In the year 2020

Sean that is a great plan.  The perfect year IMHO....

Chris

I'll throw Santa Fe 4-8-4 2926 into the mix.

I am REALLY looking forward to seeing a 2900 under steam again....

Chris

Henery Fords/DT&I electric lines have been rebuilt and supplied with a retro design for its new modern electric locomotives, the GG1 is reborn. It exceeded all expectations in speed, economics, and reliability. Other companies immediately order a total of 1500 more and a national high speed electric rail system becomes a reality. Shortly after a process to make coal burn 100% carbon free is developed. It also burns for days and "clean steam" is born. Old steamers are being rebuilt, or copied,  at record pace. North America now holds over 75% of the worlds rail lines, and leads in speed, safety, and service. Warren Buffet and Bill gates have given up on big business and built a private theme park in the town of Christmas Michigan(real place), built the S.S. Chief Wawatam II, bought out the Soo line, and rekindled the Pierre Marquette road name for "movin folk". The Soo handles the freight (of course), PM passenger lines run the 1224 year round and you must "believe" to ride, and its free, lie detectors keep the average age of riders well below 12, but smiling adults are occasionally spotted riding too. Attempts have been made to board her by trickery, those individuals are arrested by the most powerful law enforcement agency in U.S. history, the National Railway Police, and go to jail for a bit.. in ****!......Michigan(also real). Oh yea, York lasts 360 days now, and O gauge forum is the largest social site ever on the internet, has made zillions in advertising, runs its own prototype line between LA and New York, and members of 5 years or longer are waiting for their yearly thank you gift  "the O gauge forum set for 2020" A Dryfuss Hudson with operating crew. Just fill out your train orders and put them in the official TCA train-order-shrinker so the engineer can fit them into his little hands............. Where my shades? This futures too bright. 

That not counting Milwaukee Road 261, Southern Pacific 4449, 2472 & 2479, Santa Fe 2926, 3415 

And, Spencer's Atlantic & Yadkin 2-8-0 #542 finally gets the mechanical overhaul to match its cosmetics and heads up excursions throughout the rolling hills of the North Carolina Piedmont.

And some railfans with deep pockets restore one of the two C&O Alleghenies to operation and the Baldwin 60,000!

- Brand-new NYC Streamlined J3a Hudson and PRR T1 Duplex under construction

- Tornado visits the US

-(... I'll see if I can come up with some more later ...)

Aaron

I'd love to see anything Duplex wise......I know a lot of more famous locos were not saved (J3a SL like you said) But I'd be so happy to even see a static T1 1/1 scale!

I'm pretty sure if the plans for a NYC J3 or Pennsy T1 are still available someone with the fund could have any steam locomotive built from scratch. I do wonder if the use of modern parts and computers would yeid a better performing and operation locomotive. I'm sure Doyle McCormack would be able to provide some information from the 614T testing that was done in the late 80's I would 1st show how the fund rasing and project for 611 return works out before seeing anyone else step out to build a new steam locomotive in the U.S. in over 70 yeasrs. But hey anything it possible when you put enough money to it. Just think some rich guy in Australia is planning to build a Titanic II of course it's going to be built in China!

With lazer cutting and NC cad cutting I bet they can do it better then the real Macoy. Now one of you billionaires please step up and do the T1...Bill,Warren,ny,and others, step up and make a lot of folks happy. BTW oil burner please with a cover of coal. I seen on TV they were cutting 1" thick steel with a plasma cutter like it was butter. piece of cake. Then we can get Rich to drive it.

Works for me, but 611 has never operated on the Punkin Vine.  Just hope part of the trip includes a run down Stratford Road in Winston.  Lots of memories with the 1218 and 4501 on that line in the late 80s/early 90s.

Kevin

Sean -

Grand plan - I hope it comes true for both you guys.

!kgdjpubs - Js never operated regularly on the Punkinvine and I don't know if the 611 ever went down there, but doubleheaded Js 612 and 613 handled the Eisenhower campaign train from Winston-Salem to Roanoke and thence east to Petersburg in 1952.  You can read about it in Volume 3 of Louis Newton's epic RAILS REMEMBERED, which should be in the library of every N&W steam fan.

EdKing  

Kevin -

If the 1218 ever went to Winston-Salem, it might have come down the Punk but didn't go back that way unless it backed up.  There was a through truss bridge near Walnut Cove with a sharp curve entering the south end which would not clear the A's boiler overhang.  An A could get down there OK but not back north unless it backed up through this particular curve.

EdKing

Ed,

It would appear that got fixed at some point.  They ran the 1218 northbound on the Punkin Vine circa 1990ish.  I'm not aware of a southbound movement however.  The 611 never operated on that line (at least in the excursion era) to the best of my knowledge, although it did get to W-S at least once--and likely twice--via the Southern.

The word from Carl Jensen to Winston NRHS in the early 90s was to expect both the 611 and 1218 to run the Punkin Vine at some point in the near future.  There was some sort of a clearance issue (maybe that bridge), but it would happen at some point.  Of course, then the program was cancelled...

Kevin

would also be nice to see a reading T1 out there in port clinton pa return to the rails too.

Ed

I believe the Line along Stratford Road is no longer in use but maybe someone from the Winston- Salem area can verify this. (Hey Roger do you know?)

I have a B/W video of a J class visiting Winston-Salem some time in the 1950. 

So was the P.Vine the only N&W line into Winston? I'll have to dig up my book from Jim Wrinn "Steam Camelot" to see if any trips where ran on the P.vine using 611.

I know that past trips to Winston-salem used the former Southern Line to Greenboro. The Southern also has a line that runs from Winston-Salem to Charlotte on the "O" Line. Which was used as a secondary Mainline to Greensboro untill the early 80's 

The Stratford Rd line is out of service from Winston to Clemmons.  In service south of Clemmons to Barber Jct.

The Punkin Vine is the only N&W line into W-S.  611 has operated in excursion service between Greensboro and Winston, and Winston to Barber Jct.  To the best of my knowledge, the only steam on the Punkin Vine has been the 4501 several times (1985 most recent), and the 1218.

btw, speaking of Jim's book, there is one excursion that wasn't listed for some reason.  CP 2839 ran a Winston to Wadesboro trip in April 1979 over the Southbound.

I would be the first person to bash reality shows, but it would be interesting if one was done about restoring large mainline steam locomotives...

Whoa!  Smiley overload. 

Lots of silliness= lots of smilies, at least I had fun getting it out of my system. Let it serve as visual warning for the more serious folk. (...er..almost out of my system)

Now we just need some "it'll never happen"s to counter so that these projects do become realities !

WOW. That means you're now 42 with a 2 year old son. If I could only be 42 again! Trains are neat and all that, but you've got an awesome ride ahead of you! Focus on today and savor every moment. Don't wish your time away!

Gillt