Lee works for Wasatch Railroad Contractors now.
Just when you might think the art of steam engineering would be lost when all the old curmudegeons are gone, along come young people like Rikki, and what fun she appears to be having! Rockin' that crossing whistle, too, with a nice flair. Does my heart good to see this.
Owen - Yep, oil fired, runs at 165lbs but believe it is rated for 180lbs (as built as a 200lb boiler) It doesn't go anywhere that it needs the extra pressure though, all flat land prairie running.
Rikki: I hope I can see more videos of you, taking care of steam locomotives. Never seen a woman doing this. I sincerely admire you. I enjoy very much this two videos. I would like to see also what kind of locomotive was this. Maybe a take from outside. Take care Rikki. Eduardo MD from Mexico.
Just goes to prove that trains aren't just for boys! Very refreshing to see a young lady doing something like this instead of texting her friends about some nonsense drama or Hollywood low-life! Get behind that throttle and experience the rails! Wow, I envy her! :-)
There may be others but she's the only woman I've seen operating a steam locomotive and not a particularly easy one, either. No power reverse gear on this model!
This shows how little you know, considering there are SEVERAL pictures of her firing the engine between The Dalles and Hinkle, Oregon, with no assistance. There have been several guest to run and fire the locomotive. They aren't as strict as they come across at times. Firing an engine is one thing, running is something totally different. By all means, take a look around, I am sure you'll find more than 30 pictures of her on that run...
I think of all the kids out there doing drugs, stealing, beating up innocent people and all the rest of the stuff we see on the news...and then there is Rikki. Congratulations to her for making something of her lifee, and to her parents for raising one danged awesome young woman!
At the start it looks like she's got it in mid gear, but it must just be notched right back. Love the bark as she lets it out and opens the regulator though!
This is a great video! The young girl does a marvelous job handling that complicated engine, but I can't believe she's only 12, she looks closer to 15 or 16 at least.
@MsC1953 There is always plenty of time and chances to do this. Gotta be 21 years old, don't mind putting in some time at your local tourist railroad and go from there. Rikki will have a flourished career in steam railroading at the rate she is progressing.
As boy I always wanted to sit in that seat. My parents used to take me all over the Midwest to see steam engines. I remember seeing those seats while at museums and I always had the biggest wish to be an engineer in one of those engines. Good memories :-)
Need more videos of Rikki running trains. She has accomplished what I have dreamed of doing since I was a kid (engineering a steamer ) I am however a locomotive engineer for CSX so a part of my dream has come true
Good on her, I'd give my left leg to have a go on the controls of either of those! Is this loco oil fired? I am a steam fireman on tourist operations in Australia, and our locos are tiny compared to this. You could hold a barn dance in that cab! Owen - Australia
biggdaddy2001 High Balling is what it is called when a train is running at a fast speed, generally the term used for steam locomotives. High balling for most steamers is 30-50 miles per hour. for some steam operations, the speed for high balling is restricted to about 20 MPH.
Sorry Kiddo! It`s just that you was never seen. My bad on that from one hogger to another keep on highballing!!. You are right about Ed he is a nice guy. I did a lot of firing when I was in LA on the Santa Fe 3751. this summer we got some serious excursions coming up check us out.
She does a good job, bails off BEFORE the brake application, hooks up when the exhaust changes, blows the whistle signal 7 properly, she has a handle on it. I gave her shit in the other video because she didn't center the reverser when giving that redzone signal but when your learning things take a little time.
"High ball" is a reference to an OLD signal system, where there was a ball tied to a rope hug from a tall poll. A "low ball" meant "stop", a "high ball" meant "proceed." In later usage "Highball" became a slang meant to proceed at track speed. In late steam and in the modern era it means, as "SierraRailway" said, a loco rolling along at a good clip.
Yeah,noticed that. Every steam engine Ive ever had was different, they all have a certain rhythm, and when they start talking to you like that, you know you've found where they want to run. I worked steam on the B&O during the twilight years. Diesels, are nice and clean but they are technical and impersonal, a steam engine lives, listen to them and they'll tell you how they feel.
All engines on the West Coast are oil burners, no stokers here =) The #15 is super easy to fire though. Really a great engine. Looking forward to experiencing the #25 in a few years!
My love runns deep for steam locamotives my after returning home from world 1 The next morning my grandpa went to work for Union Pacific & retired from them in 1979 he loved it got see different parts of the country in which we live
A couple of questions for Rikki. Traditionaly an engineer had to be fireman for several years before they could qualify and a engineer. Did you have to do this? How long did you fire locomotives before becomming an engineer? How long have a been doing this?
@jeremy63391 There are a few. Mt. Rainier may have a few joining the team this year. Rikki has moved onward and now working for Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in Alasoma, Colorado.
