611 Under Steam TODAY

A beautiful sight!

 

definitely looks like a living breathing monster...  is the engineer releasing blowdown steam for added effect?

That is not steam from blowing down.  That steam is coming from the cylinder cocks, which have been opened to clear the cylinders of any water.  Just starting out there isn't much if any heat in the cylinders so water will form when steam enters and water isn't compressible and could cause damage if not expelled.

10-4.  I thought he was showing off for the fans in some fashion..

I am not a fan of the streamlined 'J' but great to see another restoration on the move!

One step closer to active duty.

Thanks for the video would like to see more.

The REAL 21st Century began yesterday !    Huzzah !

 

It's very nice to see the 611 back under steam again, and yesterday felt like a dream--still does, actually.

 

It was also beyond cool to hear the 630 wound up to 40mph with about 8-9 cars and no diesel, or the deafening assault out of the Knoxville river bottoms to Alcoa in 2012.  That engine made a believer out of me.

 

Actually, feels like a time warp at the moment to sit planning the summer with the 611, 4501 and 765 out on the mainline.  My, how the fortunes have turned.  Very interesting times that we live in.

Kevin

I can assure you that the LAST thing on the engineers mind is creating "effects" for the railfan photographers. That's just not part of the operation at all.

 

In this video the locomotive is just starting out first thing in the morning. The cylinders are cold, so the steam will condense in them. Water will not compress, so if it was allowed to build up in the cylinder, it could blow a cylinder packing, cylinder head or even bend a rod. Opening the cylinder cocks to allows the water to escape. Once the cylinders warm up a little and there is no sign of water at the cocks, the engineer will close them.

A beautiful sight, I'm a big fan of the streamlined steamers, and that one shines like a new penny!

 

It's also great to see another restoration on the rails and ready to pull it's load.

 

Majestic