Merrily we roll along
Friday, June 15th was a big day for the museum. We didn't have a ton of visitors. We didn't raise a bunch of money, or receive anything new to the collection. What did happen, though, was a sight too rare in our time. #611 moved.
We've been ramping up to our big tug of war fund raiser for a few weeks now, and in order to make sure that #611 could not only still roll (as we all knew it could), but that it could do so safely (of which we weren't quite so sure). So, on June 15th, we decided to try it out.
Our thanks go out to Robert Young's Towing for helping us with this project. We absolutely couldn't have done it without them.
Labels: 611, Norfolk and Western, Robert Young's Towing, VMT
posted by VMT-blogger @ 11:02 PM
21 Comments
21 Comments:
Of course it can roll safely.. it steamed to the museum that its rusting it.. you all should run the darn thing.. and don't say money is an issue.. look at SP&S 700 and SP 4449 and UP 844 .. you all are stuffing your pockets while letting an icon rust away. Shame on you!
While I doubt they are "stuffing their pockets" it would be nice to see her run again.
A quick look at out pockets would quickly show you that they're not stuffed with much of anything. Moreover, we'd love to let it run, and we can assure you that it isn't rusting away. In fact, it was just given a fresh coat of wax last week, and it sits under a protective roof that keeps moisture off its skin.
Actually, money isn't the issue, fair enough. The biggest issue is that Norfolk Southern won't let it run again. This isn't in our hands, unfortunately. We'd love to run it again, but ours is not the green light it needs.
The engine needs track to run on, and Norfolk Southern controls every inch of it in and around Roanoke. There's nowhere for it to go. Moreover, to restore it to running condition would require about $200,000, just to get started. We could easily raise that much in a capital campaign, but we would find, as Norfolk Southern did, that the insurance rates for a one-of-a-kind steam engine pulling passengers at speed are astronomical. This, more than anything, is what shut down NS' steam excursion program, especially after the engine derailed in 1993.
Politics is the name of this game. There are people that need to be convinced, but not one of them is associated with VMT. Thank you for your thoughts and comments. Keep checking back for more!
I wrote a song about the 611 before she was taken off of the excursion runs, but have never had it published or recorded
Would love to have a good Bluegrass Band in the Roanoke area record it. I believe it come bring some added attraction to VMT.
where and how badly did it derail in 1993?
Rode 1218 and 611 a few short years before the end of southern exc. program.
Its exciting to see the J move, even if it is by human hands, and for a good cause. I may actually be able to photograph it without poor lighting under the shed. Its in good hands under the shed, but God would it be nice to see if run even 3-4 times a year. Im sure its political at NS and I cant speak for them, it is their railroad and they can do with it what they want, but it really bothers me that Union Pacific bit the bullet and runs their steam at track speed while the finest example of American steam power sits cold in a museum. Kudos to the guys at VTM for keeping her looking sharp and hosting this event. I will be there to see her move!
Forgot to add my personal thanks to NS for allowing this beautiful machine to operate when it could.
To respond to an earlier question, #611 derailed in the Great Dismal Swamp area near Northern Virginia. Ironically enough, it was one of the Claytor Brothers at the helm. The engine wasn't badly damaged, but several of the passenger cars were in very bad shape. Luckily, the train was empty, so there weren't many injuries. #611 still bears a scar from the incident in the form of a dent on the front of its cow catcher.
A correction to another post: Engine 611 originally derailed into the Tug River while rounding a curve in 1956. The engine still has a dent in the boiler, and for that matter a couple of dents still visible on the tender. The next derailment was on Sept, 4, 1982, in Norfolk, while attempting to turn the engine around for the next day's return to Roanoke. This happened at very slow speed with workers walking beside the locomotive, and it did not fully derail, the drivers started to climb the rails in the curve, and the engine was stopped. Some passenger cars behind 611 derailed in 1986, in the Dismal Swamp in Chesapeake, Va during an Employee Appreciation Excurion, while headed West to Petersburg. I know a couple of the people who were injured, though not seriously. After this, the 45 mph speed limit was imposed on the steam program. I was fortunate to be able to run 611 before this speed restriction.
Does the museum get any money from the VA license plates that bear the N&W #611 in all her glory?
I hope so...
Also, I saw the info about the VA scrap & iron co. closing and having steam locomotives and cars there?-do you have a link or any information about that?
What locos and cars are there and is the VA scrap co. in Lynchburg or Norfolk?
thanks!
