Hey all, when are TVRM excursions typically announced? I know last year they had a few double headers and longer excursions. Thanks in advance.
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Danke!
Our first steam weekend is March 3rd. We should have 630 on the Missionary Ridge Local and 4501 on the Summerville Steam Special.
As a side note, 5109 is still on the Local, so if you want to see it before it goes out to our freight operation at Tyner, go soon!
or you can just go to this link...https://www.tvrail.com/events-...rville-steam-special.
Pretty much all the offline steam excursions are going all the way to Summerville these days.
Kevin
Thanks for the replies gentlemen. Just purchased two opening window tickets for the Summerville steam double header on October 28th! I appreciate the help.
You're in for a real treat!
TVRM has all those railroads surrounding it, yet it is only able to use the line to Summerville. Well, a CSX line goes near TVRM and we all know CSX has a steam ban. TVRM connects to NS but they stopped hosting excursions with TVRM and others. Who owns the line to Summerville? Does TVRM have guaranteed permission to use the line to Summerville indefinitely? Guess the interchange track at Grand Junction with NS won’t see much use now. Since all lines in Chattanooga are freight only since 1970, the NS excursions with TVRM were a very rare opportunity to ride those freight only lines. Is there a reason why steam can’t operate on TVRM’s Etowah line? Only way there is CSX and they won’t touch a steam locomotive unless it’s transported on a flat car?
The line to Summerville is owned by the state of Georgia and leased to the Chickamauga and Chatooga (G&W subsidiary) under the requirement that they allow TVRM to run trains. The interchange with NS is still used for our freight customers. Can't run steam on the Hiwassee line because no way to turn or service the locomotive at either end and because there are no maintenance facilities. In addition, the line runs through the Cherokee national forest so the steam locomotive would have to burn oil. Also any steam locomotive would need blind drivers to run around the curves on Hiwassee.
Will Ebbert posted:You're in for a real treat!
Looking forward to it already! I have seen photos and read about 4501 for such a long time. This will be my first time seeing the locomotive in person. The same goes for 630. Now all I have to do is hurry up and wait.
They are both beautiful locomotives, although I'm partial to 630. If you want to see videos of them in action on that route, check out my YouTube channel "Signal Light Productions".
Will Ebbert posted:The line to Summerville is owned by the state of Georgia and leased to the Chickamauga and Chatooga (G&W subsidiary) under the requirement that they allow TVRM to run trains. The interchange with NS is still used for our freight customers. Can't run steam on the Hiwassee line because no way to turn or service the locomotive at either end and because there are no maintenance facilities. In addition, the line runs through the Cherokee national forest so the steam locomotive would have to burn oil. Also any steam locomotive would need blind drivers to run around the curves on Hiwassee.
L&N ran 2-8-2s all the time on that line, and there is some photographic evidence of the 4-8-2s running between Etowah and Copperhill. I suspect anything TVRM has could physically run there. Can't speak for forest issues, but coal burning steam has operated on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad several times without issues. The main issue with steam on the Hiwassee line is that you have to go over CSX to get there.
kgdjpubs posted:Will Ebbert posted:The line to Summerville is owned by the state of Georgia and leased to the Chickamauga and Chatooga (G&W subsidiary) under the requirement that they allow TVRM to run trains. The interchange with NS is still used for our freight customers. Can't run steam on the Hiwassee line because no way to turn or service the locomotive at either end and because there are no maintenance facilities. In addition, the line runs through the Cherokee national forest so the steam locomotive would have to burn oil. Also any steam locomotive would need blind drivers to run around the curves on Hiwassee.
L&N ran 2-8-2s all the time on that line, and there is some photographic evidence of the 4-8-2s running between Etowah and Copperhill. I suspect anything TVRM has could physically run there. Can't speak for forest issues, but coal burning steam has operated on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad several times without issues. The main issue with steam on the Hiwassee line is that you have to go over CSX to get there.
Yes they did run those locomotives, but they had one or two sets of blind drivers on them, much like O scale steamers. None of TVRM's locomotives are so equipped. GSMR now burns oil in the 1702, as is a requirement to run through the national forest. Lack of maintenance facilities are the biggest issue.
