Nostalgia & History > N&W new power and skunks

Headed to a vacation at Cass, I stopped in at Crewe VA and found these new units about to head east.

Enjoy
Michael

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A few years later I signed up for a 611 excursion from Norfolk to Lynchburg. Seems 611 was not well, so NW provided a two of the three white stripe 'skunk' diesels. I was exceptionally happy as I preferred the diesels to steam.

My traveling companions insisted on riding the open air car and I nearly froze with the October temperatures. Apparently the trip was very oversold as the train was not the usual collection of nice NW cars, but had a bunch of rattletrap leased cars included in the consist... A few P70 coaches with plastic work lights hanging from the ceiling, an unlettered orange car with mirrored windows. Even with the extra cars, customers were riding in the restroom seating and sitting in the aisles. As the train had no power car, heat for the enclosed cars was minimal at best. Strangely enough, one car was hot as a sauna. I overheard a lot of Amtrak style "Never Again!!" statements. I said the same thing about riding an open car in October. When that chapter offered another excursion opportunity, I elected not to buy a ticket. The box lunch provided at Lynchburg was not memorable, neither really bad or good, but was stone cold.

This only photo run was the highlight of the day. Of course everyone was hearded back onto the train preventing photography of a coal train with multiple SD45's.

When the train returned to Norfolk well after dark, the Burger King near the station and the restaurants in nearby Ghent did a booming business from hungry train passengers. Boy, was that hot dinner good!

Brrrr.
Michael

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