Steam & Excursion > Passenger eye view 21st Century Steam

Had a great time on the NS/TVRM Winston Salem-Roanoke trip today. Busses were available at a parking deck in downtown Winston to shuttle passengers to North Winston Yard. Other busses brought passengers from Spencer and Roanoke. The crew didnt mind people riding in the vestibule on the rear car. Our car host referred to us as the "die hards". People lined the tracks in their Sunday best to get a view of the train. Just an awesome experience riding behind steam into O. Winston Link Country.

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Arrival in Roanoke. Didnt have time to get closer because the busses were boarding for the trip back to Winston.

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Nice pictures. Any info on that depot?

I don't remember the name of the town. But the depot is in Va and the car hosts said it was now under restoration. Perhaps there are some Pumpkin Vine Line experts on the forum who could elaborate.

Boones Mill Va MP21 I recognize myself on the platform with video camera to my eye. Town folk are trying to rise money to save it. If they used some of the speed trap money collected on US 220 by the local they would have more than enough.

NS has done us a great service, and I think any one who feels like it should write a letter expressing appreciation for what they are giving us. We may be the paying public, but this is a gift.

They are very serious about vestibules being kept closed, but for the most part you can ride there, provided you leave the windows shut. One guy opened one, and got us all kicked off the vestibule. Just remember we live in a society where lawyers and insurance companies run everything. If we're going to have excursions, we have to get used to this annoying detail and enjoy what we have.

Just about the entire town of Boones Mill turned out to see the train go by their depot. It was a great thing to see how much the steam engine moves people. It is really not just the rail fans. When NS runs main line steam, everyone is a rail fan.

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A live steam engine on the NS in Roanoke again. Who'd have imagined that in 1994? Thanks NS, TVRM and everyone else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/12 21:30 by LIL_BUDDY.

steam290 Wrote:
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> Just about the entire town of Boones Mill turned
> out to see the train go by their depot. It was a
> great thing to see how much the steam engine moves
> people. It is really not just the rail fans. When
> NS runs main line steam, everyone is a rail fan.

I am extremely grateful for NS doing this, and can't wait until they hopefully come to Ohio. On the flip side though, I think people will only be this interested when it's a rarity. Back with the old program they'd come through my town a couple times a year. I remember trying to get my dad to take me to see 611 but something trivial like yard work needed to be done so he said we'd just go see it "next time". Little did we know that there would be no "next time".

Emmo213 Wrote:
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> I am extremely grateful for NS doing this, and
> can't wait until they hopefully come to Ohio. On
> the flip side though, I think people will only be
> this interested when it's a rarity. Back with the
> old program they'd come through my town a couple
> times a year. I remember trying to get my dad to
> take me to see 611 but something trivial like yard
> work needed to be done so he said we'd just go see
> it "next time". Little did we know that there
> would be no "next time".

Yes, I had that experience too, but maybe now people will realize that every time steam runs on the main line, it's a rare occasion.