It may not be railworks, But it got me started on my railfann career.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

For many of us, We saw the 844 or 4449 as the first steam locomotive that we can remember seeing. That isn't the case for me!
The first steam locomotive i can ever remember seeing would be this: A Northern Pacific Q-3 Class Pacific that was on display in my hometown.
If you are wondering, This locomotive now sits waiting for cosmetic restoration in Toppenish Washington.




Edit: Yes, thats me on the bottom of the picture . I was about 4-5 when that picture was shot. Now im 15 years old.






Now ,might i ask, Could you post pictures of the very first steam engine you saw?

[BNSFdude]

That makes it NP 2156, 2152, and 2153 all in preservation then.... Huh, cool!

[johnmckenzie]

This loco, here -

Ex- Great Western Railway 45xx Prairie Tank No. 4555 (built 1924) on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway, England.

It was the first week of July, 1975 and I already loved railways but there was something magical about a working steam railway. We're very lucky in Britain to have so many.

[Chacal]

I have yet to see a steam engine in the, er, flesh.
My young railfan years featured CN Alcos and EMD F units.

[arizonachris]

Well, there's this little girl at the Lomita Railroad Museum:

http://www.lomita-rr.org/images/locomotive.jpg

About half mile from me. http://www.lomita-rr.org/steam%20locomotive.htm

That's pretty much the only steam locomotive I've ever seen "in person". First engine I ever saw was an F7, Santa Fe Chief. Rode that wonderful train from LA Union Station to Phoenix and back quite a few times when I was younger.

[NSrailfan6130]

The only steam Ive ever seen was the NKP 765 pulling the Wabash Cannonball

[BNSFdude]

My first steam engine was MILW 261 back in 99 when I was 5 years old. I remember that day. I was playing with my friend Nathan in the back yard when from a distance I heard a whistle (I was born a railfan, knew all about trains then too). I screamed inside the house, and dragged mom out, we went to go see it at the crossing down the road, and we managed to see it cross Lakeland Drive. We hopped in the Cadillac, and went down to the depot, and came across the black beast. I remember meeting the Engineer, Steve Sandberg.
The funny thing is, this past summer, 14 years later, I was his Brakeman. He recognized me, and it was just a cool experience.

[buzz456]

1961.

CBQ282.JPG

First steam engine. I grew up next to the EJ&E by Elgin so I spent a lot of time down on the tracks.

[bpetit]

Not a steam engine but the railroad track in my area. Good ole Illinois Central.

[BigBoyMoon]

First steamer was NKP 639, my first Diesel was a IC GP40 I believe

[byelen]

rc06552.jpg

I saw my first steam locomotive when I was five years old, Florida East Coast Railroad No. 153 at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. I became one of the "lucky" ones. At age 19, I joined the museum as a volunteer on the engine crew, and became one of the regular drivers!

- Bruce

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

/bump

[DrewG]

Mine is CNR 6167, it's got an amazing story behind it. It was one of CNRs "Northern" Locos built in 1940 and has logged more than 2 million kilometers in service. In 1943 it collided head on with another loco killing the engineer and the fireman of the other loco and the fire man of 6167. In 1959 when CNR retired all of it's steam 6167 was kept as an excursion trains between 1960 and 1964 and became Canada's most photographed locomotive. Store in Toronto until 1967 when CNR gave it to the city of Guelph to celebrate Guelph's Centennial.I can remember making my parents drive past it every time we were in downtown Guelph I still do even though I'm 15 . It made it's last ever move back in 2010 when they rolled it across the tracks to make way for a GO station. Sorry for the long story but I've learned too much about her not to talk about her.


This is how she looked a couple years back, a lot has changed to her in recent years but I don't have any recent photos.