All aboard!!!! Tickets are now on sale for “The Shenandoah Valley Limited” fall excursions featuring the 611!

These excursions are a joint partnership with the Virginia Scenic Railway, the Buckingham Branch Railroad, and the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

Tickets can be purchased at https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/buck ... -items=yes

I'm told on very good authority that first day sales are very strong with well over 50% of all seats already booked.

That's great news for steam and the 611.

Ross Rowland

If that's true then those are incredible results. They are running 30 trips over 5 weekends and I understand these will be 10 car trains so that's a lot of tickets!

Confirmed by the Trains Newswire: "We sold 45% of the tickets in the first 24 hours,” said Steve Powell, president of the excursion operator. “A lot of the premium seats have sold out and only a handful of single seats are still available in the dome car.”

Also worth noting in the same article is that notable passenger cars in the consist will include the Roanoke Chapter NRHS’s N&W Powhatan Arrow coach No. 537, and the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum’s Southern Railway sleeper lounge, Crescent Harbor.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/initial-ticket-sales-strong-for-upcoming-nw-611-fall-excursions/?fbclid=IwAR1Z4L1eAnGLxZj69DjKRDOecvxD6Isy5Y30GtYxInBCbpdi2FulFhkIsgQ

Also reportedly confirmed as coach seating: Three ex-C&NW, ex-VRE, gallery/bilevel cars from "Atlantic Railways" in North Carolina, which also has the former SPV-2000 cars as well.

Also in the fleet: Three cars from Great Scenic Railway Journeys, including the former IC round-end obs Ponchartrain Club in Iowa Pacific colors. And reportedly ATSF "Pleasure Dome" 501 (ex-Spirit of Wshington) is headed to join the train as well.

"Pleasure Dome"? Do the Frankie goes to hollywood guys know about this?

Some will hate me for saying this but those bi-levels are gonna be ugly in that consist.

(It’s true and you all know it!).

I loved riding the old Iowa Pacific cars - glad the Ponchatrain Club is having a good life still! I’d rather ride behind her again on the city of New Orleans, glad I got the chance when I did!

Ugly or not, they're going to sell - of course how many people said that the mismatched consists behind 765 and 611 in recent years were "ugly"? People still bought tickets, showed up track side, and the respective organizations benefited either way. The VMT will probably do very well with these trips, regardless of how "ugly" the bi-levels looked.

Reportedly/supposedly they're all getting a N&W Tuscan Red repaint.

And some of us will have no choice but to take what we can afford. There have been too many times when I've seen all the old folks "spending their kids' inheritances" up in first class, while the middle-aged ones with families cluster together in the one coach they bothered to put on the train, and younger ones still have no choice but to chase.......

There are a few reasons for the bi levels in the excursion consist for the 611:

1.) They are high capacity seating (only bottom level seats being sold. Tops will be open for the passengers who purchase tickets in the bi levels to have free rein for an unrestricted higher view).

2.) These cars were available for lease unlike many other cars this time of the year. Also the owners of the bi levels and VMT have a great relationship and the lease terms are very favorable for both parties.

3.) Location! Shipping these cars from NC is a lot cheaper than finding cars all over the country and shipping them to Virginia.

4.) Bi levels are currently or have been a part of many steam excursion operations including the 1225, 261 (Christmas trains and in the 90’s on the TC&W), 765 on CN&W in the 80s, 2472 on the Cal Train excursions, and the CB&Q excursions with 4960 and 5632.

Ah... if that's true that will help alot.

It's funny how people say "but they will sell" or "other railroads have done it" - sure. Both are true. It's also going to be an ugly consist. Also true. haha.

Anyone know if sales have remained strong?? Just curious. Ross Rowland