NKP 765 Norfolk Southern Steam Schedule

Thank you, Rich. Much appreciated.

Will 765 make her Deadhead runs under steam? I imagine that would be better than towing her dead-in-train.

Rich,

  Do you have approximate times that you'll be on  Horseshoe Curve?

Towing a dead steam engine is a huge operational problem. The main rods have to be taken off, which means the drivers are then out of balance and speed is limited to 25 mph. Why would we do that when we have a perfectly operable steam locomotive to pull the train?

The 765 will be under steam and in the lead for all  these moves.

Since both moves over Horseshoe Curve are deadhead moves, they will not operate on a specific schedule. All I can tell you is that it will be some time in the afternoon on both moves.

IIRC there are no public trips correct??? But we can chase all we want!!

Thanks to all involved for this info and chance to see 765 near home!!

There is a "rumor" floating around the excursions are now coming to Portsmouth.  Can you confirm this?

Don't believe the rumor.

We will lay overnight in Porstmouth on the eastbound deadhead move and take water there on the westbound deadhead, but that's it.

Now...start working on the crew dispatcher so you get called for one of these moves!

I am now working the pool out of Portsmouth so hopefully I can do that.  Thanks.

Great Logo! The graphic artist is to be commended.

On the FWRHS website the map of routes to be travelled leaves me with a couple questions. On the August 7 deadhead move, it appears the route will be Columbus, Bucyrus, trackage right on CFE to Crestline and then NS through Canton, Alliance, etc. to Conway (Pittsburgh). It this correct?

In previous postings here, the August 22 deadhead was mentioned as coming through Cleveland. This would entail an Alliance, Cleveland NYC drawbridge, Vermillion connection routing to Bellevue. Is this the planned routing as reported earlier or has it shifted to a more southerly (PRR) route and coming into Bellevue from the south?

Hoping for the first option. I'm dyin for a NKP 765 Cleveland Lakefront shot on the NYC!   

Well it will be good to see 765.....never seen in person....although my sister, no real interest in trains, has had a cab ride in 765 when she was in college/Chicago years ago. Her then boyfriend was working at FWRHS IIRC!

Question 1 = YES. Columbus - Bucyrus, turn right and on to Pittsburgh. Water stop in Alliance.

The planned route for August 22 is Pittsburgh - Cleveland - Bellevue.

Rich, have you got a ballpark figure of time you will be in Alliance. I am in Louisville and would love to see 765 when she stops for water.

No idea on the time in Alliance. These are DEADHEAD moves to re-position equipment, with no passengers on board. These moves do not run on a set schedule. It will be some time in the afternoon...that's all I can tell you.

Definetly a nice full schedule.  Best of luck to you and everyone at the FWRHS/NS...I hope all of your trips are safe ones and hope you all have a great time.....

Thank you kindly for your Schedule.

Will you be equipping the steam train with GPS in real time?

Yes.

Rich any idea of the time of day you'll be thru Conway? I;m an hour away, and I'll be on midnights that weekend.

Thanks

Look at the schedule again. We run trips out of Conway. We'll be in Conway for a week.

great! Is this the Homewood near Beaver Falls? and where is CP Bell/OC Bridge at?

 thanks Rich

The OC bridge is 3 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh, with CP Bell another 2 miles to the west of the bridge.

Thanks Mike! so..if I wanted to see her running, then 65 from Conway to pittsburgh would be a good bet?

Yes. 65 follows the Fort Wayne Line from Conway to the north shore. At Haysville (Milepost PC11), there some great opportunities for pacing shots on the eastbound leg of the trips.

I was actually thinking of driving 6hrs to St. Louis just to meet you and see the 765, Rich, but I take my annual vacation labor day weekend and it would be a lot to ask to take two weekends off in a row.  Maybe next year 765 will come to Tennessee. 

No problem, Wowak. I may not be with the crew on the St. Louis trips anyway. Another obligation may keep me at home that weekend.

Rich--

During the 3-4 days between ferry moves and the weekend excursions, is the fire

banked or allowed to die down on the 765?

Thanks!

John

Rich,

   I plan on seeing the 765 when it is at the Enola yard in Harrisburg.  I assume it will be parked around the main office and that the public will be allowed to enter in spite of the "No Trespassing" sign at the entrance.  Is that true or are NS employees the only ones that can get close up?   Also, will the exact routes for the trips leaving Enola be published or made available in some way? 

