N&W 611 test run successful

Probably not much now. Just put coal & water in the tender, put water, hot or warm if possible, in the boiler to about the bottom 1/4 to 1/3 in the gauge glass, they build a fire in the firebox. Then begin testing appliances.

Brandy, access to the smoke box door is relatively easy. The nose piece is removed by taking out the headlight so a small person can fit through the hole to unbolt either three or four fasteners (can't remember which). An eyebolt is attached to the nose so it can be lifted off.

I got to stand in 611's cab once......and rode behind her a number of times. 

She is the greatest locomotive I ever rode behind.....maybe because it was the most modern of them all. 

611 gave new meaning to the term 'Iron Horse' for me. 

Pulling  a train she gave a feeling, at speed, of being alive. She was/is different than any of the many steam locos I have ridden behind.......no slam on the other greats.....just different. 

 

You are a blessed person being this close to 611...

I'm fairly certain there are 4.  As rickoshay stated...here is a photo to get an idea from GodfatherRails.

 

And then the eye bolt can be seen here.

 

 

 

 

Rick and Chris thanks for your input and pictures. I just felt certain that that locomotive, and her sisters, had to have that job done for inspection purposes at some point , on a regular basis. I just thought that with the nose piece shrouding that it might have been hinged, or something.

 

I remember as a kid watching the old blacksmiths at the K&I Roundhouse, installing a new exhaust nozzle in the front end, and they had just finished doing one of those wash jobs. I also saw this being done at some point in time, around every roundhouse in Louisville, and was done very close to their ash pit operation!

 

Figuring they dump the fire, and clean the ash pan, then move on, and open the front door, then brush the tube sheet out. I only remember seeing that done one time, but that was just probably the time that I showed up, and also keeping an eye out for the Railroad Detectives. They were easy to spot, as they all dressed like Broadrick Crawford......

 

Chris I believe to do date, this is the best post than I've been privey to read since being a forum member, and there have been a lot of great, great posts!.....Brandy!

I'm glad your enjoying it Brandy, I am as well and can't wait for the return of the 611 to the rails. 

According to the N&W drawings, there are about ten, two bolt flanges, spaced around the inside of the nose where it is bolted to the front of the smoke box.

Don't leave out Lionel Lines

TRAINS magazine reports the 611 will operate May 30 to Roanoke. Trips are planned in Virginia during June and July. NS will have  more information on Thursday.

Are they eventually going to let 611 venture out into other states, and are these the only 611 excursions for the year? Nothing in August? Are all the excursion routes freight only trackage without Amtrak service? Manassas is an Amtrak station but the route to Front Royal/Riverton is not an Amtrak route.

I would think in the years to come, yes she will venture out to other states, but for this year it is a great start for the 611.  It is amazing to think that she will be pulling her first excursion just under a year from when her restoration began.  I think that the 765 has got a great series of excursions this year as well.  Here is the link to the schedule for NS this year.

 

 

Very happy to see Manassas trips as the last time I saw NS steam (1218) was in Fall,1991 on this line. These are chaseable trips, but I wonder if there will be photo runbys for the passengers? Also interesting that there is no layover in Front Royal, in 1991, best sloppy joes I ever had were at the local firehouse.

Wow, that was fast!

 

I can't wait to hear, see, and ride behind the J611!

 

Good thing I got my Pocahontas set a few weeks ago...I can see the 611 run whenever I want!

611 and 765 are sharing the same passenger consist. NKP 765 will have the train in August and September.

 

NKP 765's schedule is here.

Rich, anything to the rumor I heard that you'd be at the throttle of the J611?....Brandy..............................!

No truth to that rumor...

I hope this doesn't sound greedy.....just wondering out loud......

Will the same ever happen to 1218???? She was in decent shape before parked and the partial work done right??

She was a great thing to see.....

Well, yes and no. One engine on the 1218 had already been completely rebuilt, but the other engine had not. Also, the inside of her boiler was completely empty, i.e. no tube sheets, no tubes/flues, and no superheater units. When the "plug" was pulled in the NS Steam Program, the smokebox door was closed on 1218, and everybody pretty much walked away from her. The 1218 would thus need a much more extensive rebuild in order to make her FRA compliant and fully roadworthy.

Anyone know when 611 is departing Roanoke for Manassas? I assume on 6/5 in preparation for the 6th and 7th trips between Manassas and Front Royal. I wouldn't mind catching her a day early on the way to Manassas on the NS "B" line. A departure time from Roanoke would be good as I could figure out an appox. time for passage other than listening all day for the whistle.

