# Fire up N&W 611- first initial check of locomotive



## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

N&W J611 under steam power


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## HampshireCountyNarrowGage (Apr 4, 2012)

OK I've got a question. It's really, really great seeing her under steam again and I hope she can be kept running for some time to come. But where does the crews come from? If I'm not mistaken, the engineer has to have a full understanding of the entire locomotive to get his or hers license. As does the fireman and in the this case a firewoman. She doesn't appear to be old enough to have been in train service the last time the 611 was running. So where do these people get the required experernce to run this locomotive? There aren't that many mainline steam locomotives running these days.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Steamtown National Park has a program:
Railroad Operations
/Train and Locomotive Department
Volunteers in the Railroad Operations department serve as engineers, fireman, conductors,trainman and yardmasters.Due to federal regulations, these positions require extensive[up to 40hours]mandatory
initial and annual training.Depending on staffing and scheduling, it can take 
up to 5 years to become qualified as a steam locomotive engineer. You will also be asked toserve a number of hours in the restoration/locomotive shops.Volunteers with demonstrated railroad experience are encouraged to apply. Training is usually held 
between January and April of each year. 
FRA qualifications and boiler certificate would be in order I believe on the main line operations.

Based on insurance for the operations of the N&W I would tend to believe that the individuals in the cab are qualified.


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## HampshireCountyNarrowGage (Apr 4, 2012)

Thanks for the explaination Charles. It's good to know that hard work does still pay.


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## Britstrains (Feb 24, 2008)

Sure is great to see her rolling again! As to the firewoman, I believe that might be Cheri George and she was one of the firemen when 611 last ran.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles;

There is even more excitement afoot along the rails to Roanoke. Y6a 2156 is currently being moved slowly, but steadily toward Roanoke, VA. The locomotive (with it's own special train) left Portsmouth, OH around 1:30 pm this afternoon, and is expected to arrive in Bluefield, WV sometime after midnight. Speed is restricted to 25 mph for the diesel pulling the Y6a, so sometime the train gets detained to allow faster revenue service to run around it.

Soon an example of each of the N&W's "Big Three" (A, J, & Y) will be together again in Roanoke, VA.

I'm just waiting for the Swedish Bikini Team to come paddling down the Roanoke River, because like the old commercial used to say: "It just doesn't get any better than this!"

Regards,
David Meashey


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

*Charles,*

*Wow! You meant the real one.*


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## boilingwater (Jan 27, 2010)

Tom,

Accucraft's version may not see the light of day with only 8 "confirmed" orders....

Dave-I remember admiring the y class when she was in St Louis. Amazing engine. I wish it wasn't so far a haul for me...

Sam


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice looking loco. How many restored northerns are there?


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Sam,
If they had demoed it @ Diamondhead pulling a rake of matched coaches, instead of freight trains, they might have sold a few more. But no one asked me for my opinion.


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## boilingwater (Jan 27, 2010)

Tom,

Yes, good point. I have the coaches on order as well but those are likely not coming any time soon either....Regardless, we do get to enjoy seeing the real one!

Sam


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## livesteam5629 (Jan 2, 2008)

Great news! 4501 is back in steam. Just completed a high speed run to determine if the new main bearings are good to go. All is well. Go over to LSC to see the video.
Noel


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Paul Burch said:


> Nice looking loco. How many restored northerns are there?


I believe that are 4 in some stage of being restored and 5 operational:

N&W J 611
Milwaukee Road 261
ATSF 2900
SP&S 700
SP 4449


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## boilingwater (Jan 27, 2010)

A recent shot of the 261...a little closer for me than the 611....excursion on her this weekend from Minny to Chi town...unfortunately, another booked weekend....

//http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4086044


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

I think UP's 844 is also this class, and in running order?


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

I believe that 844 might be done for about 2 years under going a restoration.


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Hopefully seeing the real one will increase the pre-orders.
Thanks for posting the Fire up N&W 611- first initial check of locomotive


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Mark,

What you need for more orders are a rake of coaches. Anybody know who is making them?


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles, I knew N&W 611 was being returned to steam, but I thought she was down in Roanoke - is she at Steamtown in PA? (If so, think a trip there might be in order, about a 6 hour drive for me). 

 Tom Lapointe


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

boilingwater said:


> Tom,
> 
> Accucraft's version may not see the light of day with only 8 "confirmed" orders....
> 
> ...



Something is a miss....high profile locomotive in the news and on the minds of steam enthusiasts along with a "20th anniversary" denotation would seem to bring more advance orders than 8. 

