I worked a triple header at the Westside & Cherry Valley Railway the last season it was open (1981?). Three Shays tearing up that hill was something to behold. I was firing on the #15 for a couple trips, and was conductor on the last one. On that last trip we stopped at the Indian Village to drop some people off, and getting the train started we pulled one of the old Swayne skells literally in half, which of course broke the train line in two. Suffice to say we spent some time tying down the train on a 4% grade to double what was left of the train to the top loop. I forgot my brake club at the bottom, since I was young (19) and stupid at the time. The late Shorty Maddox, lifetime West Side Lumber hogger (ret.) was along for the ride. He layed into me pretty good for my mistake, which I never made again.

Another memorable moment came when we were running Western Pacific #94, a ten-wheeler out on the Sacramento Northern during a Western Railway Museum "festival" during the early '80s. We were backing up to Lambie Road (about 1 1/2 miles, if that) and running forward back to the museum for the patrons. Our steam boss was also a race car restoration specialist and liked speed. I was firing for him, and around the last trip of the day he looked over at me, and gave me the look. I threw the firing valve into my lap and spun open the atomizer and we were off. The engine shook pretty bad until I figure we were up to around 45mph, when she really balanced out. Of course that didn't last long since the museum was coming up fast and a full-service application on the brakes down to equalization almost wasn't enough to get us stopped at the platform by the bunkhouse. A misspent youth perhaps, but these events won't be repeated any time soon.