They just about all had automatic stokers by the end, this looks pretty much like a straight stick yard engine or an older passenger engine, like a ten wheeler maybe.
this gal is great. i would recommend she wear gloves to keep from getting burned from hot boiler water valves to the levers that could put metal shavings/slivers into her hands. anyone, myself included that has grabbed a hot water or steam valve handle knows how that hurts and even blisters up your hands. you will remember your gloves after that.
Its great to see any younger person getting involved in this stuff. She handles that locomotive like a pro! Going to make a great engineer.
I like that smile she got when she put it down in the corner and the engine started barking. Been there, done that and it's a great feeling.
She does a good job!
Rikki is living out what was a dream to many a kid, including myself when I was one, when steam still was used. Her Dad is a good teacher. Well done to all of you.
henerymag still like again don't downgrade woman ok
henerymag the other guy text women who ever they are yes woman are cool and stop downgrading women dude or whom ever
henerymag she is cool good job to her
henerymag ,
Lanny Fullerj how the fuck is he downgrading women?
He said "she is living the dream"
Youre not the only person in the world who can say good things about women. Now buzz off.
What a Honey, pretty ,smart and loves trains...I knew there was one out there!!. Go Rikki!
Rikki, you run like an old-timer - you were born to do it! I'm going to show this to my 12 year old daughter and cross my fingers that she will follow in my footsteps. I've got about 25 years firing and 12 running steam on the BR&W and Bel Del in NJ. We run ex-GW 2-8-0 #60 and Chinese Mike #142 - both great engines to work on. And firing 844 and 3985, you lucky dog! Must have been mind-blowing experiences! Congrats and keep a roll on 'em! Regards, Frank
I fired my first locomotive in 1945, this young lady did a wonderful job. My 84 year old eyes don't see as well as they use to, seeing where the johnson bar is would this be an Alco steamer.
That's cool
Built in Sept of 1916 from Baldwin, shipped to Washington state for the Puget Sound and Cascade Ry, later the Cowlitz Chehalis and Cascade Ry. Retired in the 50s she was put on display near my house in Chehalis, then she was restored and returned to steam in '89 and has run in Chehalis and Centralia, Currently she is being repaired but will soon return.
90 ton built by Baldwin in the mid thirty. This locomotive sat in the Chehalis park for years . I think this is the Old engineer s Granddaughter. He was in his eightys . back in 2005 .
Ssd
Ass
Rikki looks right at home running that engine, its an amazing feeling running a train. I feel more at home running up and down the Montreal Secondary hauling 10,000 ton than I do driving my car down the interstate. I see this vid is a couple years old, I sure hope they post more of her in the future as I have only seen 2. Keep up the good work.
Ass
I think there are 2 of her running the #15 and one of her on I think it was the challenger, maybe the 844, been a while so I don't remember exactly which one it was. Either way she is awesome.
This my kind of girl, bless her
Rikki is someone to look up to. Skill and gut's. A great kid.
Awesome job Rikki. I got chills watching this video. I could see the huge smile on your Face when you opened up that throttle. I would love to do that sometime!
Not surprised at her more mature presence - proficiency at handling that engine ingrains confidence, and it shows!
Best part of these videos is that she looks right at home in the seat and actually knows what she is doing. I wish there was more videos of her running. I know there are, but they are very hard to find for some reason.
Yup, that young lady knows a thing or two about steam railroading. Been there and done that myself. Nothing sounds or feels better to a hoghead than when an engine is responding well. You can tell by the sounds it makes, the feel of the throttle, even the smells of the exhaust. When you have that engine working hard and you hear that nice even cadence of the barking exhaust, and everything is running smooth, you got a good hot clean fire and plenty of steam--there's no feeling like it.
Good job Rikki, you really look like a pro driving the steamer. Keep up the good work
👍 ❤ noch nie eine Frau am Regler einer Dampflok gesehen. Macht ihren Job großartig. Ich war 47 Jahre bei der Eisenbahn.
Quiet competence! Done like a boss. The lady on the throttle had the engine talking to her. A nice piece of work!
Every time I watch this I just love it!
Good on you girl!! Im proud of you too, you put a big smile on my face.
She takes the job seriously and handles the locomotive well.
Loooove the whistle, she does that like a pro!
Norman Bates she was awesome dont knock women ok
Lanny, who's knocking women? I don't see anything derogatory about my post and I certainly wasn't knocking her.
So why did you get the red ass?
Lanny Fullerj seriously? No one is knocking down women.
That's hard work! Gets it hummin' pretty good too. Nice.
Yep! Fired the 844.. I believe she also has fired the 3985.
