Join the discussion on the following article:
No. 611’s 2015 excursion consist to feature 18 cars from eight historic railroads
So here are the remaining questions: what TIME May 6th do these tickets go on sale and what diesel will NS choose to assist if any?
John, 9 a.m. is when you may buy your tickets. No diesel.
Thanks for the info, Jim! Hopefully I can get tickets on one of the Roanoke trips July 4th. And 611 going unassisted is going to be incredible, especially on the grade between Roanoke and Radford!
611 doesn’t need no steenkin diesels
Diesels are only needed with locomotives like 765 and 611 when there is a LONG move (deadhead). This is to eliminate extra coal/water stops. So, yes, even 611 would need a diesel if it had a long deadhead move.
Is there consideration of continuing the tuscan tender stripe thru the sides of the canteen (supplemental boiler water car)?
What are they doing for HEP? Or do all the cars have their own generators?
Jim, what time will 611 be pulling out on the 30th? Also, I assume it will be using the NS Danville line that runs through Lexington and Thomasville NC. Just want to have the old Canon ready!!
I wonder if Georgia 300 will be in the consist? I have ridden the Hollywood Beach when it was running in the TCRM excursion train years ago now.
One might question the appellation given 611 as “the greatest passenger steam locomotive ever built”, as it does not taken much historical knowledge to come up with a short list of contenders, however extinct they may be.
Austin: the list I’d come up with is the N&W J class, NYC J3a, PRR T-1 and K-4, LNER A4, India WP, MAYBE the SP GS-4.
Departure time is 7:30. The Class J was the highest horsepower of all the 4-8-4 passenger locomotives, could sprint at 110 mph and dig in on the mountain grades west of Roanoke. That’s certainly a good case for the best of the best!
What speed will it be allowed to run at, don’t forget it had a RR imposed limit of 40 (I think) when it went out of service.
“The greatest steam passenger steam locomotive ever built”? Yeah, outside of Lima, Ohio, that is, home of Espee’s GS class Daylight locos. Orange, red, and black backgrounder by the blue Pacific in the California sun!! Pure poetry. No comparison. None!!
Are any of the coaches open-window?