I rode a round-trip excursion with this engine in '68 between Roanoke, VA and (I think) Shenandoah, VA. I say 'I think' because I'm pretty sure 'Shenandoah' was in the destination name and I think I remember the round-trip distance was ~220 mi. That would square with the approximate 110 mi. distance between the two places. The only other place on N&W's Roanoke-to-Hagerstown line with 'Shenandoah' in the name, as far as I know, is Shenandoah Junction, WV, but if that had been the destination the trip would have been about twice as long.

What I also don't remember is whether the whole train was turned around, or just the engine, for the return trip. A current Google satellite view shows a wye at Shenandoah, VA, but the tail of it doesn't appear to be long enough to accommodate the train, which I remember as having several cars. The tail is long enough for the engine, though, so maybe the train was left just north of the wye, the engine turned on the wye, then coupled to the end of the train and pullled that way back to Roanoke.

Did someone else on this forum ride that trip who might remember these details? By the way, that experience was what got me hooked on steam from then on! Last I knew, 759 was on static display at Scranton, PA.

November 1968, N&W Roanoke-Shenandoah and return. There was a UP yellow sleeper in the consist that day. Most likely, the engine only was turned. There was no auxiliary tender for 759, until the Golden Spike Centennial Limited in May 1969.

Perhaps Mr. Rowland could recall how 759 was turned on that N&W trip>

Howard P.

Hello Howard,

I initially posted my question on the cs.trains.com forum which is where a member suggested I put it on this forum. From what I gather, Ross Rowland views postings here and may have been the engineer on this excursion. Of course I don't know how often he looks at the postings here. I tried to find him on Facebook to no avail. Do you know a method I might use to contact him directly?

Sorry but I don't recall that detail. You are welcome to PM me here anytime.

Best regards, Ross Rowland

Howard
I just looked at the trip handout for that trip, written by N&WHS member Gordon Hamilton. It stated that the train would be wyed at Shenandoah. The employee timetables by then no longer gave details of such, but a wye was still in place 4 years before, and although it is a bit hard to discern, the 1968 track chart indicates a form of a wye.

Best
Ken Miller