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Two weekends this will run in Oct. bookending York week, with one run on York Sat.  The email address would not

work, so, out of curiosity, is this steam as it has been in the past, or diesel on these trips.  This goes through

what should be fall leaves in the New River Gorge between Huntington, and Hinton, W. Va. past Thurmond and

Sandstone Falls.

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I tried emailing them again, with better success and they responded and said the last

time it was in steam was 21 years ago!  I can hardly believe that...wow...doesn't time

fly when you are having fun, and especially when you are not!?  I lucked out with the

only possible trip, so it had to be that one.  They need to scrape up a steamer from

somewhere...I think there is a rusting C&O 2-8-4 in Chillicothe??. Ohio, sitting in a

park?  Although I'd much rather ride behind one of the Mikados or even a Pacific, IF

any of those survived...

Originally Posted by colorado hirailer:

I rode it behind steam and one engine had a problem, and it had to be towed home,

I thought behind another steamer, but it was later and could have been a diesel

helper...it was NOT 20 years ago....will check..could have been ten...

Yes, 1991 NRHS convention.  765 was double-heading with 1225.  1225 suffered a themic siphon failure, so 765 pulled 1225 AND the rest of the train (30-35 passenger cars!) 

Considering the excursions are still very popular, I'm not sure they even need the drawing power of a steam locomotive any more.  Even if CSX were steam-friendly, there's a considerable dead-head cost to get a steam engine to Huntington--money that cuts down on the profit made from the excursions.

 

Don't think I'd hold my breath seeing steam return to the New River Train, sad to say...

Kevin

My youngest son and I rode the New River Train I believe in 2010 and I counted 32 cars on that train.  We were pulled by three Amtrak engines. 

The scenery along this train's route is well worth the ticket price regardless what power is on the head end.  And honestly, when you're back in the train, it doesn't really matter much what is pulling it for as often as you actually get to see the engine or engines.

In any event; book the trip; you will not regret it!

Curt

So CSX will allow special excursions like New River, and the other trips Collis P. Huntington operates with Amtrak like to DC, NYC, etc. but no steam power even with a reliable locomotive like 765 or 261? What exactly turned them off on steam? 611 is running on NS with no problem. How can 611 still be running with Wick gone, anyway? Is Jim Squires simply being a nice guy and letting VMT run more excursions with 611? This will be the third season of 611 excursions since its overhaul, and the second without Wick Moorman at the helm of NS. If Hunter Harrison wants to be boss of CSX, let him. He doesn't care about steam anyway, like CSX. He killed CP's steam program when he took over in the summer of 2012, but 2816 was down for repairs anyway, so it simply remained parked. It is hard to run special excursions on railroads that have shareholders and trade on the stock market because they have an obligation to their shareholders to perform (move freight quickly and efficiently) and show a ROI for what they do. NS, UP, and BNSF, though currently allow steam but only on their terms, like NS is only allowing 611 for now and UP only allows their own steam like 844 and BNSF allows steam excursions on a case by case basis, like with 261 and SP 4449.

Robert K posted:

So CSX will allow special excursions like New River, and the other trips Collis P. Huntington operates with Amtrak like to DC, NYC, etc. but no steam power even with a reliable locomotive like 765 or 261? What exactly turned them off on steam? 611 is running on NS with no problem. How can 611 still be running with Wick gone, anyway? Is Jim Squires simply being a nice guy and letting VMT run more excursions with 611? This will be the third season of 611 excursions since its overhaul, and the second without Wick Moorman at the helm of NS. If Hunter Harrison wants to be boss of CSX, let him. He doesn't care about steam anyway, like CSX. He killed CP's steam program when he took over in the summer of 2012, but 2816 was down for repairs anyway, so it simply remained parked. It is hard to run special excursions on railroads that have shareholders and trade on the stock market because they have an obligation to their shareholders to perform (move freight quickly and efficiently) and show a ROI for what they do. NS, UP, and BNSF, though currently allow steam but only on their terms, like NS is only allowing 611 for now and UP only allows their own steam like 844 and BNSF allows steam excursions on a case by case basis, like with 261 and SP 4449.

To my belief, and I may be wrong, CSX stopped using steam because of rising insurance costs. If something like a derailment occurred and a passenger was injured, it would cost CSX big bucks because they would be liable because the injury happened on their property. That's what killed the first Norfolk Southern steam program in the 90's. Also, steam locomotives wear out the rails when the pistons push down.

Last edited by Brody B.
Rusty Traque posted:
Railfan Brody posted:
Also, steam locomotives wear out the rails when the pistons push down.

 The only steam locomotive that has pistons that push down are on a Shay...

I suspect a 100 car coal train causes much more rail wear that the occasional steam locomotive excursion does.

Rusty

I'm talking about the hammer blows as the piston moves down.

Railfan Brody posted:
Rusty Traque posted:
Railfan Brody posted:
Also, steam locomotives wear out the rails when the pistons push down.

 The only steam locomotive that has pistons that push down are on a Shay...

I suspect a 100 car coal train causes much more rail wear that the occasional steam locomotive excursion does.

Rusty

I'm talking about the hammer blows as the piston moves down.

Unless you've got a Shay, or a major problem, pistons on steam engines don't move "down".

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