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A RIDE ON THE WEST CHESTER  RAILROAD

9/25/05

The wonderful folks of the Shore Line Garden RR Club invited me to attend a special event of theirs, a ride on the "Great Train Robbery" train on the West Chester Railroad.

SHINEY NEW LOCOMOTIVE - As the train pulled in to the station, I was pleasantly surprised at the locomotive.  Although it looks brand new, it's actually about 45 years old, a Montreal Locomotive Works (Alco) DRS-18u.  It's been thoroughly reconditioned inside and out.

DOG ON BOARD - Bob, Brad, Barb, and Fluffy are about to board our car, a former Reading Multiple Unit Car, once electric powered, now converted to a coach/dining car.

BUG ON BOARD - My Ladybug Eggliner went along for a ride too.  I had every intention of running it down the aisle under its own power, but in my haste I had forgotten to charge the batteries ahead of time....and my buddies had a great time joking about it!

GUNFIGHT - After a band of train robbers "looted" the passengers, they got off the train and headed for their 1920's-era cars.  There was a loud exchange of gunfire as the Lawmen tried to catch them before they got away.

GLEN MILLS STATION - All passengers disembarked at the restored Glen Mills station, where we met up with the bank robbers and their getaway cars.  I had been talking about how I talked my way into a cab ride on the Western Maryland Scenic steam engine, so about this time my buddies bugged me into asking for a cab ride on THIS engine.

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