And boys with their cool cars will become jealous when they hear what she is driving. :-)
Once again FANTASTIC!
Damn, that girl knows how to run a train. I am proud of her....
This is just awesome to see. I dream of this kind of stuff and love seeing women into this too. I run 1.5" stuff and my daughter now 4 cant wait till she is old enough to run them (in training). She is all about trains just like me and she loves to see other women/girls that run trains too. Rikki is an insperation to my daughter and me. You are just awesome.
Out standing job young lady!
Awesome to see this Young lady operating this ole steam train and living a dream.
Deweydew100 she was cool dont knock down women
Lanny Fullerj shut up
Now that is darn impressive. Maybe someday her hand will be on 4014's throttle!
Where is she now, ten years later? She was so accomplished then!
I `m proud of you. Keep up the good work. As far as this video goes I give you a 12 out of 10. A+ kiddo. Keep on Highballin!!!
My dear James, I did in fact, fire the 844 for 100 miles from The Dalles to Hinkle, OR back in 2009. I rode with Ed Dickens from Portland to the Dalles, and when Steve Lee swapped him seats, I was invited to fire. It was one of Steve's last runs before he retired.
UP is that nice, or at least they are in UP Steam. I met up again with them in Walsenburg, CO This last October and Ed Dickens was letting all kinds of people in the cab. They're a fun bunch.
Why did Steve retire from UP? Was he the head of the steam program? Was Ed his successor?
When are you going to hire out and play in the big league?
@@robkrasinski6217 he was invited to retire after safety violations and (rumored) alcohol violations. He ignored speed limits running the 844, which caused some damage to the locomotive. No room in modern corporate railroading for old school railroaders that fly by the seat of their pants. And yes, Ed is his successor; they used to work together. Steve Lee works for Wasatch Railroad Contractors now.
Just when you might think the art of steam engineering would be lost when all the old curmudegeons are gone, along come young people like Rikki, and what fun she appears to be having! Rockin' that crossing whistle, too, with a nice flair. Does my heart good to see this.
Owen - Yep, oil fired, runs at 165lbs but believe it is rated for 180lbs (as built as a 200lb boiler) It doesn't go anywhere that it needs the extra pressure though, all flat land prairie running.
Rikki: I hope I can see more videos of you, taking care of steam locomotives.
Never seen a woman doing this. I sincerely admire you. I enjoy very much this two videos.
I would like to see also what kind of locomotive was this. Maybe a take from outside.
Take care Rikki.
Eduardo MD from Mexico.
What a gal and it reminds me of the song with the lyrics, "I hear that train a coming!"
So good to see a young person learning this dying art. Onya Rikki.
Just goes to prove that trains aren't just for boys! Very refreshing to see a young lady doing something like this instead of texting her friends about some nonsense drama or Hollywood low-life! Get behind that throttle and experience the rails! Wow, I envy her! :-)
There may be others but she's the only woman I've seen operating a steam locomotive and not a particularly easy one, either. No power reverse gear on this model!
Wow, she's a damn good engineer! And she's pretty too! Doesn't get any better than that!
Love the sound of steam whether it's going down the tracks or on wheels.
This shows how little you know, considering there are SEVERAL pictures of her firing the engine between The Dalles and Hinkle, Oregon, with no assistance.
There have been several guest to run and fire the locomotive. They aren't as strict as they come across at times. Firing an engine is one thing, running is something totally different.
By all means, take a look around, I am sure you'll find more than 30 pictures of her on that run...
how aboutba present day version? ;-)
Bravo, little girl! Nagyszerű , ügyes kislány !
good driving lady love your style superrrrr
She pulls that whistle cord like a real pro! Great job, Rikki!
Is Rikki still driving the trains? We'd like to drive down and ride the train but we want Rikki to operate it. :)
Good job, I wish I knew the trade so I understood what she’s doing.
I think of all the kids out there doing drugs, stealing, beating up innocent people and all the rest of the stuff we see on the news...and then there is Rikki. Congratulations to her for making something of her lifee, and to her parents for raising one danged awesome young woman!
At the start it looks like she's got it in mid gear, but it must just be notched right back. Love the bark as she lets it out and opens the regulator though!
you go girl it dose my heart good to see this!!!!!!!!!!!
She is cute and handles that Johnson bar mighty good. I sure liked watching her. She know how operate the locomotive.
This is a great video! The young girl does a marvelous job handling that complicated
engine, but I can't believe she's only 12, she looks closer to 15 or 16 at least.
She was 25 in this video .
I love this girl....
Running a steam locomotive allows no time for daydreaming. It's like the ultimate zen.
@MsC1953 There is always plenty of time and chances to do this. Gotta be 21 years old, don't mind putting in some time at your local tourist railroad and go from there. Rikki will have a flourished career in steam railroading at the rate she is progressing.
