A "stealth" steam-powered photo freight charter was held on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at the Strasburg Rail Road, in Strasburg, PA. The stars of the show of this private/not-publicly-announced charter were former Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 #475 and former Great Western 2-10-0 #90, pulling a mostly day-long mixed photo freight train along the Strasburg's 4.5 miles of track. About half of the trip (give or take) was run as a double-header, while other parts of the day featured either #90 (while #475 was pulling the day's scheduled passenger trains) or #475 (as #90 was put away for the night) in solo action. Included is footage of a meet at Leaman Place/Paradise, PA between #90 and an Amtrak "Keystone Service" train, as well as shots from early morning, early evening, and everywhere in between. Enjoy this look at Steam from Sunrise to Sunset at Strasburg!

On this warmer-than-normal December 2018 day, we see former Central Railroad of New Jersey 0-6-0 #113 pulling her second day of Santa trips through Schuylkill County, PA - from her home base in Minersville to Schuylkill Haven and return. Under a mix of overcast skies and occasional "light rain", 113 manages to put on quite a show, even while travelling at slower than normal speeds. Enjoy this look at some new locations and angles, watching Santa's Schuylkill Steam Sleigh!

In this short, two-shot video, we see Reading & Northern 4-6-2 #425 making her last runs of 2018, pulling Santa trains on a rare Monday series of excursions.  Since Christmas is on a Tuesday, the R&N decided to hold Monday trips in addition to the past few weekend dates.  We catch R&N #425 at the Route 222 overpass in Tuckerton, PA as she heads from Reading Outer Station to Port Clinton, PA and return - and then at Peacock's Lock Viaduct, just outside of Reading, PA.  The shot at the viaduct is on private property, so many thanks to the property owner for allowing me access down there to film #425!  Enjoy this video and stay tuned for more!

It was the evening of December 30, 2018, and the Wilmington & Western Railroad had just ran their last Holiday Lights Express train of 2018.  As a "thank you" to the hard-working volunteers, there would be an unadvertised 9 pm train that would run the entire length of the line, from the station in Greenbank, to the end of the line in Hockessin, DE.  Unbeknownst to the volunteers, the steam crew decided to have a little fun and fire up their recently-restored 0-6-0 #58 for one final trip of the year, and pull the specially-lit train to Hockessin, instead of the normal diesel power.  With some added lighting, and the diesel in idle, #58 would be doing all of the work out on the line, and I was given a heads up that this would be happening, so there would be video coverage from the trip.  While all of the shots are great, the last shot, of #58 pulling the entire consist up Hockessin Hill at night, is especially impressive.  With very few cars out on the nearby roads, and the locomotive's stack talk as crisp as ever, it's a show for the auditory senses.  So turn up the volume for the last shot, and enjoy "Night Steam to Hockessin"!!