The museum does not receive any money from the license plates. The legality of this is in question as the museum owns the image rights to both #611 and #1218. Anyone commercially producing goods or art featuring either locomotive is supposed to contact us for permission and/or to set up a fee structure for royalties. Legally, any monies we receive for such usage go toward the preservation of the respective engines. However, it has been some time since the museum asserted its rights on the issue as we only ask that images of the engines identify where they currently reside.
Information on the equipment at the scrap yard can be found at [http://lostengines.railfan.net/].
The scrap yard is located in Roanoke, VA, just a few miles from the museum. Those engines belong to the museum, but we currently lack the funds and the staff to bring them here and restore them.
I JUST GOT A BUNCH OF TRAIN DVDS. SHOWN ARE DOZENS OF STEAM ENGINES RUNNING FOR EXCUSIONS IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. ONE OF THE EPISODES FEATURES THE J #611. THE OTHER ENGINES ARE VALUABLE MACHINES, BUT THE #611 IS LIKE A STAR IN COMPARISON. IF N & S DOESN'T WANT TO RUN THE #611 ON IT'S OWN TRACKS, MAYBE IT COULD BE LOANED OUT OR SOME DEAL MADE BY SOME OTHER GROUP TO GET IT ON THE RAILS AGAIN. SLS
Why don't you guys list 1218 in the Collection section of the web site?
I was there in Roanoke from Washington DC with my wife, son and Daughter who treated me to a stay at the Roanoke Hotel and to ultimately go see my favorite steam engine the 611. We were crossing the pedestrian bridge when I noticed that it was over on the turntable at the NS Roanoke Shop and not the museum.
I got to see it, but not up close.
It's a real bummer that this was not announced on this website.
We ultimately decided to not go to the Museum which didn't open until 1:00PM.. Instead we went over as close as we could and also noticed that 1218 was over there. What a bummer. I also learned that NS had an open house the day before..
I was pretty much livid..
Oh well..
I find it curious that Norfolk Southern, for the first time in 12 years, took 611 out of the museum in the first place. Is it possible that there is a "living" future for it? Who knows. But, one thing is for sure, Norfolk Southern's cooperation is not only necessary, but paramount. It will not happen without them, period.
There are many factors that come into play, many political, and many legal. Attacking NS will not help to get the engine running again.
There's two ways to say the same thing here:
1: You could say, "Many railroad enthusiasts feel that Norfolk Southern could enhance their public image and standing as the true THOROUGHBRED of transportation by exemplifying the finest example of the true "Iron Horse" by occasionally touring Locomotive 611 around its territory."
Or, second, you can say "Union Pacific will run steam! Why won't you?"
I can tell you from experience that the second will NEVER get anything "rolling".
VMT has neither the funds nor the facilities to rehabilitate 611. Even if the money was raised, it would have to go somewhere else to have to work done.
So there again, Norfolk Southern WILL be involved. Its unavoidable.
Therefore, I say to all that want to see the engine run again, write to NS Public Relations and tell them why 611 SHOULD run again. Don't tell them that NOT running it is wrong. That'll never work.
I'd personally like to see it run by NS.. I'm up in Northern Virgina where all I see is virtually Norfolk Southern stuff.. mind you an occasional UP or BNSF sneaks through.. but even then there are NS locomotives leading those trains.
I would like nothing more than to see the 611 run around here to show my son.
My O gauge model trains are all N&W and NS stuff.. (I also have a VRE set).
Down here in Roanoke, its not unusual t see trains being headed by UP, BNSF, because we just dont have enough engines to meet the cargo needs. I remeber one man telling me once, that they had over 200 units out of service... 200 units! thats alot of missing power.
Relating to another post, above this one, The NS' cooperation is needed, rather we like it or not. Most of the eastern united states railines, are owned or leased by them. So... we really, seriously, cant run it without their permission, its almost an impossibility. Now, with Charles W. Moorman, now in the 'Big Leather Chair'. Alot of railfans (As i have heard from a few)hope, maybe to see some change.
I would love to see her steam again that engine was a big part of my child hood every time i heard that steamboat whistle i went running i live across the street from the main line (pocahontas division WV) i just would love to share this with my 3 yr old son
The J has put up with akot in its life on the rails. 1 bad derailment, some derailed cars and now retirement. But, it is also known as one of if not, the finest exmple of the living ledgend, The steam locomotive.
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