Tom-
No, the work on the 611 is not being done at Steamtown. No way they could have completed the work and out onto rails in time frame that it has gotten to under steam!


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## boilingwater (Jan 27, 2010)

Charles,
That number was given to me by an Accucraft insider fairly recently...perhaps the news of the 611's resurrection will raise the number high enough to generate a production date...we'll see....I'm sure for vendors, like Accucraft, these are difficult calls to make.....

Sam


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom;

The work was done at Spencer, NC. The facility was once the steam shop for the Southern RY (back when steam ruled, that is). The roundhouse and turntable are still in excellent condition.

Y6a 2156 is also returning (or may have already gotten here) to Roanoke, VA, although THAT locomotive is not moving under its own steam. Soon rail enthusiasts will be able to view all of N&W's "Big Three" (A, J, & Y) side by side.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the clarification on 611's location, Charles  - am I correct in assuming the work on her was done in Roanoke.  i only had a chance to view the first minute or so of the video, & at fast glance, thought the roundhouse was the Steamtown one.  Surprised & pleased  they got her back in operation so quickly. . Tom


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

Didn't see yor post before I put up my last one, Dave, thanks for the clarification. Tom


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## gaugeonebloke (Aug 18, 2008)

*Accucraft 611 status*

I renewed my order today and was told that development of the Accucraft 1/32 scale N&W 611 was ongoing with the boiler (alcohol or gas ) and variable cut-off valve gear areas of focus. It has NOT been cancelled although it has been delayed. Working valve gear would make this loco a very special Accucraft locomotive that should appeal to a wider audience than just those interested in the N&W - in my opinion


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Hopefully there will be an update along with "show and tell" at the NSS event in July as to the status on the N&W J611


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

All;

I scored a major coup` this morning. I will be riding that train from Lynchburg, VA to Roanoke, VA!

The Roanoke Chapter, NRHS sent a postcard last week announcing that they would have 50 tickets to sell for the ride from Lynchburg to Roanoke, including bus fare to Lynchburg to meet the train. Tickets went on sale at 8:00 am today, and I was on the phone at 8:01 am hitting the redial button like a fiend. By 8:10 am I had secured my ticket. The cost was $45.00, and tickets were only available to Chapter members.

I don't know whether any of you have been on a mainline steam excursion lately, but $45.00 represents an extreme "bargain basement" price.

Happily yours,
David Meashey


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## gaugeonebloke (Aug 18, 2008)

Am I right in thinking that it will travel over the old Virginian line with its easier grades ?


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Gaugeonebloke;

Since 611 will be returning from Spencer, NC, I expect that most of the route will be former Southern Ry track. Once the train arrives in Lynchburg, VA, it will return to former N&W track.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave
Enjoy, at this point we can only await your posting on the event as our schedule conflicts with the steam event dates.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles;

I picked up my ticket and the trip itinerary at the Chapter meeting last evening. I will try to get some photos on the 30th to post on this thread.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

HampshireCountyNarrowGage said:


> OK I've got a question. It's really, really great seeing her under steam again and I hope she can be kept running for some time to come. But where does the crews come from? If I'm not mistaken, the engineer has to have a full understanding of the entire locomotive to get his or hers license. As does the fireman and in the this case a firewoman. She doesn't appear to be old enough to have been in train service the last time the 611 was running. So where do these people get the required experernce to run this locomotive? There aren't that many mainline steam locomotives running these days.


 A lot of them were empolies from the past NS steam program. They live all over the east cost.


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## Skeeterweazel (Feb 11, 2014)




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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

Dave,

What time are you supposed to board in Lynchburg? (And where?) I plan to chase from there to Roanoke. They are saying between 2:00 & 4:00 pm arrival in Roanoke on the website.

Scott


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Scott;

We must be at the boarding site by 12:15 pm, BUT the train may or may not necessarily be there by then. 611 is also supposed to take on water in Lynchburg. Don't know how long that may take, as water towers and high volume water plugs are no longer part of the infrastructure. Arrival in Roanoke is noted as "between 2:00 and 4:00 pm." It is almost as if the LGB product design team made our schedule (think rubber clock instead of rubber ruler). That is still the best information I have.

Almost forgot, boarding location is former N&W station location at Woodall Road.


