Not to mention that some of those who put her to bed are apart of the team working to wake her up. They know what they did 19 years ago, and what she needs now. All I know is that my world makes sense again.

Mike Allen's article "Norfolk Southern donates $1.5 million for 611 steam engine" in The Roanoke Times (November 23, 2013) includes this interesting detail:



In other words, the painting sold for $1,693,000 more than the high end of the Sotherby's estimate.

Sounds like NS made some good investments back when and had the pleasure bringing some very fine art to the HQ town (as well as elsewhere) in the process.

Also is a nice example of how a modern railroad is more than just a railroad (hint, hint, TRAINS magazine).

Bob

Doesn't hurt to have a little good PR in a day where the public awareness of the importance of railroads is shrinking. Lac Megantic was something the industry didn't need and has marred the image of the entire industry. Having a 12 inch to the foot scale trainset and inviting the neighbors in the community to have an occasional ride can make a big difference.

...which is why Union Pacific has had its heritage/steam program in place all of these years and is even now about to restore yet another of its iconic steam locomotives to full operation (and proving wrong quite a few naysayers in the process). NS's current management/ownership understands that and that is why NS is well on its way to having a similar (and possibly better) program.

No offense to NS or the 611, but I don't think you can get much better than an operating Big Boy...

You could restore a C&O Allegheny (Hint, Hint, CSX)

Well, that depends on how much of your rail you want to have available to your steam program. Something smaller, like 630 or 4501, can go on branchlines and serve communities a huge white elephant can't traverse. I think the NS version makes a lot of sense from that perspective. Wal Mart has proven that big doesn't automatically mean good.

dave

As said, leasing locomotives was by and large the model of the old Southern Railway Steam Program. Only the 2-8-0s were owned by the railroad. The big difference is the contracting out of the maintenance and operation services versus the old in house program.

When thinking of the creation of the Southern's program, one should remember that it came about at a time when the Southern's name was mostly associated by the public with the Big John hopper rate case and train wrecks.

I can think of 4 numbers.... 1218!