TCS recorded Gramling Locomotive Works #85 "Mack," a Vulcan 0-4-0 locomotive, at the Allentown & Auburn Railroad on October 11, 2019. We made many trips up and down the line from Kutztown to Topton, and set up an array of microphones to capture different sounds from #85. Engineer Barney Gramling was on the footplate and happily obliged our many requests in order to get the sound recordings we were after. John is the original restorer of #85 and is currently touring the country with the steam locomotive, which has been recently been spending time on the Allentown & Auburn.

John and Barney Gramling have restored many steam locomotives to working condition from their shop in Ashley, Indiana. Barney is currently touring the country while his father John remains at the shop, continuing restoration work on their next project. Barney is a modeler in his free time, and he's been crafting replica naval ships while he's been on the road. 

We made many successful runs up and down the mainline, and finished the day with a "whistle blow." We recorded 5 or 6 whistles new to the WOWSound line that will be available in future releases. During the recording, we spotted several railfans documenting the locomotive and had curious locals from a trackside farm show up to watch our whistle blow. 
 

Many thanks to Dave Strauss, Val Pistilli, and Jordan McBride for assisting with TCS' recording. Special thanks to Barney Gramling, the crew of #85, and the Allentown & Auburn for making this trip a success.

Learn more about the Allentown & Auburn Railway here: http://allentownandauburnrr.com/

Check out a preview for John and Barney's show "Have Steam Engine, Will Travel," a reality TV series available on Amazon Prime and iTunes: