The Little Engine that Did! 

This summer was truly memorable. Several days ago, UP Big Boy 4014 rescued a stalled freight over Blair Hill in Nebraska. Now, our little "Porky" gets his turn pulling a revenue freight. This year was getting better with each railroad history being made.

Wow. A steam loco and a graffiti covered boxcar. There's a great contrast between the modern world and the old days. Great job!

What a wild time that steam engines are being used in revenue services again. Even if they are comparatively small jobs. Not to mention, Big Boy pulling a 'Super Rescue' over in Nebraska. We have new-built steam engines in the works to boot. Even if it's baby steps, it really feels like steam is making a comeback.

Boxcar height used to be no taller than the cab of that little Prairie. Now we have boxes twice the size of that little engine. Crazy!

The Steam Engine, the original way to transport people and goods. It’s nice to see these old engines still earning their keep.

This was one heck of a year for railroads. Flying Scotsman turning 100, Sir Nigel Gresley returning to steam, a UP Challenger and 2-10-2 being announced to be restored back to working order, Big Boy 4014 reenacting 1 of Wilbert Audrey's greatest stories (Super Rescue), and now Porkey pulling a revenue train. This is a great year for railfans

She's earned her Christmas gift: an auxiliary water tender.

The real life little engine that could

This is absolutely mind-blowing! That shot at 5:26 is my favorite. Incredible work, as always. Definitely one of my biggest inspirations. -Drayton

Nothing like a real railroad doing real things to drive prototype train modeler’s nuts. This is awesome.

I had no idea of this shortline or this charming Prairie!! So wonderful to see steam on modern revenue frieght!!! Sure it's always incredible seeing large locomotives (i.e 4014, 844 etc) pull modern revenue freights but little locomotives like 205 and/or Everett RR no. 11 pulling modern freight just feels much more special.

i bet everyone who wasn't a rail fan was in a state of shock seeing this beauty.

It's hilarious to see how tiny Porky is compared to contemporary hi cube boxcars. He's absolutely dwarfed by them! But despite how small that engine is, it is likely still nowhere near tonnage for that little engine. On the flat at least, anyway. I'd link very to know just how and why the engine got this apparently unusual assignment that day.

Great video. I never knew this railroad existed. Glad they have Porky earning her keep. A very handsome locomotive in her pretty green dress! More please!

Oh boy! A real working steam locomotive, hauling a revenue train! Can you believe it! Not a foto op train! It's fantastic to see her doing what she was built to do, today. I wish I could have been there to see it!

Wow again memories! Sorry to be redundant I think I mentioned this before! I was the regular engineer on the mill turn out of Albany, we took empties up and loaded log flats back! Also held the local freight out of Lebanon for a long time!

What an outstanding video. Great action by a steamer and the cool scenery with a step back in time. Enjoyed watching and have a wonderful upcoming weekend.(Steve)

Too good Aaron! So glad you could make it out there and even better you could stick around for the whole one way trip to Mill City! What a special thing we got to witness!

Hi from Sydney,Australia..it looks like an easy effort for the loco..well done to whoever thought of it, and to the crew who probably had a blast!!

That was a excellent video. The fireman new his job, hardly any smoke at all. Just the right sort of line for that sort of work. Can`t see why it could not be done more often.

Seeing that little teakettle actively switching, a flood of memories hit me. One thing's for sure, you'll never get a diesel to change directions that fast today. Instead it's flip the reverser, pull on the throttle, release the independent brake, go have lunch and maybe we'll start shoving on these cars in a moment... I had a pair of GP7s that had a really good response time to switching but they're probably at the bottom of some scrap pile, or who knows... They're probably a wal-mart shopping buggy by now. But now, switching with Steam, you could really get some work done in a yard! I only got to handle revenue freight one time with steam and it was just a switching move. Pull out a string of tanks, set out the empty, put the string of tanks back, spotting up the bottom one to the nozzle. But it sure was cool!

What a show by this petite Prairie! You can't help but admire the contrast between #SantaMariaValley205 and the modern cars it pulled. The SP bay window caboose was a bonus to boot! Great video!

My parents had a house a short distance from that branch line and I used to watch the SP trains running out to the lumber mill in Mill City. There are farms in the area that grow grass seed for the landscaping industry and the bags of seed are loaded onto boxcars from the seed cleaning and packaging sheds along the line. I worked for Oregon DOT at the highway maintenance at Santiam Junction, plowing snow in winter and keeping the road repaired in summer. The remains of an extension of this railroad over Santiam Pass, which was begun but never completed, are still visible on the mountainside north of the highway, west of the summit.

super nice vid - love the '87 rail bit, (holy cow, I had no idea...)

Absolutely gorgeous videography, Aaron! Thanks for putting this together and posting it here. It sure was a fun day chasing Porky and yacking with you and everyone else. Wow, almost 4,000 views in only 3 hours.

Cannot figure out while you do not have millions of subscribers. So much quality content. !'m a kid of the sixties, maybe that is the reason. To much tech today. I still have all my old train sets from those days. Keep up with your amazing videos!

Excellent video wonderful seeing the steamer doing what it was built to do

This summer, steam engines have proven to everyone something that I've always believed. Steam engines are still very capable of doing real work in the 21st century and should do it on a regular basis.

Uncategorically BEAUTIFUL.

Dude, your voice is nostalgic! You sound just like the narrators on the train videos and documentaries I watched as a kid in the 80s and 90s.

"Dispatch, is that a steam excursion on our line?" "No, it is your freight delivery."

I bet some companies are happy to pay extra to have their goods shipped by steam train, it’s neat. I’d be a little impressed to know that’s how I ended up with something I purchased.

