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Steam doubtful for weekend excursion in Tennessee, heritage unit offered instead
No steam for the steam program? I sense a problem there…
What about 4501?
4501 is just now finishing its pressure testing according to an earlier article in this publication. The engine will be oufitted in its freight (black and silver) livery when it comes on line. EXCITED TO SEE IT WHEN IT’S FINISHED!
Makes you appreciate when they do run. It is a great that they are attempting to do something special.
While this is a bummer if you think about its better for the steam crew to be confident in the 630 ability to run.
The folks at TVRM do what must be done and with more locomotives being put in service I am sure it will be more of a strain on their resources. Good quality work at a professional pace will keep TVRM and NS in steam well out into the future.
As a former TVRM member, I can say that the Shop crew is about as good as they come. They’re not about to dispatch a locomotive, steam or diesel, that would not be safe to operate. The 630 is, after all, a 100 year old machine with a bunch of moving parts, and so is 4501. They’re worth waiting for, folks. Better the Heritage diesel than a trainload of passengers stuck somewhere difficult to get to.