Club Ride - Florida Railroad Museum's Month of Steam

Our weekly Saturday outing took us south to Parrish, FL, where we visited the Florida Railroad Museum for their Month of Steam. During this special event, the museum operates a steam engine on its tracks instead of the normal diesel-electric locomotive.

The steam locomotive, known as the Flagg Coal Company #75, was built by Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1930 and used by the Flagg Coal Company of Avoca, PA. Flagg Coal Company # 75 is a 40-ton saddle tank locomotive that saw service as # 2 for the Flagg Coal Company, where it was used as a switch engine. In 1935 it was sold to the Solvay Process Co. in Jamesville, NY and renumbered 75.

The locomotive is now privately owned by a father and son duo, who spent more then ten years restoring the locomotive to the point that it could be returned to service. The locomotive now tours the country making appearances at railroad museums and other special events.

Here are a few of the shots that I took during our one-hour ride on the train as it was pulled by the steam locomotive.

Here we are getting underway, you can just make out the museum's diesel-electric locomotive on the siding in the background:

Here you can see the fireman stoking the locomotive's boiler:

This is the same engineer that kindly treated me and Eddie to a turn at driving the diesel-electric motive during our first visit to the museum about a year ago:

A good crowd turned out for the 10 AM train ride on the day of our visit. The museum had additional rides scheduled every two hours for the rest of the day:

The conductor was all business...:

...while Lloyd just hammed it up:

This shot gives you some perspective on the length and consist of the train:

I strolled toward the caboose through two Pullman cars and another gondola car:

Museum volunteers work the train and explain the sights to guest and answer any questions about the train or the museum:

I spotted this mosquito on a lamp inside one of the Pullman cars and couldn't resist shooting a few frames. Bet you didn't get this one, Boyd!:

Eddie took a turn at hamming for the camera by pretending to be asleep...:

...but he got so tickled at himself that he couldn't keep it up:

Rounding the only bend in the tracks on the return leg of the trip:

Eddie was in deep thought as he took in the view:

Coming back into the station area of the museum, the engineer gives a friendly wave to the crowd:

Braking her down for the station platforms:

The locomotive at rest:

Some exterior detail shots of the locomotive:

And some interior shots of the locomotive's cab:

This man was nice enough to let me climb into the cab to shoot the photos you see above:

Boyd is laughing instead of crying at the realization that I have beaten him to the inside of the locomotive's cab for some close-up shots:

The view from the left side of the locomotive's cab:

Boyd walks back to his bike with a flash card full of great photos:

Robert and Eddie conspire about something back at the bikes:

Mounting up for the ride back to Plant City:

We took the back roads both coming and going:

Boyd was looking sharp astride his V-Max:

Robert leads the way for Boyd...only because Boyd let him lead at this point:

Here's Lloyd astride his new Gold Wing. Just look at that grin:

Back in Plant City for lunch, I spotted this vehicle parked partially on the sidewalk:

You'd think a university man (or woman) would be better able to park than this:

Oh, well, I guess an expensive University of Tampa education is no guarantee that someone possesses parking (or driving) skills!