611 at Villamont, Va.

Thanks Big Jim,

 

Awesome video!

thanks for posting this. great video!!!!

Thanks for the great video.  I can't wait until 6/6/15 when I get to see that beauty in person.

Truly a magnificent beast indeed, cannot wait to see it on 6/6.

 

NS chairman and CEO Wick Moorman at the throttle also. 

Great video.  Thanks for sharing.  She is an amazing locomotive.  I love that whistle.

Big Jim, thanks for the taking the time to shoot and post the video--loved it!!!

Fantastic!

Peter

And that; Ladies and Gentlemen was the 611 stomping the grade at Blue Ridge with 17 cars in tow! Awesome video, Big Jim! Thank you for posting this.

That's great!!

Thank you.

Thanks for posting Jim. I just wish they would have run the 611 thru the Kenova District. 

 

Here is a video my son shot 30 minutes prior to Jim's in Thaxton, VA. I wasn't going to get in that mess downtown today either. I will be at the VMT running O-Gauge trains all day tomorrow

Very nice videos, Jim and Scott!!  Thank you for sharing.  I can't wait until next Saturday!!

Excellent footage guys!  God it's great to see her back on the Blue Ridge.

Fabulous Big Jim!!!!! What a beautiful sight and sound!!!!  Thanks so much!!!

Notice the guy in the blue shirt that crosses the tracks before the 611 shows up. If you listen close, you can hear him get heckled by the paparazzi as he makes his ill-timed way up the tracks (to my back) in their view. Poor guy, but, I think he did get out of their picture just in time.

 

Just to give you an idea of how crowded it was out there, this spot was at least 15 miles outside of Roanoke. It took me maybe fifteen minutes to get things put away and leave. When I did leave, the traffic back into town was bumper to bumper that far out!

great videos, thanks for sharing!

Pictures... 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting the videos and photos. Nice seeing those on the train waving back to those that took the time to come out and see her.

Jim,

 

Any guess on the speed as she passed?  Also, how many miles did they run?  Any reports of problems?

 

Jim Wrinn reported 204 rail miles on Trains.com facebook.

Thanks guys!

 

Maybe they stopped a few times for photo ops and that's why they were late?!?!?!

The Sunday paper mentions some delays with traffic in the Lynchburg area, but, doesn't elaborate on the issues. There were to be no photo run-bys and if I remember correctly there will be none on any of the presently planned trips.

Times from Roanoke Times, Trains.com, and Fireup611.org:
Depart Spencer: 8:15am
Danville: 11:00am
Arrive Lynchburg 2:50pm, depart 3:30pm after watering, passenger p/u, and opposing traffic to clear.

Arrive Roanoke approx. 4:30pm

My rough math indicates an average of 27 mph throughout the 204 rail miles.
Quite adequate in my estimation as NS still had a RR to run, the steam crew also probably took it easy on the engine.
The Roanoke Times did an excellent job in reporting, Wick Moorman came off as very modest, Carl Jensen and David Goode were sourpusses.
Real steam-powered excursions don't run like your Lionels...

Gentlemen,

   Ya got to love this stuff!

PCRR/Dave

Looking at Scott's sons video I'd say she was going a bit faster than I thought.

 

I also noticed the ex-SAL Sun-Lounge car near the rear end

There was an unconfirmed rumor that the 611 was released to run posted track speed on the last Lynchburg - Roanoke leg. She was behind at that point. There were a bunch of folks waiting for her at OWL; some since 11:00 AM.

I think "rumor" is all that it was. It is confirmed that it went by the detector at Bonsack at 37 mph and that is going downhill. So, I don't think anyone needs to go blowing things all out of proportion by piling on rumor after rumor.

Great info, thanks.

Fantastic!

 

Peter