Hope it was some help,
David Meashey


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

All;
 
The initial excursion behind restored N&W passenger locomotive 611 went well, although there were some "kinks" along the way. The locomotive was supposed to pull her train into Lynchburg, VA by 12:30 pm, but there were a few delays. The worst delay happened around 1:00 pm. A hot box detector near Otter River flagged the train for an overheated bearing. The crew inspected the train and found no problems. Apparently 21st century hot box detectors do not allow for the heat emitting from a steam locomotive's firebox.

The train finally got to Lynchburg by about 2:15 pm. The tender and canteen car needed the water replenished, so that took up about 45 minutes. Water towers and stand pipes are no longer part of the infrastructure.

We got moving again shortly after 3:00 pm. I used to work as a car host during the original steam program excursions, but I never saw so many people taking photos and waving to the train as I did today. The count was most likely into the tens of thousands.

We got into Roanoke by about 5:30 pm. I'm sure that the train's progress was mitigated somewhat by the sheer numbers of people close to the tracks. The area around the O. Winston Link Museum (the former N&W passenger station) looked like the site of a major rock concert. By then I was pretty tired, so I did not stay for all the speeches, but did take a photo of the VIP group gathered in front of the locomotive.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. I am sure it will be considered a bucket list event. Photos are below.














































Best wishes,
David Meashey


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## Great Western (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the interesting report Dave, sounds like a very rewarding trip.

I did manage to watch the Trains Magazine web cam and was lucky to catch 611 and her train going beneath a road bridge somewhere south of Lynchburg VA.
The next view point was much better. There was a wait of an hour or so - I was not clock watching  - but it was sited alongside the Lynchburg - Salem ( I believe) turnpike. A good view of 611 was had as she sped by. The wait was interspersed with interviews by folks who had travelled to see the train and Jim Wrinn also has something to say. All the interviews were made by a very pleasant young lady so the wait was not an issue. 
I could see the crowds at Roanoke VA at the old station and saw 611 and her consist pass through. That was another rewarding view. Someone (police or township) had the foresight to close some of the nearby roads.
Hopefully I may see her starting off for some of the events she is doing in the summer. At least living in England I am wide awake when the tour start over there.


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

It was a long day yesterday. Left Woodbridge, VA around 7:15 am for the three and a half hour trip to my first spot that I scouted out on Google maps south of Lynchburg, arriving there at around 10:45. Schedule for 611 was to be in Lynchburg around noon. Only myself and three others at the spot until around noon when a few others showed up. 611 came through at 12:41. After it passed I moved on to spot #2 I had scouted. Full of people, no place to park, so I moved to spot three. Same situation. then to four and so on until I decided to just get to downtown and capture its arrival. Bridges were full, so I opted for the glass enclosed bridge that goes from downtown Market Street area to the Hotel convention complex on the other side. No breeze or air in the glass box. It was like a sauna, so those of us who stayed there for two hours waiting were really hard-core. Best T-shirt I saw was one gentleman wearing a SP GS4 Daylight. The "other" most beautiful train in the world according to the locals. smile emoticon Left as soon as I got the last video and pics. Didn't stay any longer as it was already past five pm and I had another three and a half drive to go. Long day for six stills and 3 minutes of video. Will do it all again next Saturday when it comes to Manasas for the railfest.






Scott


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Scott

Thanks for the clip. Really nice how the "professional" videographers with the helicopter thing nothing of destroying the audio of the mere mortals on the ground.


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

> Really nice how the "professional" videographers with the helicopter thing nothing of destroying the audio of the mere mortals on the ground.


Hey Jim,

Yup. Hard to get quality video these days as a railfan out in the open. Private photo/video specials are better, but very very costly these days. Oh well.

Thanks,

Scott


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Scott / David

VMT has published a policy regarding almost every conceivable use of the image or likeness of ANY N&W J class locomotive, including references in works of FICTION or non fiction. I guess the VMT board of directors did not learn from the UP debacle or understand that the primary purpose of a museum is to preserve historical artifacts, not try to make them into revenue producers.

Read the full policy here: http://fireup611.org/trademark


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim;

After reading the guidelines, I'd say that most of the people photographing the train were exempt. They were taking photos for their own use, but not to turn into a profit. You can see just a small portion of the photo line at Lynchburg below. (I'm second from the end, and wearing my Steamaholics shirt.)










Companies and organizations can get very paranoid concerning the misuse of their brands and trademarks. Time will tell whether or not this backfires for the VMT. Even the late, great John Allen got into legal hot water once over a model. He built an HO lumber yard, then named it for an actual lumber company. He sent a photo to the company's office stating that he liked their name so much that he gave his lumber yard the same name. John's modeling and photography were so good, that the prototype lumber company's brass did not realize the photo was of an HO model. The officials sent their company lawyer to call on John!

