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Steam returns to the Virginia coalfields with three days of sold-out excursions
Meanwhile at CSX: They’re planting trees, painting murals and basing business on diversity.
it’s a big thing when a publicly traded corp. finds a way to do anything like this. Period. There are plenty of forces to say “no”. Kudos to NS for acknowledging some of its heritage, culture and roots. Sends a clear message of what it was, is, and where it intends to go; and to all stakeholders. Not an easy task when you think about it. So congrats to some perceptive management for understanding how important their heritage really is in defining the organization and its purpose for existing.
To my knowledge, my father, who rode trains all his life, never took a steam excursion, but for those of us old enough to have experienced the real thing, I’m so tickled they’re running them again, they can do it any way they want. All of our children rode, so now the grandkids can too. Be happy!
While NS is to be commended for allowing steam excursions once again, these are not “your father’s steam excursions”. Assisted by diesels, no open window coaches, no open recording car, no photo runbys, no 2-day trips, etc. For those of us old enough to have experienced the “real thing”, these trips fall short of the original program.
Yeah, I see all sides of this. The first time I rode with the program was at Spencer 2012, I rode on the rear. All the doors were open and I was in heaven, I will never forget that day! Now things have changed and all doors and windows are shut :-/. I took my girl friend on a trip, it just wasn’t the same in 2013. She didn’t see what i saw or feel what I felt. Losing that open air changes things, without it your riding amtrak. When they need support I will support, I don’t plan to ride again. However I do plan to chase and see the southern lady’s show their stuff!!! 630, 4501, and 611- enough said!!!
I would like to see some excursions in Illinois! Also, please run some shorter excursions that families can afford. This would also allow those who want photos or videos to ride one trip and chase another.
Hats off to NS management for this program.
Just rode the Bristol to Bulls Gap trip. Grant trip but not the steam of old. 630 had 2 freshly painted SD 40-2s and went along for the ride. We were in car 8 of a 14 car train with closed windows and doors, never heard anything but it was a nice rare milage trip and our car was the best in the fleet, one of the NS office car fleet. Train was sold out on both this trip and the Saturday trip up to radford.
We had a GREAT trip on Saturday from Grundy to Devon! The town of Grundy had everything planed and set up at the town center, booths with books, shirts and historic displays and friendly folks directing traffic. What a great ride with NO problems, this was the best trip so far that I worked or rode on the 21st Century Steam Program! Hats off to Gary Street and the people of Grundy and Bill Shaffer and his crew!!
and look at the difference between csx stock and ns
I get how these trips are not the same like when 611&1218 pull them but I am glad there still trying to run steam.