Steam & Excursion > Norfolk & Western 611 is getting close…..

The wait is nearly over…

Our locomotive crew has been putting the finishing touches on preparing the 611 for “The Shenandoah Limited” fall excursions on the Virginia Scenic Railway. 

The Shenandoah Valley Limited will depart at 9:00 AM and 2:30 PM on the following weekends:

October 6 – 8, 2023
October 13 – 15, 2023
October 20 – 22, 2023
October 27–29, 2023
November 3 – 5, 2023

Seating options include Coach, Premium Coach, First Class, and Dome Classes, ranging from $99.00 to $249.00 per seat and can be purchased at https://www.virginiascenicrailway.com/rides/shenandoah-valley-limited/

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Are they going to hand fire 611? Coal looks to large for the stoker.

Just shoveling while firing up until pressure is high enough for the stoker. 

CP8888 Wrote:
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> Are they going to hand fire 611?

Of course not.

Coal looks to
> large for the stoker.

Nope. Besides there is a coal crusher built into the auger assembly.

Coal lump size..

That's a GOOD size, lump coal.  Engines love that stuff.
The stoker conveyor trough in the tender has a coal-breaker arrangement 
at the front of the stoker trough. It's an array of pointed spikes
( at the front of the trough) and a tapered-shape of the open-trough
into the round stoker-tube.  
The conveyor screw in the round stoker tube conveys coal to
feed the stoker jets, at the firebox.

(Note:  it prevents clogged stoker jets, if the fireman leaves the stoker 
jets lightly blowing, continuously --- but, this guy shuts-off both the 
stoker engine and the stoker jets, --- the two separate, round, handles
that he has his hand on.)

Back in the day, RRs like NYCentral bought 2 grades of coal:
the 'good'stuff, like here, for 'Passenger' runs: and finer coal
less expensive coal for their freight engines.

NYC used several places where loco coal was stored and dispensed 
from long, wooden, elevated hoppers --- locos would get refueled by stopping 
at appropriate chutes for their designated 'service'.

Records were kept about the approximate number of tons, loaded,
per locomotive.  They were very particular about coal consumption 
records.

A surreptitious practice that was common, was when an intended fireman,
for a freight-run, could 'bribe' a hostler to add mostly 'the good stuff' in his tender---
then, to conceal the big lumps, the hostler would move the loco to the 'freight-coal' chutes and cover the 'good stuff' with a layer of the crappy 'freight coal'.

That was done so that when the engine was moving around the terminal to
get to intended trains, any supervisors in the several controlling 'towers'
would see that the freight engine's load of coal was the freight-grade stuff...
they wouldn't see the 'good stuff', underneath..

In getting coal to the firebox, the coal is delivered to the 'firing-table' by
the conveyor screw.  On the 611, the 'firing table' is a flat-topped cast iron
surface*, with several raised 'ribs' to assist in directing the coal fuel across the
surface of the grates.  At the rear of the firing-table, is an array of steam jets,
arranged in 5 distinct areas of the grates.

After leaving the 'crusher' at the tender, the coal is moved to the firing table,
and distributed across the grates by the ( adjustable) steam pressure delivered 
to the stoker-jets.  There are 5 individual valves at the fireman's right knee, that
he adjusts -- once-- that distribute the coal across the 100 sq.ft. grate.

As in the video, the fireman operates the stoker by controlling two valves...
one is the ' jets' master-valve ( supplying the 5 smaller vakves) and the other
large handle controls the steam to the stoker engine --- that turns the stoker screw.
( The valve handles have labels: the upper handle is labeled ' Stoker Blast',
   the lower is labeled: 'Stoker'')

When proceeding over the road,, with a hot fire, the stoker screw rotates at a barely 
perceptible rate --- very slowly.  With a steady, wind through the grates, caused by 
the DRAFT up the 'stack, the finer coal from the stoker burns very quickly, and never
gets to the grates, the bigger lumps arriving at the firing table, tend to fall 
into the direct path of the steam jets, and get blown ( more) evenly across the
grate area.----

There are various favorite patterns for stoker firing practices, 
some more successful than others; but firemen, tend to be kinda'
stubborn when it comes to changing firing techniques,
they're not easy to convince about ways to better manage the fire-bed.

When firing-up a loco, I favored using scoop-fulls about half the quantity
as this guy is shoveling-in.  The lighter scoops allowed me more precise
placement of the coal on the grates.  An even, well distributed firebed
was my goal, during fire-building, with the attendant low draft rates..

Remember, the fuel must be heated to the gas-state of carbon, before 
it can combine with oxygen, Big lumps take longer to get converted to
the gas-state.  So, you adjust your choice of size that gets fed to 
the firebed.

​W.
( * Stokers came in varoius distribution arrangements,
     the model used on the 611 is the Standard Stoker Co's 
     type "HT stoker and firing table.).
 



not proofed, yet..
 



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/23 11:55 by wcamp1472.

Thanks for replies. DNK the 611 has a coal crusher.

CP8888 Wrote:
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> Thanks for replies. DNK the 611 has a coal
> crusher.

All stoker assemblies have that.

Nice video. Congratulations to Will Harris and his team for finding the formula to allow this iconic engine to return to service. Let's hope that the upcoming trips on the BB RR are just the beginning of a whole new chapter in the 611's illustrative career.   Onward & upward.   Ross Rowland 

How come y'all don't post when the scheduled deadhead move is going to be?

May well be at the request of the host road for the move. Do you really think NS wants a zoo of fans on its property?

 

nsrlink Wrote:
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> How come y'all don't post when the scheduled
> deadhead move is going to be?

Cause y'al would bring the circus to town n railroad taint wan tat.

Nice, whoever goes out there, have fun!

longliveSP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> nsrlink Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > How come y'all don't post when the scheduled
> > deadhead move is going to be?
>
> Cause y'al would bring the circus to town n
> railroad taint wan tat.

Ok, so I've seen pics on Facebook about her movement, so much your your idiotic answer!