Southern 630 At TVRM Railfest

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I applaud the program even with the stated limitations. ANY steam is better than NO steam.

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Originally posted by Ed Mullan:

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I applaud the program even with the stated limitations. ANY steam is better than NO steam.

And that's a good thing, it may last a long time with those limitations. I've had
a chance to see some of the early videos, 630 appears to be very well done. On top of having a well timed chuff, she has a nice sounding whistle.

Ed Mullan

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Originally posted by Unseenthings:
Why wouldn't they have done Babbitted, oil lubricated crown bearings in the first place? Is this what 844/3985 have also? And why can't we as the steam industry have something like Texaco High Tex 8 block grease remade/replicated/ordered?

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Norfolk Southern's '21st Century Steam' program debuts today
By Jim Wrinn
Published: September 2, 2011
DSC_0149
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 2-8-0 No. 630 is ready with three cars for the first NS steam trip in 17 years. She is under steam at NS's DeButts Yard in downtown Chattanooga on the morning of Sept. 2.
Photo by TRAINS: Jim Wrinn
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The train crews from NS and TVRM responsible for the first NS steam trip. Left to right on ground: Dan Varnell, NS conductor; Harold Price, NS engineer. Left to right on pilot: TVRM conductor John Lassiter; NS mechanic Shane Meador; NS Road Foreman Steam Bob Saxtan; TVRM conductor J.W. Traylor. Left to right on steps: TVRM fireman Ryan Miller; NS Road Foreman of Engines Christopher Parsons.
Photo by TRAINS: Jim Wrinn
DSC_0163
NS Chairman and CEO Wick Moorman enjoys time in the cab of No. 630 after the first NS steam run on Sept. 2.
Photo by TRAINS: Jim Wrinn
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – In the same city where Southern Railway dropped the fires of its last regular-service steam locomotive in 1953, Norfolk Southern today returned to the ranks of the Class I railroads with its own steam program. Chattanooga is also where Southern Railway’s beloved steam excursion train program began in 1966; it would continue operations until 1994.

Now, the re-creation of history is repeating itself.

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s newly restored 1904 Alco 2-8-0, Southern Railway No. 630, pulled a VIP special today from NS’s DeButts Yard to the museum’s Grand Junction station to kick off NS’s “21st Century Steam” program. The museum, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend, will run public trips on the NS main line on the same route twice daily, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday’s trip included two coaches and a diner, left about 11 a.m., and returned about 2 hours later after a 12-mile round trip that included a visit to the wye on TVRM tracks. Passengers included railroad officials and shippers.

On Thursday night, NS CEO Wick Moorman described his vision for the new steam program, which will be similar to Union Pacific’s and focus on employees, shippers, key decision-makers, and the public. He said the train will operate about 1,800 miles in 2012, with No. 630 pulling six cars that NS is refurbishing at its Altoona, Pa., shop: five coaches and a power car. They're former commuter cars from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Moorman said the passenger cars had excellent trucks, and that the shop is performing extensive body work. The final route for the 2012 tour has not been set.

The railroad needs to do everything it can to raise public awareness about the good activities that it does, Moorman said. The new steam program is a part of that effort. Moorman posed in the cab, but left the throttle to the NS crew.

“Isn’t it always a great day for a train ride?” asked Mark Manion, NS’s vice president of operations, just before 630 whistled off at the DeButts diesel shop. Shop workers came out of the building to watch the train pass.

Answering questions from the audience on Thursday night, Moorman addressed interest in seeing Norfolk & Western Class J 4-8-4 No. 611 return to the main line again. He said that when the Virginia Museum of Transportation has a steam restoration program like TVRM’s, then NS will consider operating the engine. No. 611 was part of the NS excursion program from 1982 to 1994, pulling the last trip in December 1994 from Birmingham, Ala., to Chattanooga, and return.

Coincidentally, it was a trip to reach a Labor Day Weekend excursion in Richmond, Va., in 1966 that started in Chattanooga that kicked off Southern’s popular steam excursions with Southern 2-8-2 No. 4501. That engine, which celebrates its centennial this year, is in the midst of a major overhaul for the
new steam program. On Thursday, shop crews unloaded new boiler tubes and stored them in the Soule Shops at TVRM’s East Chattanooga shop complex. No completion date has been set for the 4501.

No. 630 debuted earlier this year after a 13-year overhaul. The engine has been running on the museum tracks, and also made two test runs on NS earlier this summer to Cleveland, Tenn., roughly a 50-mile round trip. Bearings on the left side under axles 1 and 4 ran hot, but those problems seem to have been solved. The museum’s shop forces continue to fine-tune the engine’s performance for longer trips over the main line.

In addition to UP, Canadian Pacific has its own steam program. BNSF allows infrequent steam operations. Neither CSX nor Canadian National allow steam operations on their lines.

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Originally posted by Unseenthings:
...why can't we as the steam industry have something like Texaco High Tex 8 block grease remade/replicated/ordered?

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Originally posted by Unseenthings:
Thanks Rich........ so how much do you guys have left?
I'm guessing this is why 4449 went through the trouble of converting to roller bearing?

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One question I have is, is the oil lost, or are there seals and a recovery system
on them?

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I wonder if NS had privately considered moving 611 to Chattanooga for refurbishing?

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I believe 630 was down to it's frame at one point, and if they wanted to do roller bearings that would have been the time to do it. At this point i'm sure its a little late in the game.

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Originally posted by Tinplate Art:
NS would have deadheaded the engine to Chattanooga, switched it up the "belt line" to the museum ...

Just wanted to update this thread for future reference. After Railfest, 630 came up lame again on a return trip from Knoxville, and sat out the 2011 Polar express season.

As we had debated  above about oil bearings, we now have a a recent quote from Mark at TVRM in March 2012

"The #4 axle has been converted to the Southern Pacific spring pad lubricator design oil cellar.  Proof tests will be perfomed soon.  Following the conclusion of the testing, the remainder will be converted.  The decision to change from grease to oil cellar lubrication was made after determining that today's varities of block grease are not suitable for operation above 25 mph.  Yes, we tried them all."

Interesting outcome.  Looking forward to hear of the results, it should be a positive one. 

Just read this entire thread: amazing what one can learn on this forum!!  

Pete