Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 Steam Train Battles Up Slippery North Mountain Grade (10/15/23)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 ноя 2024
- READ:
In another display of skill and power, The Queen of Steam and her crew dig in for the tough fight up the final mile of uncompensated 1.55% grade eastbound towards North Mountain. It had been drizzling all morning, and not 5 minutes before the engine showed up, a quick patch of rain had ensured the rails were nice and wet. Watch and listen as engineer Bob Saxtan wrestles the throttle to keep the big engine and her 13-car, ~1250 ton train from stalling on the curve just before the summit. Speed drops down to about 5 mph, but eventually, the engine finds her footing and makes it over the top. Enjoy =)
Full chase movie: • Chasing Norfolk & West...
Woooow! So beautiful video! Super captures of this wonderful steam locomotive and train! Congratulations, have a nice day!
Nice and steady camera work, no trying to zoom in and zoom back out and no annoying voice over or music.
Great video 🎉
I am guessing that each run the engineer makes, he gains a little more experience about this particular section of rail and how best to handle it. On the 13th, we actually got stopped & went backwards a little a few times at some point, & got a few jerks as she suddenly gained footing again. We were told it was due to the wet leaves on the track. I am guessing from what I have read since then, that it was on North Mountain that we had these issues.
Engineer and fireman have to be in sync not to blow the fire out with those huge drafts as the engine slips. Steady hand on the throttle, but also on the stoker keeping the fire going without choking it with too much coal as the engine slows and the draft is reduced.
Wow, way to be creative and catch this spot! Looks really awesome
Outstanding, Awesome sound....
Cool video! Nice to see and hear 611
Very nice, though I'm wondering if anyone else heard, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" as 611 made her way up the grade....
What’s the reason why NS won’t let it use its tracks anymore for excursions? But NS will transport it over its tracks. And who owns this line? It was CSX ex-C&O and Amtrak still uses it for a Washington to Chicago train.
Insurance costs were the cited reason. This line is operated by Buckingham Branch RR on a 20 year lease from CSX that expires end of 2024.
Insurance, No PTC, and it doesn't fall into "making them money". limited to 40MPH she'll take up track where other trains came use and make money...
What happens when it expires? Does CSX take it back and ban future 611 excursions because CSX still won't allow railfan excursions except the Fall Colors train in WV because their lawyers don't want them to, too much risk and liability. Somehow the New River/now Fall Colors excursion was grandfathered in and uses Amtrak diesel power since 1995. Amtrak still hasn't relaxed their March 2018 excursion ban either. 611 could have run on NS in 2018 and up if Amtrak took over hosting the excursions, but then the ban happened because of then Amtrak head Richard Anderson. Ex-NS CEO Wick Moorman was head of Amtrak a bit after he left NS, he was the reason the 611 was restored in the first place, and why it was able to run three seasons of excursions on NS even after he left NS. I heard that 611 won't even fit at the new Amtrak platform in Roanoke because the 611 is too wide and it's a high level platform. I guess we will never see a 1982-1994 ever again in regards to the 611 touring the NS system. The newer excursions 2015-2017 were more limited in that they stayed within Virginia and North Carolina, but some of the excursions were quite long, over 200 and over 300 miles round trip. They were going to go farther like to Atlanta, GA and maybe north to PA if the Amtrak deal went through in 2018. But, at least It got to Strasburg twice. I rode behind it at Manassas, VA on June 4, 2016 and at Strasburg Sept 2019. It's better with open windows, I rode in one of the open air coaches toward the rear at Strasburg and could hear the bark and the deep whistle unlike during the Manassas 4 hour, 104 mile excursion in a sealed window coach way back. I live 60 miles northeast of Strasburg. We stayed overnight at a nearby Best Western in Paradise off of Rt. 30. My late mom's sister lives north of Rt. 30 since June 2019, the road to Strasburg Rt. 896 but the other way north of Rt. 30. I lost my mom last year on June 14 in the hospital because her lungs were weak, and my mom's sister lost her husband this past March 31 from strokes, he was rushed to the hospital but they couldn't save him. He was still working in the investment business, and he owned his own company in Princeton, NJ area with a partner for several years, the partner bought his share of the company after he passed and the legal stuff was taken care of. My aunt has a married daughter with a son and daughter nearby maybe a mile away, and a married son a month older than me with a son and daughter in West Chester. My aunt and late uncle lived in Newtown, Bucks County since 1979 to June 2019, and Delaware two years in the late 70's, and my area before that.
Is this your original clip? How did you get to this spot?
Yes, this is my clip. Park on the side of route 42 and walk in.
@@FanRailervery nice. I bet the sound was insane in person
Yes. Quite.
wonderful catch 16, full watched ⌚ 8:10
ah, it's the train that can't