New Haven 3025: Steaming into Spring on the Valley Railroad

May 11th, 2024 brings us back to the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat for their opening day. This day marks the first day of the operating season for the regular excursions between Essex and Hadlyme. I was extremely pleased to have #3025 as the power for the day, considering she hasn't ran the normal coach trains since the summer season of 2022. She's coming up on her 1472 mandated FRA rebuild, and after about 12 years of service since returning to steam in 2012, she has about 100ish days left of service left before her fire will be dropped for an undetermined amount of time. 3025 was never a authentic New Haven mikado however. She was originally built by the Tangshan locomotive works of Tangshan, China in 1989. Delivered to the Knox and Kane railroad of Pennsylvania, she servered there until the railroad went bankrupt. The 1658 was stored in a round house, until a fire broke out. The Knox and Kane sold her to the Valley Railroad company, who had her up and running in a matter of a few years. For now, lets follow the 3025 as she brings the first round of 2024 trains up to Hadlyme and return.

We also got a special treat during filming, seeing 3025 sitting on the North end of the train in Deep River, with the sun positioned right on her smokebox. Quite a "rare" occurrence for the Valley, considering that the railroad runs North/South, and is on just a right angle to the point where a sunny day is not ideal for shooting.

Engine House: 00:00
Essex Station: 01:40
Departing: 04:20
Old Deep River Road: 06:00
Along Route 154: 07:00
Tree Tunnel at Essex Street: 08:04
Chester Station: 09:00
Up the Hill at Dock Road: 09:55
Gillette Castle/Hadlyme Station: 10:57
Chester Siding: 12:27
Becky Thatcher Riverboat: 13:37
Tates Cut at Deep River: 14:18
Essex Street: 18:00
Up Richard's Hill to Rattling Valley Road: 18:40
Racing at Dump Road: 19:27
Round the Curve at Old Deep River Road: 20:30
Essex Hardware: 21:23
Semaphores at Essex Station: 21:58
Credits (Deep River Landing): 23:43