I have heard from a Reliable source that Will Harris of VMT Board as well as all of the VMT board members involved in the 611 operations resigned. Also I was told that 611 has several major defects and that there are Issues with their CMO that led to resignations. It would defiantly be shame if this all true. I wonder what will become of the site that VMT built in Goshen.

While I do not have much inside knowledge, I friend of mine who was at the VMT board meeting on June 20th, basically said all of what you said. Will Harris as well as the 611 operations management group all resigned. He also said that there were some issues with 611 but didn’t say what was wrong or their severity. While this does sound like a major setback for her future operations I hope that something can be worked out. Maybe some one else knows more about what’s going on? Ross Rowland seems to know a lot of what is going on with that group.

Wait, I’m a bit confused - there were issues with the CMO of VMT? Or 611? Or is that the same?

I guess I don’t understand why people supposedly resigned?

I'd be shocked if there are "major" issues with it. Maybe some stuff that needs to be done, but likely just normal items for a locomotive that's been operational for like 8 years now. If there was some large dissagreement between the board members etc, likely the nay sayers are making them seem like " major " issues.
Shocking so many would resign, no inside knowledge but if had to guess, sounds like the resignees were "over it".

VMT is a great place and everyone should be thankful for them being a nice home for equipment, but lets not kid ourselves that they are that into restorations and such. Their "yard" looks rough for sure. But again, easy to judge from the outside. However, seems a major oversight if BB wanted them back to run and the trips were profitable, that they didn't want to for whatever "reason"....

What source is it?

Hold on - so all this work went into this site in Goshen - only to have the primary driving force behind it resign from the board? Well there goes all that...

That could only be described as awful if it's what works out.

Having said that, it looks like there weren't to be any trips behind 611 this year for other reasons (see last pages of this thread for that background).

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47532

I remember when 611 was being restored / overhauled; the VMT was also planning on constructing a maintenance facility for the locomotive. All traces of this initiative and the fireup611 program have been wiped clean from their site unfortunately. Every inspection and bit of work done on the locomotive has been done at Strasburg or the N.C. Transportation Museum.
I wonder if the class 1's are no longer willing to tow the locomotive to those sites for repairs or pulling cars around for the summer. Something like that along with more short lines requesting steam locomotives burn oil instead of coal (this is from the Reading 2100 team's press releases on YouTube) would definitely put a damper on operational opportunities.

It is accurate that 6 board members resigned at the beginning of the recent membership meeting. Among them is a former official of Norfolk Southern who understands modern railroad operations as well as Will Harris who, as previously mentioned, is the person who spearheaded the events last year in Goshen and funded them with his own personal money. All of the transformation that took place to turn an open field into a stop point for excursions with parking and gravel pathways was paid for by him and not the museum.

Each board member that resigned apparently handed in a letter of resignation which included a list of the issues they had concerns about. All of the letters mentioned things such as....

1) financially irresponsible with the state money

2) VMT interference with the operations of the 611

3) Questions around locomotive maintenance and condition

I have not been involved in the locomotive for nearly 4 years, deciding to step away once it started spending a lot of time up in Strasburg while I live a few States south, so I cannot personally speak to the current condition of the locomotive. I haven't had anyone say that the words "611" and "retire" were used so let's hope that's not the case.

I can say, having been involved with VMT for years on this project and others, that the financial irresponsibility subject comes up often. There have been a lot of questions about the state funding and how it was spent or where it went as well as questions about the money that was raised for the proposed locomotive facility that has not and will never be built. I had always thought that for a non-profit to raise money for a specific project, if that project were to end they could not just move the money to another bucket. Perhaps I'm wrong in that.

Some in the membership have also asked to see the financial records or where the money is going only to be told that this is private information despite VMT being a non-profit.

I will also mention that VMT has a record of treating volunteers like dirt. I put my name on this list because two years after walking away I received a one paragraph letter in which they thanked me for my time and thousands of volunteer hours I gave them well also telling me that if I came on the property I would be arrested. Laughable at best But if anyone finds out why I got the letter, let me know. I asked numerous times with no answer. There were others who also got letters with no explanation.

