Rent And Engineer A Locomotive!
At the Portola Train Museum, Portola CA

Presented by Doc & Becky's
Private Live Steam Railroad Site

Pictures to follow shortly ... Doc Hemp and friend Dave Moeller get lessons in the 2 locomotives ... WP 608 NW-2u Switcher & the WP 921D F7 Road Freight Locomotive. You can see the specs on them below. Many thanks to Ray Bennett who lent us his engineers manual for the F 7 which we used exhaustively. This is the ultimate of all train buffs .... you need to do this where ever you live in the world ... there is a link below to their web site for more info too. You are in the engineers seat the whole time ... you can rent any of about 8 locomotives for $100/ hour ... you get a certificate like the one above for each locomotive you run ... at the end of the first 2 hours you should be able to take her out without coaching from your instructor ... know all the whistle blasts .... turn the bell on and off at the crossings, slow, speed up ... stop smoothly on your mark with in 1 foot while using the mirror in reverse in the F7. Know switches & change them if you wish, on multiple tracks ... learn to smoothly open the throttle and brake simultaneously ... run the forward, idle, reverse properly. Learn the start up and shut down procedures if you wish. It is work but fun ... the instructor will slap hell out of you if you mess up after the first 2 hours ... (grin) just kidding! .... But it is not a toy ... One must be serious and listen and learn. ... as 99.9% do. If you don't you will be dismissed immediately!
This is Nirvana for all train buffs ... steam or other wise ... I run my own smaller steam railroad But ..... next to running the big live steam monsters this will do nicely!
There is also a very nice private restaurant just up on the hill before you drop down to the museum in old town ... closes at 2 pm though. pretty good shopping for the wives too. Oh ... and a must .... at the pharmacy in new town just across the viaduct on the left ... one of the best model train collections I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! Don't miss that! ... Lionel, standard gauge, G gauge, Marx .. all of them!
Hope you enjoy this site ...
Shinny Rails to you
Doc Hemp





Doc Hemp Engineering the WP 921D F7

WP 921D F7 Cockpit ... with Ray's original Engineers Manual
Showing the same cockpit area.


My pal & neighbor Dave Moeler by the WP 608 NW-2u Switcher
And Engineering the WP 921D F7

Portola is on Hwy 70 ... NE of Quincy CA on the way to Reno .... 37 acres of trains .... 30 engines and 80 cars ... learn and then run a Diesel EMD F7A by the hour ... on 2 1/2 miles of track.

  1. RETURN TO COLORADO TRAINS MAIN PAGE
  2. Me, Mel Nethery & Dave Moeller Run Two Full Sized Locomotives!.
    Sierra Pacific's Diesel at Susanville
  3. Back To Out Private Steam Locomotive Page.
  4. Send Email to Doc & Becky Hemp

    5. This web site is hosted & made possible by C. David Hemp DDS INC. .. Dental Site, And B.A.D. Chariots Web SitesHarley Site ... Also all Educational, Hobby, & Non-commercial.