I agree whole-heartedly about seeing something before it disappers. As a kid I rode NS steam trips out of Alexandria, Va a few times. 4501, 611 and 1218. The N&W quickly became my favorite railroad. I vowed to myself that when I turned 18 and got my drivers license, I would drive down to Birmingham and ride one of the seasons opener trips. Go to Roanoke and ride the real N&W lines behind 611. Well, 18 came and went. I was caught up in sports and just never found the time to go down. How sorry was I to find out that NS stopped their steam program. Fast forward to a nasty cold rainy January 1999 day in Roanoke. I was driving back out to California (I'm from Pa.) to my base when I was on leave in the Marines. I figured I'd stop by Roanoke on my way down the 81, and pay some respects to an old friend. Of course the one time I stop in to see her, and the mueseum is closed, some mondays. So I drove around the back side, walked across the tracks and said 'hi.' I hadn't seen 611 since 1986 I think. No more of that fast high steppin' lady. No more caravans of people pacing her down the road. No more of one of those hour and a half cab rides I got once in the (what was the RF&P Potomac Yard but is now a parking lot) yard in Alexandria. I even got to put the injectors on. Too much fun when you're all of 10. Sad to see it all end. But, alas a new breed of big steam is giving birth again. So, let us all ride before they to eventually disapear.

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