Steam & Excursion > 611 finished for 2015 season.

Hope everyone enjoyed their "611 experience", since she is now done for this year, and will be placed back in the VMT in Roanoke.  It certainly was fun watching all the nice videos.

HotWater Wrote:
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> Hope everyone enjoyed their "611 experience",
> since she is now done for this year, and will be
> placed back in the VMT in Roanoke.  It certainly
> was fun watching all the nice videos.

Odd - the clock is ticking and the leaves will be
turning yet the 2015 season will terminate in July?

What reason would merit such a descision other
then the availability of the right of way via NS?

/Mitch

Rail traffic starts ramping up in August for harvest and emptying the silos for the next harvest. While VMT could probably sneak in a couple of excursions, I believe the 765 and 4501 are next up for the rest of the season. I don't follow east coast steam that much since I don't get over there.

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hope everyone enjoyed their "611 experience",
> > since she is now done for this year, and will
> be
> > placed back in the VMT in Roanoke.  It
> certainly
> > was fun watching all the nice videos.
>
> Odd - the clock is ticking and the leaves will be
> turning yet the 2015 season will terminate in
> July?
>
> What reason would merit such a descision other
> then the availability of the right of way via NS?
>
> /Mitch

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hope everyone enjoyed their "611 experience",
> > since she is now done for this year, and will
> be
> > placed back in the VMT in Roanoke.  It
> certainly
> > was fun watching all the nice videos.
>
> Odd - the clock is ticking and the leaves will be
> turning yet the 2015 season will terminate in
> July?
>
> What reason would merit such a descision other
> then the availability of the right of way via NS?
>
> /Mitch

Perhaps the availability of coaches?  Not this weekend, but the following weekend, the 765 schedule starts - pretty much runs straight through to Mid-September, then late September to early October, another two weekends of 4501 trips.  Now why nothing in October, beats me.  Maybe freight traffic starts increasing for the holiday season, maybe the non-NS coaches are no longer available (maybe taken for the New River Gorge trips?)...that's my best guess.

Jim Lipnitz
Morrisville, PA
Big Jim Video Productions

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> Odd - the clock is ticking and the leaves will be
> turning yet the 2015 season will terminate in
> July?
>
> What reason would merit such a descision other
> then the availability of the right of way via NS?
>
> /Mitch

Two main reasons:

1) The NS management has already indicated that they will not operate any steam trips in the hottest months, on the southern portions of their system.

2) The trips scheduled soon with NKP 765 will be utilizing the same passenger train consist.

If the economics are there VMT should find more places to run her. VMT is closer to Steamtown than Ft. Wayne is - what about leasing her to Steamtown for a month? Or seeing if FEC wants to run some trips. I just hope that, unless it's written in contract someplace, that VMT doesn't rely solely on NS for running trips. The main objective here is where and how can they make the most money?

Hopefully they will display/store 611 in a safe place under some kind of protective cover so folks can see this beautiful locomotive.

Once the other steam locomotives have completed their excursions, 611 will be able to get back out in the fall/winter depending on regular railroad traffic.

Emmo213 Wrote:
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> If the economics are there VMT should find more
> places to run her. VMT is closer to Steamtown than
> Ft. Wayne is - what about leasing her to Steamtown
> for a month? Or seeing if FEC wants to run some
> trips. I just hope that, unless it's written in
> contract someplace, that VMT doesn't rely solely
> on NS for running trips. The main objective here
> is where and how can they make the most money?

That's all well and good, but don't forget the clearance issue with 611. There are some places that she simply will not fit. I remember the time that they brought 611 to Chicago and operated a trip or two on the Chicago & Northwestern. Enroute from Calumet Yard to Proviso, she struck a bridge with that huge alligator crosshead guide hanger bracket. She had overheating crosshead guide problems the whole trip, out and back on the C&NW.

A good point, and I don't discount the fact she won't fit everyplace. I'll just reiterate my statement of "I just hope that, unless it's written in contract someplace, that VMT doesn't rely solely on NS for running trips.".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/15 12:18 by Emmo213.

Emmo213 Wrote:
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> If the economics are there VMT should find more
> places to run her. VMT is closer to Steamtown than
> Ft. Wayne is - what about leasing her to Steamtown
> for a month?

Leasing her to Steamtown would be all well and good, but 765 is running a series of different excursions on it's way there, not just making a beeline straight from Indiana to Pennsylvania.  If there was time and the consist were available, I'd imagine that "maybe" it could be done with 611...but clearance, cost, and would the VMT let it go for that long to another museum - all important questions that would need to be answered first.

