Its like stepping back in time to 1994!

Multi-million restoration? 1218 perhaps, but not 611. As I have observed from personal inspection of the locomotive, the 611 is in very good shape and a restoration should not be any more than new flues and the required boiler inspection, as well as an inspection of the running gear and a few other details.
For the record, 1218 is not that bad of shape either, just needs replacement of some missing parts as well as completion of the rebuild it was undergoing when the original NS steam program shut down in 1994.
Lois
Friends of the 611

It may not need much work compared to some locomotives, but you have to have the facilities and equipment to do the work and maintain it when it's operating. All that isn't going to be cheap.

I suppose it would be too much to think that it could be housed in the NS Roanoke shops, even though I imagine it will be used in the steam program again if it is fired up.

"Very good shape" still could easily (and probably does) mean a lot of work anyway. I wouldn't be shocked at all if 611 needed well into 6 or 7 figures to get running again, regardless of what shape she's in right now.
As for 1218, I saw photos of her right before NS stopped working on her. She's missing more than a little hardware and I've seen photos of a lot of parts simply thrown into the front end and the smokebox door dogged shut afterward. She was in the middle of a lot of work NS pulled the plug.
We're not talking about a park engine that will not have a place to kepe it under cover. VMT would be a fine place to keep 611 between runs if she ever steams again and I'd assume the museum would rather not have it any other way, otherwise a key draw to the museum wouldn't be there to be seen on days when it isn't operating.

OK so you're working on 611 and you need to drill a hole. Where precisely is the shelf containing the magnetic-mount drill press? And then you grab the blowgun to blast out the shavings, what's at the other end of the air hose making air?

Think of when home computers were still 5 grand. EVERY college wanted to have thousands of PCs in computer labs available to all students for general classwork, email, the early Internet stuff, etc. The problem wasn't spending 5 grand at the computer store. The problem was spending 10 grand with their own facilities department to get the building built to put this PC in. Turns out colleges don't have a bunch of empty indoor space lying around waiting for the next trend.

What's it gonna cost for VMT to build a shop capable of restoring 611?
(of course there is one a mile away, now that I think of it.)

I do believe a building nearby to the museum is being considered in the study. For those that didn't see it, this was mentioned in the first study report, emailed by the VMT back in March. It would be a necessity not only in providing weather protection during work but also privacy and safety of visitors, especially when dangerous operations like welding and the like are taking place. Besides, it spares the visitors from seeing a certain lady stripped of her finery.
Lois
Friends of the 611

It IS possible to have one location where repairs and maintenance are done, and have a SECOND location where the locomotive is stored when no work is being done. And that 2nd location could certainly be in a museum. (Conversely, it is possible to make the shop area open to the public as a tourist attraction, if done correctly.)

FYI, The local NPR affiliate taped several interviews at VMT yesterday which will be aired in conjunction with the press conference. Rumor has it that a major News Network might also be attending....... Let the Foaming begin....

In terms of a building, in terms of the cost of a building.... the interpretive aspects are more costly than those of functionality. 1522 was rebuilt with no shop, was rebuilt with only a glorified poll barn. 765 was rebuilt in a cornfield, was rebuilt in a large building with an inspection pit, air compressor, welder, a small lathe or two and plenty of hand tools. Point is, for a locomotive that likely won't see 365 days or operation over a 15year cycle one doesn't need to recreate TVRM, Cheyenne, Jerry Joe's Roundhouse or the new restoration shop of the B&O museum.

The proposal I was involved with, which was put together with the input of several key people including one of the current committee members, focused on the interpretive value of rebuilding the locomotive right where the "A" sits in a very minimalist manner. But! The opportunity here to create a mechanical/interpretive facility where the A and the J can be housed and displayed is huge! Think along the lines of the Henry Fords roundhouse.
A building could be built that interpretively allows one a window into what it would have been like to walk through East End Roanoke where the locomotives were built. Curatorialy allows for the long term preservation of the locomotives removing them from the relatively open air environment they are in (which is FAR better than what most locomotives have for a home). All the while functioning more than adequately as a basic restoration shop which allows the public to witness a type of work and a variety of skill sets that they otherwise would never likely see in their lives.

I look forward to about 2 hours from now.

Cheers All Jason

Results posted

http://fireup611.org/the-campaign/the-f ... ity-study/

Interesting parts.

Locomotive to be restored at the North Carolina Transportation Museum

Locomotive maintenance facility to be built at VMT 2 bay N&W style “Lubretorium”.

The last point below makes me wonder if this is actually happening of if it's all dependent on the money still being raised. While the restoration may only take 9 months, the whole time frame could still be years. We'll probably find out more at the actual press conference.

"Estimated time for completion of work is nine months. The rebuild will be headed by Scott Lindsay, assisted by skilled paid staff and volunteers."

"The Committee was unable to locate a suitable facility in the Roanoke area to host the restoration. The search turned outside of Roanoke and the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) at Spencer, North Carolina was selected."

"611 was invited to participate in the 21st Century Steam Program, both for public and employee excursions."

"The Fire Up 611 Committee recommends that a capital campaign be undertaken to finance the restoration of the N&W 611."

From a local news report...they are jumping on this thing quick, which they need to do. I would think they have at least some funding lined up, whether announced or not.

A couple of quotes:
"Supporters say they need to raise at least $3.5 million to restore the engine, build a mechanical shop and develop an excursion program."
"The museum hopes to have contributions and pledges lined up by the end of October, so the 611 can join the Norfolk Southern 21st Century Steam Excursion Program next year."

I should hope that they don't start without a substantial amount of money in the bank. It does appear that this group has a vigorous fundraising arm and motivated sponsors in hand, so I think this project will move much faster than some might expect.

Honestly, I hope that the money for the shop/interpretive space is set aside first, so that if nothing else happens, the engines can be moved into an upgraded storage space.

Good luck to them. If you support 611, this group looks like a good investment to ensuring its operation.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

from Train's Mag story
"The new shop would be built on the museum grounds in Roanoke, but it could be a year to 18 months before it is constructed. It will include one track with a drop pit, while another will be just rails and concrete. The building will be designed to handle other purposes such as special events, where tables and displays could be set up as needed.

When the locomotive isn’t undergoing maintenance, it will not remain in the shop but be put on display at the museum, although it may swap display positions from its current location so the J is more prominent, Claytor says. “We would prefer to keep it closer to the main displays as opposed to people having to go over to the shop to see it, where they can get up close and touch it as opposed to just looking at it through glass,” he says"