Norfolk-Southern has anounced the 21st Centry Steam Schedule for 2015!!!
Locomotives that will run excursions this year include N&W 611, SOU 4501, and NKP 765.
Of course, we are all looking forward to the J being back for her 65th Birthday, and tickets will become available to the general public on May 6 (April 27 for eligible donors)
611’s Inagural runs will start May 30, additional info on 611 at: http://fireup611.org
Full Schedule by NS Here:
If you want to see these engines on the main, I would make sure to do it this year. NS has a new CEO, and while it is unknown yet how strong he feels about the Heritage Program, he’s probably not as supportive of it as Mr. Moorman was. Probably few that are.
I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Not coming to Richmond? BOOOOOOOO!!!
Just kidding, I’ll have to scoot down to Petersburg when Mighty 611’s in town. Matter of fact, Petersburg’s the last place I saw her, back in 1994.
I feel if he ended the Heritage program that would be really bad publicity because they have been supportive of 611 rebuild and if they ban steam people would hate him.
There may be a problem with excursions in 2016. That is PTC. Either install it in steam ( very expensive ) or maybe the diesel protect unit can be used ?
This is a known issue. I believe current FRA regs exempt steam excursions from PTC compliance, but of course that could (and imho should) change.
The recent (late March) meeting of the NBBI Engineering Standards Committee took up the specific issue of documenting MU operation of diesels from steam locomotives. Their discussion involved considerations of PTC, although I do not know what the specifics were.
It may be necessary to ensure the protection power is ‘manned’ if that is the place PTC is being provided … the alerter system alone would probably require that.
It may be worth mentioning that at this point 611 is planned to run solo.
You heard it, the J will be on her own with her excursion trains! It’ll make for some fine photo opportunities.
Too bad she’s a bit far away for me to see her. Maybe she’ll make it up to St. Louis next year. One can only hope.
-S. Connor
Wick is still the CEO, but there is a new president, Jim Squires. Rumor has it that Wick will retire in the next year (although he is only 62 and could work for three more years.)
As far as I can tell, Squires “was not dropped on his head as a child” and therefore does not have Wick’s interest in trains. He strikes me more in the mold of Dave Levan - only with out the motorcycle thing. Moorman is an engineer (civil). Squires is a lawyer. Levan was an accountant.
I don’t know what Squires will do with the steam program, although NS’s mgt style is “don’t rock the boat”, so barring a really good reason to kill it, it will likely continue at least for a while.
I hope Mr. Squires doesn’t read this crazy stuff which is mostly likely totally untrue and down right mean. I am sure that ns will follow its rich heritage and keep the program in place.
Norfolk, Va. - Mar 02, 2015
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) today announced that James A. Squires will succeed Charles W. “Wick” Moorman as chief executive officer. The action by the company’s board of directors is part of its planned succession process and will be effective June 1, 2015.
Squires will continue in his current capacity as president and with all major divisions reporting to him, while Moorman will continue as executive chairman of the board of directors. Moorman and Squires will work closely together to ensure a seamless transition of leadership responsibilities.
For crying out loud. We didn’t insult the man’s mother. Just stating that very few people of great power in the RR industry have the same level of love of trains and heritage that Wick Moorman has.
There’s going to be a lot of idiotic foamers doing very stupid things once 611 is out running. All I’m saying, is I’d go and see that steam mainline stuff this year, just in case.
As long as it doesn’t cause traffic flow headaches as it began to do back in the '90s I don’t see the NS steam program being in any danger of cancellation.
Rats. I knew this! CRS disease, you know…
NS ALREADY has traffic flow issues…
The lion’s share of the excursions have been scheduled to avoid these areas.
Yahoo! 765 in my area! [:D]
I can’t wait… [dinner]