Jim Lipnitz
Morrisville, PA
Big Jim Video Productions

Yes, summer typically is the busiest season for Class 1s aside from "peak season" (Thanksgiving thru Christmas), but I give you gents 3 words: never say never. All this armchair quarterbacking is killing me...

Perhaps part of the reason 611 didn't stray far from hom this year is simply because it's the first time she's run in 20 years and they wanted to see how well she did around the home base. Seems to me that she performed spectacularly well. So my hope is that based on this year's trips next year she can venture out further from home. It was such a joy to see all these photos and videos of 611 unassisted with a nice long train on home rails. I hope 611 has now proven she can go wherever and do whatever to the gatekeepers of the rails. I'm also guessing that after these trips they might have some adjustements they want to do to the locomotive before future trips.

I think Jack mentioned the lead truck needed to be rebuilt - maybe that'll happen during this off season. 

Emmo213 Wrote:
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> I think Jack mentioned the lead truck needed to be
> rebuilt - maybe that'll happen during this off
> season. 

The engine truck needs new wheel sets.

MH2198 Wrote:
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> Yes, summer typically is the busiest season for
> Class 1s aside from "peak season" (Thanksgiving
> thru Christmas), but I give you gents 3 words:
> never say never. All this armchair quarterbacking
> is killing me...

It's also the worst time of year to search for manpower availability, with vacations and personal days making the extra personnel needed to run the trains, a bit thin.

bioyans Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MH2198 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yes, summer typically is the busiest season for
> > Class 1s aside from "peak season" (Thanksgiving
> > thru Christmas), but I give you gents 3 words:
> > never say never. All this armchair
> quarterbacking
> > is killing me...
>
> It's also the worst time of year to search for
> manpower availability, with vacations and personal
> days making the extra personnel needed to run the
> trains, a bit thin.
Exactly!!!! This usually the time when loose car loads of raw materials are at its highest due to summer construction going on, plus in August-October intermodal loadings will ramp up with Christmas stuff heading from production to retailers for the holiday season and then UPS peak between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So for the RR's spring is usually the best time to run trips of this sort before traffic ramps up and Summer Vacations kick in.

SantaFe

Posted from iPhone

SantaFe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bioyans Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MH2198 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Yes, summer typically is the busiest season
> for
> > > Class 1s aside from "peak season"
> (Thanksgiving
> > > thru Christmas), but I give you gents 3
> words:
> > > never say never. All this armchair
> > quarterbacking
> > > is killing me...
> >
> > It's also the worst time of year to search for
> > manpower availability, with vacations and
> personal
> > days making the extra personnel needed to run
> the
> > trains, a bit thin.
> Exactly!!!! This usually the time when loose car
> loads of raw materials are at its highest due to
> summer construction going on, plus in
> August-October intermodal loadings will ramp up
> with Christmas stuff heading from production to
> retailers for the holiday season and then UPS peak
> between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So for the
> RR's spring is usually the best time to run trips
> of this sort before traffic ramps up and Summer
> Vacations kick in.
>
> SantaFe
>
> Posted from iPhone

If this is the start of peak season, then why does 765 have a bunch of excursions from July through September?

mdogg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If this is the start of peak season, then
> why does 765 have a bunch of excursions from July
> through September?

You might send a letter to the management of NS and ask THEM.

mdogg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SantaFe Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > bioyans Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > MH2198 Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Yes, summer typically is the busiest season
> > for
> > > > Class 1s aside from "peak season"
> > (Thanksgiving
> > > > thru Christmas), but I give you gents 3
> > words:
> > > > never say never. All this armchair
> > > quarterbacking
> > > > is killing me...
> > >
> > > It's also the worst time of year to search
> for
> > > manpower availability, with vacations and
> > personal
> > > days making the extra personnel needed to run
> > the
> > > trains, a bit thin.
> > Exactly!!!! This usually the time when loose
> car
> > loads of raw materials are at its highest due
> to
> > summer construction going on, plus in
> > August-October intermodal loadings will ramp up
> > with Christmas stuff heading from production to
> > retailers for the holiday season and then UPS
> peak
> > between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So for the
> > RR's spring is usually the best time to run
> trips
> > of this sort before traffic ramps up and Summer
> > Vacations kick in.
> >
> > SantaFe
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> If this is the start of peak season, then
> why does 765 have a bunch of excursions from July
> through September?

Not all the the railroad peaks at the same time. Some routes peak in the fall while others peak in the spring. Just depends on what is routed over the territory.

Just relax guys. 611 is back, and hopefully here to stay along with a lot of other eastern steam. Come out and enjoy 4501 and 765 and cross your fingers and pray that NS will stay steam friendly after Wick Moorman retires.