i was wondering when the 261 pulled the last steam powered new river train in 1994 did the new river train operated between 1994-2009. C.P. Huntington chapter NRHS which ran the new river train took a 15 year break or what. I know this would not happen if the 765 is Amtrak certified can it run as an Amtrak locomotive over the the CSX to handle the N.R.T my guess is no but still. Is the C.P. Huntington chapter NRHS still exist or has the name changed.

help me out here

www.google.com will answer some of your questions.

Collis P. Huntington RRHS is still alive: www.newrivertrain.com The story behind 261 operating on the '94 New River Train was sheer luck. 1994 was the first year CSX started to demand 200 million (250 million now I think) in liability insurance to operate an excursion train. I may be wrong but no museum comes to mind that can pay the premium for that kind of policy. If I'm a little off with my facts, I apologize as this is now 21 years ago. The society decided to try MARC, yes the Maryland commuter service, to see if they could use MARC's policy which would cover CSX's demand, since MARC does run in West Virginia, barely. MARC agreed to it as long as the society put up a 10 million dollar liability policy of their own. Details were worked out and steam ran on CSX for the last time. The next year, MARC more less said,"What the heck are we doing letting them use our policy? We don't even operate on that track!" Which in turn sent the society on the lookout for another company that could cover the policy requirements of CSX. The train has been operated since 1995 under Amtrak operation. To my knowledge, someone please correct me if I'm wrong, it is the only separate excursion train, meaning not private cars tacked onto a scheduled Amtrak train, operating on CSX at this time. During that time, CSX has really hardened up to the idea of steam or any other separate excursion train. Nothing has changed that I'm aware of but HEY! Maybe they'll take notice to NS's successful new program.

For several years, they've run this trip as an Amtrak special and other organizations including the Roanoke Chapter, NRHS and the NRHS National have run similar trips.

Bob H