I think VMT knew that they would only have a few years at best to run excursions with NS. That’s why they pushed to get 611 done. If NS allows 611 excursions in the future they will have to be Amtrak trains. Is 611 Amtrak certified? But there’s still the problem of NS if they will even allow 611 excursions at all, even if VMT works with Amtrak and Amtrak pays for insurance. It’s the matter of if NS is willing to accommodate 611 excursions on its busy railroad or be liable for the general public on their property. We should be glad that NS gave us at least 6 years of steam excursions. I see why VMT has Amtrak trips minus 611 listed for the spring. Because maybe NS, Amtrak and VMT couldn’t come to an agreement for 611 excursions this spring. It’s NS that’s being stubborn. It’s their railroad and they reserve the right to say no. I fear that NS might be becoming like CSX, or like how they were in 1995 and up when they didn’t allow steam excursions at all. The auctioning of five of the excursion coaches last summer should have been a clue that NS was going to no longer host steam excursions after spring 2017.
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