It's nice to see a train without a diesel engine behind it, makes it really authentic

the Big Boy helping a stalled train and now #205 pulls revenue service, what a time to be alive.

Wonderful video, big thumbs up :)

More of the same, PLEASE. Very enjoyable 😊

Thank You for a thoroughly enjoyable video.

What a fine engine perfectly complimented with the pig perched on the headlight.

Now that you mentioned the pig on top of the headlight, I can’t stop looking at it. 😂

Last year, there was a train in Germany where a full-length train was pulled by an old steam engine.

love these trains.

Loved every second of it.

Absolutey beautiful video! Shot well, edited and produced well, and great VO with NO AI!!!

I bet the crew had a blast on this day, it would really be something special to take part in. That engine sure looks good!

That's amazing that sized engine can still do it even after retirement. Those 3 TTX cars & SOUTHERN PACIFIC caboose & lumber racks modern equipment & a classic steam engine. I love this now i want a model of this in HO scale. Great entertaining video. 🎥👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A steam train pulling freight in 2023 Awesome !!!!!!

It was fun to see a steam engine working like the old days. Thanks for posting.

Great video !

Absolutely a wonderful show, glad to see 205 is getting it's dues in. Beautiful engine, beautiful line, and a wonderful piece of history. With Polson Logging #2 soon to be under the care of this railroad from what I've understood, hopefully the two get a chance to shine together. And maybe, just maybe, the little lady around 45 miles to the west in Toledo gets her chance to ride rails once more. cmon One Spot baby let's see you steam.

That was pretty amazing👍🏼👍🏼

It is like seeing a good old cabover semi hauling a modern trailer. There isn't much, but the job done great.

As always , 7idea always produces top shelf videos.

Wow ! That was just terrific to watch. Thank for sharing it. James.

she looks so happy pulling that cargo train, even if its small. probably thinking "fuck yes, a chance to stretch my pistons!

Imagine some train engineer from that loco's era travel into the future and watch this train with those high cubes. I bet he would think: "What the heck are those giants?"😅

Gotta love the sounds a steam locomotive makes

Good ole Porky! Such a cool railroad.

Great sound from the engine when hooked up to the add freight wheel slip and all. Hope to see more of this

Now this is what I wanna see! I’ll bet that 205 handled that train better than ever thanks to the new roller bearings on those cars

Santa Maria Valley 2-6-2 #205 on the Albany and Eastern Railroad. This engine may be small but it gets the job done

Love that steam locomotive!

Great video. Brings back memories of yore.😊

I would have loved to been at a mill and seen this beautiful engine.. plus the amazing echo coming off the hills

That locomotive originated near my hometown here in Oakdale California. Part of the Stockton to Visalia railroad mentioned. It's definitely a small world

fantastic video work

Great to see steam still active in the Northwest. There was a time when steam pulled a majority of the lumber out of the NW forests to the coastal ports to be sent by ship to San Francisco, Southern Calif and the east coast.

What impressive scenery! It makes me think of Stand By Me. The locomotive is even a Prairie!

Awesome! Greets from Australia.

Hell of a video as always. cheers

Thats cool! Great video!

Fantastic. :)

I hope this becomes a trend of smaller railroads having steam locos haul some trains once in a while. Even from a business standpoint, it's smart because it would bring positive attention/advertising to their company.

Great story and video.

This right here is is making me into one giant foamer. I’ll admit this foamer footage at its finest, but that’s okay I’m a foamer too. Awesome footage of American history still making history today.

Well that certainty gives me some inspiration for something different on my layout. 😆 That’s so cool to see!

Oh Wow...absolutely romantic...I recall the first time we went on the Heritage Train from Mettupalayam to Ootacamund (India), we almost got stuck in a tunnel: choking on the smoke...All open windows! The engine crew did their best and slowly but surely chugged us out of the tunnel close to Coonoor and of course the locomotive needed the much needed WATER...! Thanks folks for this video...!🚂🚂🚂

This makes me incredibly happy to see

Very cool 😎

Little engines can do big things!

Bravo!

That's old time railroading indeed. Note the timeless, have a nice day salute @13:58. Choo choo mutha funka!😂

I love it - very nice little enginne

I love seeing old steam power hauling revenue freight!

Great vidio, and great ta see steam hauling a payload.Thanks for the morning coffee...

haha, pretty awesome. The shot of er' coming up the hill with the heavy chuffin was great.

love to see this kinda content wish they used more steam yet, it was mainly phased out before my time but love the history!

Riding the train in my own neighborhood, excellent day for the old guy!

Great video

As long as can make 90 psi air pressure on the rear of the train, it's good to go!😂

Steam engines are so amazing I don’t see a train, I see a living breathing beast of beauty and power, each chuff of her funnel is her breathing and heaving the heavy load It’s a not just a train, it’s a living being listening to its masters

Kool good luck.😊

Nice camera work, great sound, and what a beautiful little loco! We don't see very many with that 2-6-2 wheel arrangement these days.

We did this all the time with the SP1233 in Woodland, CA in 99-01

one thing I think every one can agree on is how neat this little engine is

I sure learned some new info from this video. Still, it was an interesting site to see as it's one you don't encounter often.

And as the little engine puffed up the mountain. She said, “I think I can, I think I can.”

Well done

Always admired branch line power. Prairie’s are one of my favorite, not fast but not real slow, not to powerful but earns their keep. First engine I ever saw was a 0-6-0 Wabash switcher at Wabash Pit.

I want to be the caboose person just stand there .. ( I know he has a real job )

Nice video