By: Elliott Olmos

I would like to start with a huge thanks to all the people who helped me get into RailCamp. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience. From Sunday with a meet and greet to Saturday with our goodbyes, this camp made me feel like I had another family I had no clue about. With that, let me share what we did at RailCamp and how it impacted me.

Sunday

Out of the gate, I entered the dorm at the University of Delaware and found a room full of people who I could talk trains with. After the meet and greet, we went downstairs for presentations. Nothing says ‘this isn’t your typical camp’ quite like a day-one presentation on explosives. An individual from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania described how trains began carrying explosives, like back powder, and how the Pennsylvania Railroad used different types of explosives over the years. Next, an individual from Penn State Altoona described their Rail Transportation Engineering specialty, the only dedicated program for trains supported by a college. I had no idea such a program existed. We also heard from a former RailCamper who worked at Strasburg Railroad. He described how his railroad interests and knowledge helped him get hired and how he worked his way to his current position as a boiler welder. All that in one day, and I had no idea how even more amazing this camp was about to get.

Monday

Monday was the start of the really good stuff. We woke up early, quickly had breakfast and were on the road. We arrived at the Amtrak Wilmington Maintenance Facility where we met the vice president of Amtrak. We spoke with employees and learned about several repair operations including how the wheels were made, transported and assembled onto trucks. We got to see the yard and how locomotives are repaired from all sorts of angles, including the roof.

Afterwards, we headed to the Amtrak training facility where we learned about switches and how to get electricity from the engine to the cars. We also got to try our hand at simulators for dispatching (my favorite) and locomotive driving. They had simulators for the P42, the Charger and the NextGen Acela. Wow!

That evening, there were additional presentations about railroad photography, including the importance of safety and the impact of weather as well as how to take a great picture without ruining someone else’s shot. We also heard from a railroad lawyer and how they helped keep the business side of the trains running. Finally, we called it a night knowing that we were on our way to New York the next morning.

Tuesday

With another early start, we were off to New York riding behind an ACS-64. On the back of this train were three special cars. We rode in the catenary car where we learned about the catenary system and the importance of maintaining certain specifications. We also rode in a geometry car where we learned about general track maintenance and how the track is scanned every few seconds to look for errors. Lastly, we got to ride in the American View, also known as Car 10004, with its large rear observation window. Traveling at 100mph and seeing the tracks fade away from the back of the train was an amazing experience.

Arriving in Penn Station, we were provided a VIP tour of Amtrak operations. We saw how they pack food for the trains and we got to meet Wrigley, a security dog. Wrigley’s handlers showed us some of the training they do and how dogs can help detect bomb threats. We then got to see the dispatch room for the Northeast corridor in full operation. Finally, we learned about the future plans of Penn Station before heading back on the train to Wilmington. We then heard from former RailCampers and how they found careers in Amtrak. They offered a great perspective on the railroad industry.

Wednesday

Wednesday offered little break from the intensity of the week. We traveled to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania where we had a tour of the archives and were then split into small groups and assigned a locomotive for an in-depth review and presentation on Friday. My group was assigned the PRR E44. We also got to explore the C&PA snowplow as well as some of the museum’s best engines including an EMD E7, a GG1 and steam engines number 460 (4-4-2) and number 1223 (4-4-0). We then got a sneak peek at the yard and saw the K4. We ended our day with railfanning in Perryville and caught a legacy Acela coming through at speed.

Thursday

Our hectic pace continued on Thursday with a trip to Strasburg Railroad. Just like everywhere we traveled, the Strasburg crew made us feel like part of the team. We toured the mechanical shop and Engines 90 and 475. We then got to hit Engine 475 with a hammer to make sure the bolts were in place. We took the train pulled by Engine 89 to Paradise and back before being introduced to the operations side of running a heritage railroad. We got to couple and uncouple freight cars and used hand signals to communicate with the engineer to move the locomotive. Then we connected the air hoses. Working with the engineer and cars was one of my favorite things we did all week. We also got a chance to operate the ‘Small Boy,’ Strasburg’s 15-gauge live steam locomotive. From small to big, we also toured the Repair Shop that made the wheels for the Big Boy.

Friday

Friday came fast and the day started early. Once again, we were off to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to do presentations. My group presented on the PRR E44 and

discussed its history, mechanics and how it got preserved. After that we headed back to Strasburg and were put on the crew for a cab ride in Engine 89. We had three options on working the engine; blow the whistle, shovel the coal or ring the bell and manage the water injection system. I did the water injecting and made sure everything was locked in place and then I rang the bell before we went over the crossing. Running the engine was a fantastic way to understand how these machines were built and the mechanics that keep them running.

We then returned to the dorms and reflected on our favorite parts of RailCamp. Considering what we experienced with Amtrak, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and Strasburg Railroad, picking a favorite activity was nearly impossible. However, what stuck with me most was dispatching at Amtrak and getting hands-on with coupling and uncoupling cars at Strasburg. I also got to make new friends with fellow railroad enthusiasts.

Saturday

On the final day, it was tough to say goodbye to the incredible staff and all my new friends from RailCamp. This was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about possible careers in railroading. My thanks to RailCamp for allowing me to have this experience and to the DC Chapter of NRHS for sponsoring me. Thank You,

Below are two photos I took during my time at RailCamp. The first is Me getting the chance to drive the NextGen Acela…in the simulator. The second is Me enjoying the best seat on the train in the American View on our way to Penn Station.