Feces happen,
David Meashey


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

The attached link are a few of my photos from the Photo Charter on Thursday at the Spencer Shops of the NC Transportation Museum. It will be months before we sort through the video. We will be riding from Lynchburg to Petersburg VA on June 14.

https://www.facebook.com/richard.t....0200674310937122.1073741826.1741342744&type=3


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

To say nothing of the free advertising the museum is getting from pictures and videos posted to the internet.


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

I'll be heading out again this weekend (June 6) to chase #611. Will try again to use the video streaming app if I can get at least three bars while out in the wilds of Northern VA. I have made some changes to my Twitter accounts. You can find it now as @SmallScaleSteam for railfan and live steam stuff. The other @scotty_macd will get you updates on my other hobby - birding. Thought I'd separate the two so as to not confuse anyone.

Scott


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

From their website today about the trademarking:

Q: The Virginia Museum of Transportation has announced its initial filing with the US Patent & Trademark Office to register the N&W Class J 611. What does this mean? Can I still take pictures?

A: 611’s fans are welcome to take all the pictures they want for personal use, but anyone wanting to sell photographs, t-shirts, or other souvenirs, or use 611’s image in any way for profit must obtain a license agreement from the Museum. This requirement guarantees that products are authorized and that proceeds benefit the Museum and in particular, 611.


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Scott- Seems I will be heading out I 66 to Shenandoah on Saturday morning, so it will be irresistible to join the (presumed) hoards looking for a view of 611. Maybe out paths will cross. Wave a SITG lanyard over your head. 


Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Glad to hear 611 and Y6a 2156 are running again. We saw them years ago in Roanoke while on the way to an ECLSTS. I thought they would never run again.

611 is the only streamlined steam loco I would like to own a G gauge model of (electric) but that would not work unless there was a set of coaches to go with it. I'm safe, it will never happen and besides it is too late for me anyway.

Jerry


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

I added the 6 June Manassas to Front Royal and back run to the original video. 



 Flickr album is here: https://flic.kr/s/aHska3EPvu

Scott


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Only the 611 is running again. The A 1218 was the other N&W engine used in the Norfolk Southern steam program prior to 1994, and she remains on static display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. The Y6a 2156 has not run in preservation, she has been a static exhibit at the Museum of Transport in St. Louis since retirement from the N&W, and was just moved to Roanoke in the last few weeks on a 5-year loan to the VMT. There are no plans to get her steaming (that I'm aware of), but bringing her to Roanoke does mean that representatives of the N&W's "big three", the J, the A, and the Y6, are all together in one place for the first time since the end of the steam era.


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

People do not knw this BUT the strip on the enineer side of the cab is 1" shorter than that of the strip on the tender on both sides and the fire man side.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh By The Way, since today is 6/11/2015, I just wanted to wish everybody a Happy J Day! (It may not be an official holiday, but that's not gonna stop me. Remember, A Day - 12/18/2015 - is coming!)

Cheers,
David Meashey


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## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

> People do not knw this BUT the strip on the enineer side of the cab is 1" shorter than that of the strip on the tender on both sides and the fire man side.


I wonder if Accucraft will ensure that this detail is captured accurately in 1/32 scale on their new model? ;-)

Scott


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

HampshireCountyNarrowGage said:


> OK I've got a question. It's really, really great seeing her under steam again and I hope she can be kept running for some time to come. But where does the crews come from? If I'm not mistaken, the engineer has to have a full understanding of the entire locomotive to get his or hers license. As does the fireman and in the this case a firewoman. She doesn't appear to be old enough to have been in train service the last time the 611 was running. So where do these people get the required experernce to run this locomotive? There aren't that many mainline steam locomotives running these days.


 The crew members are from the crew in years past and some who worked on It this go around.
The fire woman you are talking about fired it in the 90's She also worked on the engine and knows it inside and out. She's a very smart person. I had the privilege to be at the shops every week and see the progress of the engine weekly. I do have video of the steam blow out and later that day I got to blow the whistle. Scott That rebuilt the engine was For the who know how many times, showed me around and answered questions I had and showed he how things work and the expansion of the boiler, press test, oiling process and too much more to explain.


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

611 Steam clean out I got a video of.


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

Setting pop off valves on 611 @ 300 PSI


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