Thanks, Rich.

I see on the NS iPhone app that 8100 just arrive in Ft.Wayne to work with 765.

Brad

Any idea what time the 765 will be departing Conway yard? Is it in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Also, will the 765 run on the NS line overlooking downtown Pittsburgh at any time during the trip? I have attached a picture I took of the said route taken from Mt. Washington.

Rich,

The route from Enola to CP Capitoll is to head east over Rockville Bridge. CP Cap is in downtown Harrisburg.

Rob

The fire is allowed to burn out and is re-lit Friday evening. It is not banked.

This is a Norfolk Southern company event for their employees and their families. The people coming into the yard for these trips have to show an NS company ID to get on the property. I would not be so sure that you will be able to get into the yard.

Yes, the 8100 was delivered to our shop today. We will get it coupled up to the 765 tomorrow and confirm that our recently modified MU Box functions as intended before our little test run on Wednesday.

NS 8100 on the Fort Wayne RR Historical Society shop lead.

Photo by Tom Nitza.

As is shown on the schedule, there are multiple trips out of Conway, departing in the morning and afternoon. The morning trip goes to the OC Bridge and the afternoon trip goes to Homewood Junction.

I don't know which line you are talking about by saying the "...line overlooking downtown..." The trips run on the Fort Wayne Line and we don't go into downtown, only to the OC Bridge.

On the routing out of Enola, I'll use compass directions instead of railroad directions to describe the route. That might be easier to understand.

We go north out of Enola yard to the Rockville Bridge. We turn east and cross the bridge. On the east side of the river we turn right (south) and go to CP Capitol. It's right in downtown and VERY hard to get to. The approach to the wye at CP Capitol will be interesting. It's a 2% grade in a 16-degree curve! 765 will be barking a bit on that one!

The trips will use the Mon Line (which overlooks downtown Pittsburgh) up til CP Isle (where the Isle Connecting Track joins on the OC Bridge) falling short of milepost 2. The Mon is primarily used by doublestack trains and trains with excess height cars to bypass the low clearances around downtown. The line also feeds into the Monongahela Coal Fields about 85 railroad miles to the south.

As far as the deadhead logistics go, I'd imagine the exact route through the general Pittsburgh area will be figured out by the chief dispatcher (or somebody else higher up in the chain of command), whether that be ahead of time or the day of, I'm not sure. I'd wager the consist running through the Amtrak station downtown via the Pittsburgh Line, as many lighter freights, roadrailers, lower clearance intermodals, and Amtrak run that route. The Conemaugh Line, following the Allegheny River to the northeast, sees all the heavier trains that won't make the roller coaster profile of the Pittsburgh Line at track speed.

That's just my thinking of it. Rich probably has a better grip on the situation than I do. Hope this helps.

Rob, Rich,

   Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the help. I hope to see you all when I go trackside!

If I understand this right, this takes the train past the Amtrak station, then around the 16-degree curve, and out over the river before backing up.  Does that make sense? 

Thanks,

Bob

Makes sense to me...

Rich,

  It turns out I passed through Harrisburg and Rockville today and had to scope out the route.  From google aerial photo I spotted the Wye next to the Amtrak station in Harrisburg.  I assume this is the wye you will be using.  So I stopped by and took these photos of the tight curves.  Looks like O-72 to me, maybe O-80   You might have to keep your arms inside the cab also so you don't hit the fence.  Man thats close.  Anyway, I thought you might find them interesting.  There is plenty of room in that area to watch the 765.  It will be interesting watching that big steamer move through those tight curves.

Sorry, wrong wye -- this is Amtrak country.  On the aerial photo you want to find the next rr bridge to the south over the river -- the ex-RDG one -- and follow it to the wye, which would in relation to this one be a little to the right and 'down [ south ] a smidge'. It is essentially elevated above street level, and essentially non-accessible as I recall.

Best, SZ

Yep...wrong place. There are TWO wyes in Harrisburg.

I was assuming it was the tighter one and the engine would go to the station.  The other one is elevated and not so accessible.  Thanks for the clarification

Rich,

   I remember a tower on the east approach to Rockville Bridge. A fantrip doubleheaded by Strasburg/PRR 4-4-0 1223 and 4-4-2 7002 (8063) had a photo run there. Do those tracks form a wye? If so, is it unsuitable for 765?