The slug set was having "Auto Start" issues. When the train stopped outside Newport, TN for regular servicing of the tea kettle, the mother for the slug set shut down. As we left the service stop 630 was doing it all on her own and with considerable effort IMHO. My perception was that by herself 630 was taking a while to get up to speed, not that it really would have mattered as we were headed into the gorge in short order. I believe that the NS Mechanical General Foreman (hope I got his title right?) who travels with the train had the slug mother re-started in short order and I'm pretty sure this was the only time she shut down that day and she was dropped at Asheville.

I seem to recall that T7 was there for all of this in an "official" capacity.

TVRM (Mark Ray or Tim Andrews being the official voices we can trust) can provide whatever level of detail they want us to have re. 630s status and condition. Standing here with my arms folded on the sidelines, I would guess that 630 is being used much harder than what was anticipated when her overhaul first was started. Sometime during the overhaul things changed (yeah, I know, nothing ever changes on the railroad, right?) and from that time forward I would guess (more like I'd guarantee) that the approach to 630's repairs did too.

Sooner or later stuff breaks. TVRM has some damn fine folks there to fix stuff when it does. We should consider ourselves fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy what they fix and assume that they take their commitments to have the engine at certain places and times quite seriously.

ETA

AMEN! I could not agree more.

With planned excursions just days away, are there any updates on 630?

According to the static I'm hearing, they're testing today and providing all goes well, they'll ferry it north tomorrow. Again, all of this is unofficial word on the street.

ETA

630 North bound for Bristol!!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=752326791446890

Congratulations and thank you to all the hard-working folks at TVRM!!!! Your work and dedication will be greatly appreciated and admired by both the young and the old.

As a side note, this is an interesting set of helpers that NS sent with her, a pair of SD40-2s instead of the mother-slug set. I bet the SD40-2s would be more reliable than the mother slug set.

The two SD40's are in anticipation of the grades out of Grundy VA the next two weekends. A bit more umph is always helpful.

Tim Andrews
Chattanooga,TN