For Immediate release

Greg Scholl has announced a special steam photo special to be operated in
late June 2002.
Scholl insists this time of year will maximize hours of the day for sunlight
providing ample photo
opportunities for all who purchase a tickets.

Motive power for this trip will feature Norfolk and Western 611, which is
being prepared for operation
once again, at the Roanoke Virginia steam shops, where 611 was originally
fabricated.

A Virginia Transportation Museum spokesman stated that this is a boon for
the Museum and for steam
enthusiasts everywhere. Without this special photo train, there would be no
way we could afford to restore
611 for its third stint as an excursion locomotive.

A Norfolk Southern Spokesperson declined to heap praise on Mr. Scholls
effort, but instead mentioned
that higher-ups in the company had planned all along for such a trip, and
had these folks not chosen
this time, NS would have done it anyway. NS plans on similar trips for
positive PR and intends on
allowing better shippers to actually take a turn at the throttle of the old
gal on some of the remote regions
of the former Norfolk and Western Railway.

Details are not entirely made public due to the secrecy that usually
accompanies all steam trips.
One area railfan was noting the fact that, "We can put men on the moon, but
nobody will tell you
when a steam trip is running!"

Scholl did say that the consist of the train would be the 6 coach all
daytime Powhatton Arrow complete with
round-end obs car. Ticket holders will take part in an extraordinarily
"Different" approach to steam railfanning.
Instead of doing runbys, where the train must be backed up, ticket holders
will be riding sky high in special
chase helicopters. Prices include a box lunch for those who want to attempt
this while banking in for that
low level pan shot. This will be a two day event with the first day
operating from Roanoke to Yaeger, WV and
the second day a return with a different routing.

Prices for the event are based on double occupancy in the copters and
motels.
One day event including meals, lodging, and copters, and all transfers for
$3751.
A special two day package including a souvenir photo showing the entire
squadron of helicopters
swooping down for another shot of the 611 is $6325.00.

Scholl said there will be limited stops made, for 611 to take on water, and
for patrons to make
potty breaks. Copters are not equipped with plumbing for such necessities.
Most photo charters are operated
at all times except the high sun of summer, but with the copters, the high
sun and long daylight will be perfect
for photo angles. Patrons will keep cool in air-conditioned state of the
art copters. No need to bring extra deodorant
like on regular summer excursions where folks are herded like so much
cattle. In fact on this train there will
be few riders.

Expect plenty of great scenes as the copters stay in tight formation behind
the lead copter,
piloted by Mr Scholl's expert chase pilot. Using the copters has a lot of
great advantages such as
avoiding underbrush and low wires that mar many good photo locations on the
ground, and
eliminating the time it takes to load and reload the train for each runby
which is currently a slow
practice on most excursion steam trips. This new innovative copter method
speeds up the whole
day, and Mr. Scholl plans to patent his gyro-video which is called the
CHASECAM.

One of the highlights will be 611 exiting the famous tunnel and trestle at
Cooper, WV, and the spectacle
of copters stacked 3 and 4 deep in a semi-circle around the west end of the
trestle will be more than awesome.
Scholl first scouted this location in 1980 prior to 611's 1982 excursion
operations, and for many years thought
it was an exclusive spot, until viewing it in an O. Winston Link book some
years later. However Link never had
the CHASECAM.

Another perk will be night shots. Instead of the usual static shots where
time exposures and big number 2 bulbs
are flashed for still photographers, we will be doing our shots on the move.
Yes, our choppers feature onboard
illumination fixtures and with several copters "training" their beams on the
train, the entire scene will be as good as
if the great master himself had spent all day stringing bulbs through ponds
and front porches.

Nobody cares how you get the images, just as long as you get them. Thats
the motto of this trip,
and all parties are 100% behind the entire event. Every conceivable aspect
has been thought out
from picking up box lunches on the fly (each copter will swoop through
Wendy's where a special
hook device will be used to snare individual orders. We anticipate that
lunch will be ready by the
time we get to Bluefield.

Since this trip has been so quickly organized, there was a shortage of
qualified crew to operate the
611. Therefore a special "out of town" crew from out west will be brought
in just
for these trips. While 611 will be a bit more difficult to handle due to
that extra power, the crew relishes
the challenge to operate the J ! This crew was chosen over all others since
they have hundreds of
crew hours with helicopters flitting about their trains, so this will be a
"Cake Walk" for this experienced
steam crew. Several trainee crewmembers will be aboard both the train, and
the cab to gain
valuable experience so that future trips can be operated in this unique
manor.

This trip is limited to 200 participants, since there are only 100
helicopters in the C4U class available.
This special class, which means "Chase for you", is unique in having all the
latest railfan equipment on
board. There are movable mounted tripod holders, and unique suction grip
camera pods, and
extra cable for dangling participants outside the copter to assure the
"Perfect shot". Each copter has
a bomb-bay door for dumping special Vitals to all the farm animals so they
will not be alarmed by
all the noise of the copters. Rations include carrots for horses, hay for
cows, and seed for chickens.

