There had been some hints that a fall trip was in the works, not a NS 21st trip or the trip to CVSR. Is that still on the table, or did it quietly go away?
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Watch the 765 Web site. We'll be announcing a late October trip in the next few days.
Here are links to the CVSR trips. They are in a featured thread at the top of this forum.
Yay!, thanks Rich
That "twenty years in the making" comment has me thinking happy thoughts. Will be watching very closely.
--Becky
If you haven't seen or ridden the 765, do so ASAP! My first time was in the spring for the Horseshoe Curve trips. I'm not impressed easily but standing trackside watching that engine and train roar by at 40/50 MPH was incredible. For a guy whose usual steam experience involves an 0-4-0T rolling along at 5MPH, what a thrill it was to see the 765 in person, at speed. Then to ride behind it the next day....WOW! My car, which I refuse to put bumper stickers, etc on now has a "I'd Rather Be Riding the 765" plate border and hope to do just that again soon. Thanks FWRHS. Safe travels!
On behalf of the 765 crew, you are quite welcome SJC. One correction...our speed while running on NS never exceeded 40 mph.
Since SJC brought those Horseshoe Curve trips up ...
I shot both these videos in May. The first is from the NS employee trips and the second is from the public excursions.
I'll also agree with what SJC said about experiencing the 765 in person. I was lucky enough to be at the curve both weekends in May trackside and then had the chance to ride behind her in the tool / crew car shooting video for an upcoming documentary about the 765 and her travels with the NS 21st Century Steam Program.
Going around the curve behind 765 is easily one of best life events I have ever experienced and the memories of that weekend will last for a long long time.
Experiencing the 765 in person is something that should be on everyone's to-do list.
OK...IT IS OFFICIAL.
We will run out of Fort Wayne to Lafayette, Indiana on October 26 and 27. Get the details here.
will this be 40mph also? And are you guys still trying to find some 1st class accommodations?
Max speed on Norfolk Southern is 40 mph.
Originally Posted by OGR Webmaster:
Max speed on Norfolk Southern is 40 mph.
Is that for all steam ops on NS? The reason I ask is that I've clocked 630 running close to 50mph before, and 45mph several times. They tend to keep her between 40-45 most of the time from my experiences.
Similar with the 765, where the GPS was showing right around 50mph consistently coming north out of West Virginia towards Portsmouth and Columbus last year. It does seem to be a bit slower for 765 this year however.
Of course, the 40mph limit didn't necessarily hold in the "old days" either. I've got pacing of 611 at 50mph in 1994 on an excursion, and she had to be going close to 60mph if not higher for a brief stretch coming back to Charlotte after the first Saluda trip in '92. We were flying for a couple of miles. Seems to me that the rule back then was to go 40mph as long as you weren't messing up the railroad and on schedule. If the railroad starting getting into knots then all bets were off.
Kevin
btw, congrats on the Fort Wayne trip. It will be a special occasion for the hometown people to get a chance to see and ride behind their steam engine on the mainline again.
The maximum speed for steam locomotives on Norfolk Southern is 40 mph. Period.
Look it up...it's in the Operating Rules.