She was Highballing the Chehalis & Cascade steam locomotive. It is a small one.
Good job! She could come to the Railroad here in Iowa and run too!
congrats to the young lady at the throttle.
awesome vid, go girl, great work .
Cool, alright , love it enjoyed the videos, thank you
Hey no worries! It was such a fantastic experience I like sharing that I did it! lol
As boy I always wanted to sit in that seat. My parents used to take me all over the Midwest to see steam engines. I remember seeing those seats while at museums and I always had the biggest wish to be an engineer in one of those engines. Good memories :-)
Man that stack talk sounds superb!
Amazing!!! I wish that young women had more chances to do this back "in the day"! Good for her - and us!!
Need more videos of Rikki running trains. She has accomplished what I have dreamed of doing since I was a kid (engineering a steamer ) I am however a locomotive engineer for CSX so a part of my dream has come true
Frisco1522's correct, "She does a good job!" Proud of this young lady!!
You go girl!
Man, I love that sound every time she throws the reverser forward! What was the going to putting on the air, a show for the buffies?
Good on her, I'd give my left leg to have a go on the controls of either of those! Is this loco oil fired? I am a steam fireman on tourist operations in Australia, and our locos are tiny compared to this. You could hold a barn dance in that cab!
Owen - Australia
biggdaddy2001
High Balling is what it is called when a train is running at a fast speed, generally the term used for steam locomotives. High balling for most steamers is 30-50 miles per hour. for some steam operations, the speed for high balling is restricted to about 20 MPH.
Makes one appreciate a power reverser.
Sorry Kiddo! It`s just that you was never seen. My bad on that from one hogger to another keep on highballing!!. You are right about Ed he is a nice guy. I did a lot of firing when I was in LA on the Santa Fe 3751. this summer we got some serious excursions coming up check us out.
My favourite girl I can’t get enough of her pleas interview her and. Let us have some insight on her talents as an engineer
Again, 11/10 driving skills on this here locomotive
very cool vid!
This is awesome!
big smile on her face, as happy as a pig in the brown stuff!
this kid is having fun with that old train
She is sooo cute!
I liker how she set the air, put it in the corner, and throttled out!
She does a good job, bails off BEFORE the brake application, hooks up when the exhaust changes, blows the whistle signal 7 properly, she has a handle on it. I gave her shit in the other video because she didn't center the reverser when giving that redzone signal but when your learning things take a little time.
"High ball" is a reference to an OLD signal system, where there was a ball tied to a rope hug from a tall poll. A "low ball" meant "stop", a "high ball" meant "proceed."
In later usage "Highball" became a slang meant to proceed at track speed.
In late steam and in the modern era it means, as "SierraRailway" said, a loco rolling along at a good clip.
*Precious girl*
That sounded kinda weird
Impressive young lady!!
Beauty 😍
Yeah,noticed that. Every steam engine Ive ever had was different, they all have a certain rhythm, and when they start talking to you like that, you know you've found where they want to run. I worked steam on the B&O during the twilight years. Diesels, are nice and clean but they are technical and impersonal, a steam engine lives, listen to them and they'll tell you how they feel.
All engines on the West Coast are oil burners, no stokers here =) The #15 is super easy to fire though. Really a great engine. Looking forward to experiencing the #25 in a few years!
My love runns deep for steam locamotives my after returning home from world 1 The next morning my grandpa went to work for Union Pacific & retired from them in 1979 he loved it got see different parts of the country in which we live
Man even Rikki can do it. Now I wish I can be in that position
I think I'm in love. Twice. Train and girl. Lol
A couple of questions for Rikki. Traditionaly an engineer had to be fireman for several years before they could qualify and a engineer. Did you have to do this? How long did you fire locomotives before becomming an engineer? How long have a been doing this?
@jeremy63391 There are a few. Mt. Rainier may have a few joining the team this year.
Rikki has moved onward and now working for Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in Alasoma, Colorado.
Great job!!!!
They just about all had automatic stokers by the end, this looks pretty much like a straight stick yard engine or an older passenger engine, like a ten wheeler maybe.
Great video!!!
Very, very nice engineer! ;)
It must be great to be an engineer, she smile.
I like these
this gal is great. i would recommend she wear gloves to keep from getting burned from hot boiler water valves to the levers that could put metal shavings/slivers into her hands. anyone, myself included that has grabbed a hot water or steam valve handle knows how that hurts and even blisters up your hands. you will remember your gloves after that.
Looks like your having fun
Very nice video
Good ol' strong arm reverse...
honestly I'd love to try my hands at the controls of a steam locomotive. Chances are any rail fan would also.