Hope that some of those routes listed in the 1994 schedule happen next year with 611 or 4501. Alexandria or Manassas to Lynchburg would be nice. Then we could drive to DC area and stay overnight in a hotel either on the DC or Virginia side. Is Lynchburg the Amtrak line but Front Royal freight only? Lynchburg, Front Royal, and Manassas all have wyes.

Robert,

Please give it a rest. NS will decide what routes they will run with steam, all on their own. None of us will have any influence on it. Your going on and on about it is not productive.

I think any future discussion of NS excursion train routes on this thread (please note that it says N&W 611 Restoration Thread, not "excursion route thread") should be moved to the "railfanning" section of RyPN.

Thanks,

Howard P.

All the above said, I can't help but wonder if the first run of 611 could be to the same place it made the ifnal run of her second career, on December 7, 1994? http://www.retroweb.com/611lastrun.html

Most likely the first public runs will be out of Roanoke. Then they will consider ferrying the 611 to other locations. They did have a poll asking how often would you ride 611 excursions and where would you like to see 611 run. We'll see what happens in the new year.

the thing is suppose it was an Amtrak train or just another freight, could have been any train in that accident, whats the accident report?

in any case, this restoration is moving quicker than I expected, tho every piece has to be evaluated, I think its far ahead than other restorations.

Update from 1/13/2015: http://fireup611.org/2015/01/13/work-resumes-in-spencer/

Fire Up 611!/On Track For Late Spring or Early Summer of 2015
http://fireup611.org/2015/01/26/the-611 ... ly-summer/

WDBJ 7 (CBS) Roanoke/On Track For Late Spring or Early Summer of 2015
http://www.wdbj7.com/video/the-611-is-o ... r/30931486

Enjoy! ^_^

They had new flues in already, the restoration has been speedy, I didnt think it would need so much work to restore like 765.

They're probably doing any work they think they might need other than just, "what gets us back on the road." I wouldn't be shocked if they're doing more than other operations would. An ounce of prevention, if you will.
That, and the fact she hasn't been in steam for 21 years. I don't care what conditions you store a loco after you last drop the fires, some stuff's gonna creep up in that amount of time.

It was posted today, via Preston Claytor, that 611's restoration has reached another significant milestone, in that the hydrostatic test was completed.

speedy, its going fast.

If you have funding in place and professionals working full time projects do go fast.

dave

Amen. It also helps to already know exactly what you need. I'd bet that NS did some manner of documentation on the status of 611 when they dropped the fires in 1994. That, and I'm certain that people at thge museum must have documented the locomotive very well before running 611 again got out of the rumor stage.

It doesn't hurt that many of the people involved with the NS program back in the day as part of the current restoration.

First congratulations to the Fire up 611 crew now, quick question here: What running gear work does 611 need as of this point? Obviously the new pony truck, but are the drivers going to be dropped and re-tired or turned?