Fine and dandy.

We're STILL waiting for that 21st Century Express.

Ditto the Yellow Ribbon Express.

I suggest that, in the future, you get any potential participants to sign non-disclosure agreements until you have a firm schedule and commitments to announce, and skip the vague hints of "Loose lips....", etc. completely.

In the brewing field, we have a few flamboyant, assertive, and sometimes downright bombastic brewery owners/brewers. Others as practically self-deprecating, humble, and keep their heads down, but just keep cranking out consistent, high-quality products. Think Linn Moedinger or Kelly Anderson, to name two with the same "style" I can cite personally. Which one works better?

Greatest respect for the Strasburg guys in terms of quietly providing the highest quality with minimal irrelevant fanfare. Strasburg was a going concern before both the gentlemen you reference arrvived. Startups require a different set of skills ands qualities than maintaining a going concern. So, my answer is both work well depending on the circumstances and situation, or badly also depending.

We need our P T barnums and Florenz Ziegfelds in this business as well as our Linns and Kellys.

dave

I concur. Hear, hear!

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, Walt Disney was fired from the K.C. Star because he lacked creativity, and a few people here have tried various railroad ventures. The only time you really fail is when you give up.

Was that a sideswipe in a Norfolk Southern yard when something on the next track derailed and damaged empty and not moving Norfolk Southern Steam Train cars?

St. Elizabeth's Hospital 4 may have been the last industrial or not built for a railroad steam locomotive built in the United States for domestic non-tourist use connected to the general system of railroads in North America. Norfolk & Western built newer for themselves, and Porter built newer for export. Mt. Washington Cog Rwy. also built newer locomotives for their own use.

It wasn't a sideswipe, the parked and blue flagged Steam Train was rammed by a hopper train that somehow went down the wrong track. Several cars were
seriously damaged, our ex-N&W/Wabash coach 1829 was totaled with a twisted frame. I was president of the Roanoke Chapter NRHS at the time. Negotiating the settlement on that car was one of the least "fun" things that I have done in this field(and more so because of my own Board rather than NS)

Okay, let's pull out Jim Wrinn's book on the SR/NS steam program, Steam's Camelot: Sept. 28, 1994, 12:10 AM:

According to his account, an intermodal train being backed into Kinney Yard in Lynchburg was diverted down the wrong track, and collided with the 19-car passenger consist which had two diesels on the other end. Nine passenger cars derailed; two were deemed a total loss, two were quickly repaired, and three held for more extensive repairs. The ones derailed and damaged were NOT at the end struck by the intermodal, but deeper in the train on a curve.

The end result: I felt obliged to run down to the Carolinas to erect what became a 40-foot banner trackside at Clemson, SC on Nov. 12th and at Saluda, NC on the 13th: "Thanks For The Memories, Norfolk Southern!"

Considering that P.T. Barnum made his name and fortune snookering and deceiving people with hoaxes and "This Way to the Amazing Egress!!!"........................ I beg to differ with part of that statement.

Could it be that one of the conditions of the sale of the Greenbriar by CSX allows this hypothetical trip?

So that was you with the banner?? I remember it very well in both places.

Alexander is correct in that is was a pig train switching in Kinney yard. It was 222 which had come north out of Linwood earlier in the night. The conductor on the job, who was the one that threw the wrong switch and caused the whole mess, walked into the yard office later saying that 'it looks like I just shut down the steam train' or soemthing to that effect.

Needless to say, when I worked out of Linwook, I never really liked the guy.

This thread saddens me. Is there nothing more productive to do with one's time that assault those who dare dream big?

Let he who casts the next stone pull out pictures of the Berks and Northerns they have restored, or the cross-country multi-year steam excursion they have put on.

Oh.

Really, how much effort wasted on this thread could have been put to positive use on a project?

Sad.

Rob

I also have to concur with Rob and Mike. I can see that there are people out there with lots of time on their hands. They must be on their computer all the time. I rarely have the time to post, but I am VERY glad that I had the opportunity to work on a NKP 2-8-4 and a RDG 4-8-4 many years ago. I have great memories to look back on and to share with my son!

Hello,

As I understand the opportunity, its a negotiation between (2) private entities. Therefore its really none of our business.

Having fun with a little technical speculation.....think of some factors in a business plan.

Life-Cycle Costs - Lets face it, steam is a heavy consumer. What factors could lessen the running costs?

1. Roller Bearings - The 614 is 100% equipped except for the cross-head slide. Much less maintenance and lower failure risk.

2. Lower Boiler Pressure - As compared to the NW 611. 255 PSI has to take less toll than 300 PSI. Maybe less tube leaks, less stay bolts to fail, etc., etc.

3. Fuel - Now for a bit of fantasy - We all think coal, the 614 was built for it. Think of the green component. Put a liquified natural gas tank in the bunker...Ok this is heresy. However, think of the pros, 1/2 the CO2 on emissions (this can only help...think Waxman Bill proposal), clean stack at all load points, no cinder cutting on the flues, last but not least, support the "other" fuel which is booming in West Virginia, Marcellus Shale natural gas. Possibly get Chesapeake, Dominion and Cabot to sponser part of the conversion to promote natural gas use......with high visibility. Forget condensing, too expensive, high maintenance and you need to keep the ear candy. Come on, we all know that black smoke is really not politically correct!...besides being wasteful. I course it could not hurt to have a clean stack in metro Washington eah?

4. Exhaust - Deeper fantasy - Fit her with triple Lempors and see what free breathing does at the drawbar.

Nos 3 & 4 would require cap ex beyond the initial restore but could pay back over the life of the overhaul.

O.K. I'll put out the left handed cigarette.....having a bit of fun here.

Have a great day!

Randy

Randy -

Okay, if we're doing a bit of daydreaming, I'll add my two cents. Figuring a "high end" passenger car consist, I would like to see a combine with open baggage car doors behind the tank. Lower price for riders for just a coach seat and the chance to take in 5 or 6 hours of stack talk and whistling. Would I pay for such an experience? Dang right I would! But if an Amtrak diesel behind the tank, the dream is withdrawn.

Les