On the road again

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:23 pm

Update from our Facebook page:

Roanoke Chapter's antiques will hit the NS mail line again this Friday (10/7) eastbound for the Historic Appomattox Rail Days. We will be sending our N&W Alco T6 #41 operating as lead locomotive with the N&W Roanoke Shops built class CH caboose #518409 (1940) and Chapter member Jeff Shelton's 1969 N&W class C-31 caboose #518539 with member Percy Wilkins as engineer. We are picking up the NS Exhibit Car NS 27 at Montview Yard in Lynchburg on the way. On Sunday we will depart Appomattox at 5:00 PM for return to Roanoke returning the NS 27 to Montview Yard en route. Our Roanoke departure will be at 10:00 AM Friday from the Coach Yard at Roanoke Shops. We hope everyone will get to see 41 pounding the high iron over Blue Ridge. We wonder how long it has been since a POWERED Alco has climbed the mountain?!!! Remember to practice safe railfanning and enjoy the great weather. Thanks to all at NS and to the Chapter

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:23 pm

Will there be an NS locomotive in the lead?

NS is again showing they are not afraid of railroad history, preserved equipment and rail history organizations.

Congratulations to your group for earning their (NS) respect and trust. I hope your exhibition days go well and that you make many new friends.

Howard P.

Bob Lyndall · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:29 pm

N&W 41 made it past the Blue Ridge Parkway near noon today with two red classic cabooses in tow as seen below heading for Lynchburg and on to Appomattox for this weekends Railroad Festival:

Later, they picked up the NS Exhibit Car in Lynchburg and continued on to Appomattox as seen at the following link: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=377222

EDM · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:53 pm

Nice! Hope the GE was at idle, or better yet, dead-

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:12 pm

Wow. Just plain wow. And nice yellow markers, too. First class, guys. You rock.

Dare I ask if the trailing caboose has plain bearings?

Howard P.

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:13 pm

Just got home about 30 minutes ago, it's a 1 1/2 hour drive back from Appomattox. The GE was idling all the way, 41 did the work. She ran flawlessly, water temperature never got over 180. The only problem was a broken whistle cord. Caboose 518409 does have roller bearings, we changed her trucks out last year to come to this event. Thanks to NS for all their support in making this happen. The Appomattox RR Festival usually has about 10,000 visitors, it is their biggest tourist event of the year.

PennCentral4321 · **Joined:** Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:45 pm **Posts:** 128

Gary,

Glad to hear that you had a good trip with 41! It is also good to hear of the good working relationship you are forging with NS. Keep up the good work.

Mark

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:09 pm

Our "media dept." just put a bunch of shots from today up on our Facebook page if anyone is interested:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/roanokenrhs

CBQ483 · **Joined:** Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:19 am **Posts:** 47

We've posted some more pictures from yesterday's run to Appomattox, as well as some from the Rail Heritage Festival today. We'll be there until 5pm tomorrow as well and then the equipment will move back to Roanoke, dropping NS 27 back in Lynchburg en route. We've had a great time and want to thank Norfolk Southern and our hosts in Appomattox for making this happen.

https://www.facebook.com/roanokenrhs

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Sat Oct 08, 2011 11:24 pm

The attendance today was very good, but the numbers were hard to judge. Last year we had one "entrance & exit", which resulted in having to send 20-30 people on board at a time, then waiting until they got off for the next batch. The line was probably close to an hour long. This year, with the addition of the NS Exhibit Car, we were able to route visitors in through the Exhibit Car and out through the first caboose. Those who were interested could then tour the second caboose. During the busiest time, the wait was only about 15 minutes. Probably well over 1000 visitors, maybe as many as 2000.

CBQ483 · **Joined:** Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:19 am **Posts:** 47

We've just uploaded a few more photos from Sunday at the Appomattox Rail Festival and of the equipment moving back to Roanoke yesterday evening. We want to thank everyone who came out to see us, we had a great time. We also want to thank the town of Appomattox, VA for the invitation and for Norfolk Southern and their employees for giving us permission to take our equipment to Appomattox again and for all their help getting there and back. We hope to see everyone again next year!

https://www.facebook.com/roanokenrhs