Norfolk Southern 21st Century Steam Program - Summer 2015

Описание: Norfolk Southern’s 21st Century Steam Program began in 2011 and since then, has culminated in a feat not many people ever thought would happen: the restoration of N&W Class J #611. With the recent announcement of NS cutting back on this program for the 2016 season, there wasn’t a better opportunity to share some of the fantastic memories this program gave to us in 2015.

This video showcases four steam locomotives, N&W 611, SOU 4501, NKP 765 and RBMN 425, returning to the rails once again to the delight of many railfans and photographers across Virginia, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.

0:33 - N&W 611 races westbound along the NS B-Line outside Linden, VA on an excursion from Manassas to Front Royal. Company photographer Casey Thomason’s helicopter can be heard as the scene opens.

1:28 - After turning on the natural wye at Riverton Junction, N&W 611 gallops eastbound through the interlocking heading back to Manassas. Once again, Casey’s helicopter can be heard overhead.

3:00 - SOU 4501 pulls up to the station in Radford, VA on the NS Pulaski District after spinning itself at the Walton Wye. NS SD40 3170, painted in original Southern Railway paint, assists the 4501 on today's trip.

4:43 - NKP 765 approaches the town of Hubbard, OH during its second Youngstown to Ashtabula excursion in late-July. Just before I started recording, the train tripped a HBD just south of our location. The Youngstown Dispatcher can be heard in the opening scene discussing with the crew how that should be handled.

7:10 - The Portageville Trestle in Letchworth State Park does not have a long life left, so naturally, a shot of a steam locomotive traversing the impressive structure was the ideal spot. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought that as by the time NKP 765 arrived at the bridge, upwards of 150 people were waiting for it. The bridge has a 10 MPH speed restriction, making for a nice scene.

8:57 - A pause in Hornell to load the passenger lunches allowed me some time to get ahead of the excursion. Of course, road construction and traffic didn’t aid in me getting ahead quick enough! After departing Hornell, the train is seen back up to track speed passing a popular spot along the Castinelo River in Adrian, the sight of many Erie Railroad publicity photos.

9:48 - NKP 765 cools its heals at CP Corning after unloading passengers before turning on the wye. It was difficult to find a suitable spot to see the train in Corning where I wouldn’t be crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with people, but I managed to make the most of this spot, though I was pretty close to a twenty-foot drop.

12:23 - With passengers back on board, NKP 765 gallops westbound back to Buffalo seen from the Highway 417 overpass outside Addision. It was a game of hide and seek with the sun at this location as the train approached, but it managed to stay out right until the 765 passed beneath the bridge.

13:28 - After an arduous ordeal in Binghamton due to Canadian Pacific refusing to run the train over the Sunbury Sub, NS was forced to wait until all the proper clearances and paperwork were in the hands of the CP people before it could run south to Allentown. Thankfully, the day did not go to waste. With the last light of day illuminate the Nicholson Viaduct, NS 1074 pilots the NKP 765 south across the Viaduct, ending an already long day for the crews.

14:33 - One hour later, the train passes the CP yard in Taylor, PA. NS 1074 was added as a lead unit since CP refused to run the steamer by itself due to liability concerns.

15:51 - Ride along with the NKP 765 as we journey from Allentown to Pittston with a stop in Jim Thorpe. On-screen locations keep you informed where you are along the lines.

35:20 - NKP 765 soldiers up the grade of the NS Lehigh Line through the infamous cut at Glen Onoko, PA. Since the wye in Allentown is not large enough to accommodate the entire train, only the locomotive and the tool car were spun, thus sending the train up the first day with the private cars on the head end and the second day with the train in the normal position.

36:50 - Our last scene shows RBMN 425 pulling a Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway excursion through MP 126 in the Lehigh Gorge. Sporting its new paint, the engine hasn’t been running regularly until this year, most of the attention going to newly restored CNJ 113.

Many thanks goes to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Authority, the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad and the Norfolk Southern Corporation for hosting these excursions and keeping steam alive in the 21st century. Thank you for the wonderful memories and experiences that will truly be treasured for a lifetime.

Enjoy, subscribe, thanks for watching and Merry Christmas!