Steam & Excursion > N&W 1218 Part Four, and last

1.   Goode, VA  9/22/90

2.  Natural Bridge, VA  9/23/90

3.  Duluth,  GA  10/27/90

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4.   Suwanee,  GA  10/27/90

5.  Crum, WV  8/7/91

6.   The next three are at one of my all-time favorite spots,  Austell, GA.  Taken in November 1987, 1989 and 1990 on Atlanta to Chattanooga trips. I scanned the 1989 image in black & white for a bit of drama.   An early morning departure from Atlanta to the west,  cold late-autumn weather and clear skies resulted in great glint shots with a huge steam plume.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/20 06:30 by masterphots.

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7-8.   Austell, GA  November 1989 and 1990

9.      Mr. Robert “Bob” Claytor, CEO of Norfolk Southern,  who made this all happen, with the restoration of both NW 611 and 1218,  thus bringing joy to thousands of people over many years.  RIP Sir.  Photo taken at Greenville, SC on 4/22/87 as the newly-restored 1218 returned to its birthplace in Roaoke.
 
 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/20 08:23 by masterphots.

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"Amen" to your last image and comment.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

Fabulous work Alan.  Seems like a landscape format, all color book. When I did two editions of Southern Steam Specials with Ron Ziel,  the N&W power had not been restored yet.  Time for an update.   But today,  Ron is gone, the printer who printed it for us is dead.....and even his print shop is leveled.

Another great set. This set's favorite is photo two at Natural Bridge.
Bob

Yes, Natural Bridge is/was a great shot.  I remember going in there, following a couple of big time gricers  who brought a chain saw.  They took down two trees that blocked the view of the bridge. The 1218 then came, or they're might have gotten that one remaining tree still slightly blocking the bridge.  It is a fantastic picture. The key view, IMHO.  on that line.

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Fabulous work Alan.  Seems like a landscape
> format, all color book. When I did two editions of
> Southern Steam Specials with Ron Ziel,  the N&W
> power had not been restored yet.  Time for an
> update.   But today,  Ron is gone, the printer
> who printed it for us is dead.....and even his
> print shop is leveled.

Thanks for your kind comments,  especially coming from a master photographer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/20 12:38 by masterphots.

How come we see 1218 with both a silver, and a black face, in these shots?  Is the silver really buried under coal soot, or was it painted?

coach Wrote:
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> How come we see 1218 with both a silver, and a
> black face, in these shots?  Is the silver really
> buried under coal soot, or was it painted?

Painted. The first I saw the silver front was on the 11/5/89 Atlanta to Toccoa trip.  But after that is was black at times and then the silver showed up again in 1991.  Maybe it was graphited now and then during servicing.  Not sure how it was when retired in 1994.  Maybe someone from the NS steam program can enlighten us.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/20 17:29 by masterphots.

Your photos are absolutely stunning !  My favorite is of Mr Claytor!  
 

You see Alan............a book!!!

A fantastic set.  Many thanks for sharing!

Alan, Nice stuff, but I think the one at CRAM, is actual CRUM, WV.  I believe this was on the 1991 Huntington Convention Trip with 1218.  I believe it is coming out of a tunnel in the distance(Where I was), and goes to double track where you were at the signal.  This would be on the outbound trip.  I shot 611 there in 1987 as well.

I shot the Natural Bridge shot in 1976 with 4501 headed to Roanoke, and the Southern F-units headed to Roanoke in 1987 for the NRHS convention.  
If one were to look at roster shots of the Class A's when built they had the silver/graphite on the smokebox.  However, in the operating days you seldom saw other than black, from either repainting or soot.  The repaint of 1218 did make it stand-out nicely.  Last time I saw 1218 was on a one-way ferry trip after that 1991 Convention.  It went from Kenova to Portsmouth, picked up some freight cars and went to Cincinnati(Through here-Batavia, Ohio).  So it was going my way!

Folks may not realize it but 1218 had a short career.  1987-1991.

I also like the Claytor shot.  I never met him, but saw him running 1218 and around the trains over the years.  Never wanted to bother him or be in the way.

Greg

PS Side story I have a Black and white still of a class A north of Portsmouth in 1957 hauling a long coal train to Columbus, Ohio.  The shot shows one set of drivers as we are pacing it along highway 23, and they are blurred, like a pan shot of today!  I could take credit for that, but in fact it was the slow shutter speed of those box cameras!!!!  I didn't have a great camera when I was 6!!!  My dad had a few movies of this short chase also.

Enjoyed every bit of this series! Great work!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Thanks for the pics...

Great pics, I wish I could've saw 1218, an awesome engine like 3985 and the whistle was pretty cool too!

Great shots Alan!! 
Back in that time frame I was able to get 611 several times but never was able to see 1218 run.  In the same note I was able to catch UP 3985 several times but never got 844. 
I finally was able to see 844 last year when doubled with 4014, but it was trailing so it almost doesn't count, but at least I saw it run.
Over the years I have been lucky with a few others as well.  In the late 70's I was working in Birmingham AL and was able to see a few of the ones runnig around at the time, T&P 610, Sou 4501, Sou (C&O)2716, Sou 630 and Sou 750.
I'll try to see what I can dig up.
Mike