Brought To You By the Letter 'J' - part 2

611 and crew continue preparation for our return trip to Charlotte on October 30, 1993.

High-nose GP38-2 5098 follows 611 and her train through the wye to assist with the reverse move through the second leg. Once the move was complete, 5098 hung back while 611 brought her train back into the station. That whistle...

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• N&W
• Norfolk
• Western
• 4-8-4
• 611
• class
• steam
• engine
• passenger
• train
• railroad
• NRHS
• National
• Railway
• Historical
• Society
• Piedmont
• Carolinas
• Chapter
• Toccoa
• Georgia
• Southern
• excursion

[lahluv]

is 5098 a former n&w engines or southern railway

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@lahluv Technically, neither - if you look closely under the number on the cab, the sublettering is for the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway (GS&F). However, the GS&F had long been a Southern subsidiary, so if it had to be one of the two it would be former SOU.

[psycotria]

Just my opinion, but I believe that one day, 611 will be shopped and put back into running shape. The pendulum swings both ways and 611 is eminently restorable. As it's my favorite loco in existence and I've never seen it, I hope it's time comes before mine is over.

[FastFlyingVirginian]

@psycotria Hope springs eternal, or something like that. :) I hope it happens someday too, since this trip was my only chance to ever capture 611 on video.

[WMrailroader734]

NS did a boiler inspection on 611 and it

passed NRA standers. The condition of 1218 is it  does not have any flues in her.

[FastFlyingVirginian]

Heck, they could MAKE new flues if they wanted to. If the A-1 project in England can come up with an entire new, previously extinct locomotive from scratch, I believe they could come up with the parts for 1218 if they were of a mind to do it.

[rwk360]

Bob Claytor loved steam, but he passed away to cancer April, 1993 and David Goode took his spot at NS and Goode decided a year later to terminate the steam program at the end of 1994 because he wanted nothing to do with it and it delayed their freight trains, was a drain on personnel, who wanted to work an excursion train on the weekend after working the freights all week, and was a big liability. Goode was only interested in moving freight. He barely tolerated Amtrak. Now, Wick Moorman is boss.

[TIEPILOT0815]

I have this locomotive in H0, it is a wonderful machine!

Nice Video!!!

[SFLRailFan]

Very, very cool! Love that whistle. Thanks so much for posting this marvelous piece.

[deloreanman14]

That whistle never fails to give me chills.

[AmtrakFlorida]

@rwk360 David Goode can burn in hell. Nice video by the way

[lahluv]

@FastFlyingVirginian o ok thanks. i have a picture of it thats why i was wondering

[22microns]

Happy 60th b-day to the 611...She'll be sitting in the sunshine this weekend to celebrate @ The Virginia Transportation Museum (June 19th).