Eastern Railroad Discussion > Manassas Railway Festival

The event's website said there will be 4 excursion trips to Clifton. Since the 611 will be running to Front Royal at the time the first trip to Clifton is scheduled to depart, is it safe to say VRE or Amtrak equipment will be utilized for these other trips?

BNSFDS

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They normally use VRE equipment for this event.

VRE equipment has always been used for these trips as long as I can remember. Usually theres a loco, in this case a MP36, at each end of the set of gallerys. In years past they used the one of the leased Sounder sets and added a RP39 at the cab car end.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/15 18:26 by rwa14.

Sounder equipment is long gone, it will be all VRE equipment, with an engine at each end.  VRE will go back and forth past the station on track 1 (closest to the station).  There is no crossover west of the station, so 611 will have to load from track 2, since track 2 through the yard is the only way to get to the B-line (unless they do a backup move).  Track 2 has a small platform, but most of the loading will have to be from the ballast.

Dave, I believe the VRE trips are at 10, 11, 2, and 3 and on Saturday only, and are scheduled to be "out of the window" for the 611 arrival/departure (only the AM trip on Saturday).  So, all will probably use track 1, and the VRE train may hold out of the station (cross over at Moore and hold north of there between trips).  I'd speculate that with the much longer platforms on #1, that the 611 trips will board from there and will back down to Powell, instead of shuffling over to #2.

Here's to hoping that it will be make for a nice side by side with the 2 trains together when the 611 arrives back.  Might also be interesting if Amtrak 20 is running to close to on-time for the 611 morning departure.  

ddavies Wrote:
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> Sounder equipment is long gone, it will be all VRE
> equipment, with an engine at each end.

Those were my favorites along with the Boise Budd's. I still remember watching the RP39's pull up to Rippon or racing across Neabsco Creek. But yes, the Sounders are just a memory now. Out of curiosity, did the Sounder sets make it to the RF&P or did they stay strictly on the Manasas Line?

Sounders in 2007

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Does the VRE still have a back-up F40?

Sounders were very nice, especially for doing Santa trains, since Santa could go up or downstairs, and you could get past by going the other way.  Now Santa and helpers block the only aisle.  :-(