Anyone want to be one of the lucky 10 that get to have their hand of the throttle of 611???

 

From the N.C. Transportation Museum facebook page

BIG BIG BIG News about our farewell celebrations for the N&W Class J #611! The museum will host a "Send Off Celebration" May 23rd and a "Fired Up Photo Charter" May 28th in preparation for the engine's departure from the N.C. Transportation Museum, heading home to VMT in Roanoke. One of these events includes THROTTLE TIME in the 611! Visit the museum's home page and check out both events! Tickets go on sale Monday for the Photo Charter and Tuesday for the "Send Off." Click here: www.nctrans.org

The progress of 611 is amazing.  It's great we'll see it under steam soon.

 

Regardless of when it goes north (likely Thursday or Friday), you aren't going to get it on the B line on the ferry move.  611 never went north of Glasgow during the excursion program, and I'm not sure the Js ever operated on that line.  Not sure what the issue was, but the Roanoke to Hagerstown line was K territory during the steam days.  I'd be very surprised if the ferry move was anything other than Roanoke to Lynchburg to Manassas.

Kevin

The issue was that they didn't have cab signals which were normally required on the Valley line. At least one J did make it to Shenandoah though.

 

As for the ferry move, it will probably go to Lynchburg and then up to Manassas.

2 photos from a 10/1991 visit by #1218 on the Manassas-Front Royal route.
1. Westbound through The Plains, VA., former Southern depot in background.
2. Layover on Front Royal spur track.

Photos by Warren W. Jenkins 

So if the ferry move is to Manassas is via the Lynchburg line from Roanoke I'll still have a chance to catch it as long as I can get the date and time of departure from Roanoke. Amtrak lists the time from Roanoke to Culpepper as about 5 1/2 hrs. so I can get a rough time of travel and plan from there. Several nice remote crossings between Warrenton and Nokesville. Unless there is another way from Manassas to Front Royal, the excursions should use the NS "B" line.

 

Rich

quote:

Amtrak lists the time from Roanoke to Culpepper as about 5 1/2 hrs.

That is all well and good except...Amtrak doesn't run to Roanoke.

Times are gathered from a combo of bus and train from their website.

 

It's good for a random guess, but 611 isn't going to be moving 79mph going up through there either.  I'd give a bit more time than that, and more if they get sidelined somewhere for a freight, since I think at least some of it is still single track.  Whenever the move happens, I'm sure there will be plenty of people posting about it.  Shouldn't be too hard to keep track of.

Seeing as she will be limited to 40mph, se will be pretty easy to keep up with.

And THAT is truly a travesty! 

yes it is...unfortunately Robert Claytor isn't the boss anymore...BUT, 611 could still be sitting cold in Roanoke.

Even when Robert Claytor was "The Boss", after the Dismal Swamp derailment, the insurance carrier demanded the 40 MPH maximum speed limit for all steam excursions. It still applies today, so far, no matter who the CEO is.

I'm going to camp out on the NS B Line this Summer.  

 

 

I couldn't agree more.

Strong rumors from some railroaders I know she will run more than 40 pulling the OCS for Wick at least once... Perhaps why she's receiving ditch lights?!? 

Let's hope not on the ditch lights rumor.

I have seen a photo of the shop crew test fitting ditch lights on 611. I guess modern railroading has caught up to the steam program.

 

Wonder if 4501, 630 or the 765 will be required to have them as well eventually?

Boy you talk about pimples on a handsome face...yeesh.  But hey I would rather have that then the 611 sitting cold at the VMT.  Now I'm going to go to a happy place, hug my knees and rock back and forth and tell myself it's just a bad dream.   As of yet I haven't seen anything about this, is there a source for the photo(s)?

Maybe it is an internal NS policy decision, as there is no FRA mandate requiring steam locomotives to have ditch lights. I remember going over that "issue" many years ago, with 4449's first operations on BN. Once it was calmly explained to the BN manager at their headquarters, that FRA diesel locomotives regulations did/do not apply to steam locomotives, plus those locomotives with operating "oscillating headlights", such as the original equipment Mars Light on 4449, the whole subject was dropped.

After looking at the schedule, I am hoping that I can convince my wife to see the 611 in June.

(I will work the 'nice returning from overseas gift' idea ) (Maybe the 765 in September, too! )