Virginian Heritage Unit

Tom,

 

    The Virginian unit was the first heritage unit I saw and it became my favorite. Don't know why as I have always been a Pennsy guy but the colors just are amazing. I even purchased the Lionel Virginian engine to lead my intermodal train at my clubs open house this year (Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers, Bethlehem Pa).

     I don't think the NS lets these engines sit for too long. The Jersey Central unit did stay in the Allentown yard for some time after being involved in an accident for repairs.

    If you are following the engine on the heritage website it may seem like it is sitting in a yard but it may of left and no one has updated the spotting info.

 

JohnB

JohnB, or anyone what is that NS Heritage website please? Tom, NS generally does try not to let engines sit at yards for long when they are in service. They try to get them out ASAP. In fact I remember one day when I was a conductor on NS in De. the crew I was on had to move a road engine back and fourth over the track it was on. That was to make it look like it was being used. They definitely don't like them sitting there.

 

Bill

Bill:

 

It is www.heritageunits.com.  This site allows you to "screen" for heritage units within 100, 200 and 300 miles of your current location.  If you use an iPhone, it will ask to use your current location. Note that this site will also give you tracking info on UP and Amtrak heritage units as well as NS.

 

I've only had occasion to actually make use of it once but, it was spot on with the info it gave me.  We were in PA back in July and the locator told me the S&A heritage unit was on a westbound out of Enola.  I only had to wait about an hour and sure enough, it came by as the trailing unit in an empty crude oil train.

 

Curt

Thank you Curt for the link. Just checked out the website. Pretty cool.

 

Bill

I saw it go through Bedford Monday night heading east by itself pulling a string of empty auto racks

Did you get a picture or video of it?

I was able to get one with my iPhone - not the greatest pic.

one more thank you curt

 

i was not aware that you could follow the engines almost in real time, the site is great

 

hard to believe the technology that is available at the touch of a button

 

 

Have they indicted how long these engines will be kept in those paint schemes?

The heritage engines have brought a new energy to rail faning in the NE. So far I have seen ten of the NS units pass through Bethlehem Pa at CP 88. The heritage website is a great tool to use. When a heritage engine is reported near a crowd usually appears. There was about 40 people in Bethlehem when the LV heritage engine came through on a Sunday....more people than we had in church that morning (sad to say).

 

JohnB