It is suspected that this style of trip will be the standard railfan
excursion of the future. Forget long lines
of folks trying to board the train. These are not cruise trains anymore,
they are CHASE COPTER
SPECIALS. Scholl's creative "thinking out of the box" style on these trips
are expected to be copied
by nearly every other operator and sponsor in North America. Scholl has
stated that he doesn't care,
just as long as means more steam that can operate.

Local police have been most cooperative, although railfans attempting to
chase in the more traditional
automobile and 4-wheel drive were most upset. Scholl has stated that
whenever the copters are doing
a strafing run for a photo, and they see lineside photographers they will
immediately switch to "whisper
mode", so as not ruin the "Experience" for others down below. After all,
these guys may want to join
us the next time around!

One additional feature of doing all these trips will be the added jobs in
the helicopter factories around the
country, as copter makers everywhere try to outbuild each other for the
ultimate steam chasing copter. GE is
supposedly working on a dual jet engine, and ALCO has re-opened its
Schenectady Works and
retooled engine shops to created gurgling new copters for rail excursion
use.

Once this style of chase becomes the norm, it is estimated no trips will
operate with out a copter chase
force. Scholl attributes this magnificent creation to years of watching
"Airwolf" on TV, and hearing
the occasional TV news copter on the old style railfan excursions
periodically. A new era has been
bestowed upon us all!!! Embrace it! Tickets are selling at warp speed.
Don't be left out. Order
yours today and be a part of history. Let the blades begin!!!!

Note "Whisper Mode" is a copyright of ALCO Copters

Press release April 1, 2002



sales@gregschollvideo.com

Hey "Wash Out",

With so many helicopters, have you thought about actually picking up 611; and allowing for photographs from below?

Think of it! Rather than endangering yourself and your equipment trying to take the classical underneath-and-between-the-rails shot, you can just fly 611 overhead while everyone clicks away from below. "Run-bys" will be replaced by "fly-bys"; and everyone can just line up in a row and get the same shot!

BTW, there was no announcement of WHEN it was taking place!?!? Humm....

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Locomotives
james1@pernet.net

> Hey "Wash Out",

> With so many helicopters, have you thought
> about actually picking up 611; and allowing
> for photographs from below?

> Think of it! Rather than endangering
> yourself and your equipment trying to take
> the classical
> underneath-and-between-the-rails shot, you
> can just fly 611 overhead while everyone
> clicks away from below. "Run-bys"
> will be replaced by "fly-bys"; and
> everyone can just line up in a row and get
> the same shot!

> BTW, there was no announcement of WHEN it
> was taking place!?!? Humm....

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a

Another good idea James. The date was mentioned as late June in the beginning! Remember the sun would be highest in the sky at that time. With all those copter lights we could do your type shots at nigh!
Wash-out


sales@gregschollvideo.com

I'm glad I signed up for two tickets ... should be fun !


lamontdc@adelphia.net

Would it be possible to obtain one or more of the Goodyear Blimps to tag along for some really great photos ???

PS: This for some of us older folks who don't do the high speed stuff.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

Blimps would be a nice camera platform for those tripod and long-telephoto shots

tmanz@afo.net

Google has finally admitted what makes their search engine so good. (Link below.)

JAC

Google Technology Secrets

There is some truth to one of JAC's first of April predictions....

TVRM Shop Updates by Steve Freer
aw90h@cs.com

What in the world is wrong with John Craft? He wastes all of his time "playing" trains and ignores the steamcentral web site. Then he invests six months of thought and planning into that silly April Fools thing. To make it that much worse, the 4449 folks make his last years "false statements" come true this year! Dang them. And why does he always pick on TVRM? Just because they won't let him even near their property? Gosh. He, Jim Wrinn, Ken Riddle, and Mark Gray are a bunch of Southern rednecks. Get a life!

He works at Google too? A. O. K. Okie Dokie

> He, Jim
> Wrinn, Ken Riddle, and Mark Gray are a bunch
> of Southern rednecks. Get a life!

If you are going to flame me, then at least spell my name right. I don't know you so I am going to withhold any additional comments.

TVRM Shop Updates
aw90h@cs.com

> There is some truth to one of JAC's first of
> April predictions....

I've decided that for future April Fools, I'm just gonna write what I want to see come true. It worked last year . . .

JAC

Google Technology Secrets

He, Jim
> Wrinn, Ken Riddle, and Mark Gray are a bunch
> of Southern rednecks. Get a life!

Got a pretty ding-dang good life here, Superheater! When you gonna come around and tell all of us what we're doing wrong again?

By the way, probably should be MISTER Southern Redneck to you, little boy-
Ken Riddle

ken290@hiwaay.net

You're not supposed to talk about the 207 coming back to Johnson City. I took the tender measurements to Mark Gray yesterday.


ken290@hiwaay.net

I assume that this is the same Superheater who used to haunt Washington area railfan excursions and clubs in the 70's. Are we speaking of the same individual?

kevingillespie@usa.net