N&W 611 test run successful

The 611 is now departing Spencer.  She looks great!

So does the interior of Jim Wrinn's SUV!

When the signal isn't cutting out.  LOL

Still coming to Greensboro today?  If so, where will it stop?

Yes, just went through Lee heading for Jamestown.  She was moving along nicely.

coming to the downtown station or stopping somewhere along?

I'm not a 100% sure.  I would try and catch her outside of town.   Not sure if they are going to go into Pomona yard or not.

Thank you.

She went through Jamestown on her way to Greensboro.   She sounds great!

If you get onto Facebook and go to N.C. Transportation Museum they have video of this morning's test run!

Haven't been able to find/watch any of it. How does she look with the ditch lights turned on?

 

See the link on the previous page. They're broadcasting from the wye in Greensboro right now!

There aren't any ditch lights, that photo was a wee bit O' b@!! busting.  Bob sure had her rollin' good....so good to see her out again. 

 

Go here to view it live.

Thanks for calling our attention to the 611 Facebook video Ralph (https://www.facebook.com/Fireup611  The high humidity, open cylinder cocks, and camera angle made for some quite dramatic footage.  611 looks fantastic!

 

Ed Rappe

Yes, thank you that was a great video.   The 611 just passed through Thomasville on her way back to Spencer.

It's been great to watch the camera all morning. I'm so excited to get down there next week and see the locomotive in person. It has been far too long!

Trains' Jim Wrinn reported on a live video feed that 611 had issues turning on the Y at Spencer Salisbury- seems the tender and Cab came into contact with one another on the tight curve with the potential of derailing the tender truck.  The crew gave up attempting to turn the J and its train on the Y and was backed into the museum yard.  No harm no foul.  

 

Brings to mind an incident back when 611 was first restored in the 1980's and it had issues negotiating a Y in Norfolk.  Six of us leased a one way rental car in northern VA and waited west of Petersburg to catch 611 and her train on a return trip to Roanoke.  After hours of waiting  we learned from the crew of a Norfolk bound coal train sitting on a passing track that 611 went on the ground after rolling a rail on the Norfolk Y.  Eventually the excursion train ran by pulled by diesels.  At that point we were quite down as we expected diesel power on our one way trip from Roanoke to Alexandria.  Fortunately the next morning we learned that 611 was re-railed and made a light overnight engine move to Roanoke in time to haul our train to Alexandria, VA.  We were later told by a railroader that the old Norfolk Y was laid to a slightly wider gauge in the steam  era to accommodate the ridged wheelbase of the J's.  Apparently when the rail was replaced in the diesel era it was spiked  to a tighter gauge.  Asking railroaders on this forum - does this "wide gauge" explanation sound plausible?

 

Ed Rappe

 

 

611 has just returned back to the NCTM after a successful test run. 

It was great seeing her back on the rails running a speed after 21 years of rest!!!

Sean those are some great photos!   The weather was perfect for steam...not so much for cameras but....
Thanks for sharing those.

oh yeah....OH YEAH !    This is it people;  the real deal.  NORFOLK AND WESTERN  big three steam power... live again !   Dec. '94  is avenged !

Nice photos; looks like the ditch lights have covers.

Here is 611 backing up from Salisbury to Spencer and entering Spencer at the north entrance.  Great day!

To bad I missed the live feed. Just seeing the Facebook video was something. I hope someone posts it on You Tube. the One thing. Did they hit something?. There appears to be damage to the left front panel?  

For more info on today's test run and the issue regarding  turning 611 and its train on the Salisbury wye see: http://trn.trains.com/news/new...but-wye-is-a-problem

 

Ed Rappe

No they didn't hit anything.  What panel are you talking about? 

She is movin' in this video.  Not mine, found on YouTube.

 

What ditch lights?

Aargh! VERTICAL VIDEO AGAIN!!!  How can people be so stupid?

 

LOTS of smoke! That is never good...

They used Klingon cloaking technology. The ditch lights are there, you just can't see them. 

Here is the pic.  It doesn't show in the other photos but in this one. Or is it just the camera angle.

 

 

 

 

This video was really great. All I can say is that there is NO way they were doing 40mph in that first shot per NS rulebook. That whistle almost sounds the the 4449 Daylight's whistle. Guess it is different than the one used in the 80s....sure sounds different. Can't wait to ride!

That's just a shadow.

 

SJC...excellent video...yeah they were moving right along. 

 

Norfolk & Western 611 shatters the silence in Thomasville, NC during a test run on May 21, 2015. This is the first mainline operation of the engine since December 7, 1994. Very cool stuff....

When was the Fire Up 611 campaign started?

Looks like a reflection of the tree line.

There is a different object (the bridge?) reflecting on the other side.

The Fire Up 611 campaign began on June 28, 2013 although IIRC the committee made a formal announcement from the dock of the VMT in February or March of that year.

Looks like the previous photo posted showing 611 with ditch lights was bogus.

Well, sort of. They were very carefully placed there as an inside joke among the crew members, in order to drive the "foamers" nuts. Of course it did, and has been posted in many different places around the internet. A fun time was had by all.

Does the same engineer travel with and operate the 611 on all of it's visits to different cities ?   If so I would love to get the engineer to autograph one of my prize photos.

 

Doug