The leadership at this museum has been divisive and dysfunctional for a long time. Anybody paying attention or close to it sees that you have the same couple of characters staying on the board and in the leadership roles because there's no term limits. Board voting is set up where you have to be in person in the middle of the day on a weekday at the membership meeting to vote. The constant turnover in the past couple of years of executive directors before settling on the current one that has zero experience leading a museum. The current vice president who likes to reside to bullying techniques to get his way and if not throws a fit and then get you banned or outcast from the museum.

Peel back a couple layers of the onion and you see that it's actually a sad state. Let's hope it gets fixed and let's hope that solid leadership that can not only maintain but also grow the museum, including the 611 operations, can come from all of this.

I really hate to hear this, but honestly this news doesn't surprise me. Before 611 even turned a wheel in 2015 there was a growing sense of conflict between the Fire Up 611 team and the museum. Talking with volunteers as well as posts on social media have alluded to many struggles and points of contention over the years. I'm sure a lot of this is exaggerated, but running a mainline steam program is hard enough with a cohesive organization. Throw in a bunch of internal political struggles and it becomes doomed.

I have no doubt that the museum folks who are interested in preservation on the museum grounds and drawing visitors to Roanoke often look at the world through very different glasses than the 611 crew who want to run the engine. Museums and operators are quite often not on the same page. The best long term hope I see for 611 would be to lease it over to 3rd party "Friends of" organization.

Seems very unlikely they would be willing to lease out one of their main attractions but I agree that would be best for it to operate. Maybe base it out of Spencer if things could be worked out?

VMT has quite the list of equipment that's basically just rotting away in the back part of their museum. So if they wanted a nicer static type museum, like RR museum of PA etc, they certainly have some additional displays they could curate and put a pole barn over them etc. Certainly realize that's easier said than done but still...

From Will's comments:

"I can say, having been involved with VMT for years on this project and others, that the financial irresponsibility subject comes up often. There have been a lot of questions about the state funding and how it was spent or where it went as well as questions about the money that was raised for the proposed locomotive facility that has not and will never be built. I had always thought that for a non-profit to raise money for a specific project, if that project were to end they could not just move the money to another bucket. Perhaps I'm wrong in that."

"Some in the membership have also asked to see the financial records or where the money is going only to be told that this is private information despite VMT being a non-profit."

Some items on donations and financial records:

If a donor gives a restrictive donation to a specific project, it has to be used for that project alone and cannot be changed or altered unless the donor releases the museum from that covenant or the museum contacts the donors and requests their consent to use the funds for other projects. Anything else can be construed as fraud.

VMT's annual reports to the IRS are public information and can be found on various not for profit search engines.

Various States have specific outlines on how funds can be spent and also are matters of public record. A Virginia State Senator or Assemblyman's office can be helpful with this in finding the bill which allocated funds to VMT.

Board members have every right to challenge Officers and request itemized expenditures from a President/Treasurer-in writing at either the Board meeting or by certified return receipt mail and cc'd to all other Board member so items don't get "lost in the mail". Not responding or replying funds are "private/proprietary" are grounds for dismissal.

I consider Will Harris a close personal friend and feel that although I am privileged to know all the nitty gritty that resulted in the 6 Board members resigning at last weeks meeting I do not think it is my place to speak to the issues that led to this other than to say that Will Harris and the other 5 who resigned were the "doers" that made the 2023 excursion program happen and those 6 got precious little support from the " non-doers" on the Board, and yes, issues arose pertaining to the 611 mechanical crews leadership and functioning and that just added another reason for the 6 to resign.

Also, Will Harris went all in to make the 611 excursions possible including constructing the new 1500 ft. long siding so the 611 & train had an operating base on his land, building a 400 car parking lot , building access roads into the facility, organizing the volunteer car host crews, locating and moving to Goshen the 17 cars needed to make a train, coal & watering capabilities on site and on&on&on. He did this using his own funds ( and land) believing in the long term future for steam in Va.

Let's hope that somehow there's a happy ending waiting down the line for 611's sake although at the moment that would seem unlikely.

Respectfully, Ross Rowland

Hopefully the future of steam in VA is still bright. Mr. Harris has already made the investment out of his own pocket, the concept was proven last fall and Buckingham Branch was reportedly very happy. The seeds have been sewn. There is also a certain other 4-8-4 sitting up the road in Clifton Forge.

As for 611 though, what a shame. One of the most celebrated excursion locomotives given a miraculous second chance only to potentially sit cold because of politics. Really hoping something gets worked out.