N&W 611 Charlotte to Asheville via Saluda 10/25/92
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- Опубліковано 2 кві 2012
- Charlotte to Asheville
Westbound: Gastonia, Kings Mountain, East Gaffney, Inman, Near Tryon, Sand Cut, East Flat Rock
Eastbound: Henderson, Saluda, Melrose, Spartanburg
Hi8 Master recording
Can we just give a moment of respect for that beautiful whistle.
No.
No we cannot.
No. We will not respect it for only a moment.
We will respect and love it always.
K&L moment
@@FS2K4Pilot couldn't have said it better myself. Long live the 611 from the 90s
More like a scary whistle 😅
This is without question singularly the most beautiful steam whistle ever crafted. Such a shame the owner won't let her sing.
I was ON this excursion. One of the thrills of my life. I absolutely love the 611.
It's a Hancock 3-chime, commercially produced and sold by steam locomotive appliance supplier Manning, Maxwell and Moore of New York, NY. They were very common on late steam power as they were the only whistle expressly designed not to overblow on steam pressure in excess of 250 psi. They were used on all 3 of UP's big classes, the Big Boys, the larger Challengers and the 800 class Northerns,as well as on the SP Daylights, New York Central's Niagaras and many others.
YankInGA the Niagaras has NYC 6 Chimes
Similar to what the SP 4449 used from 1990 till 2010
Fun fact: the reason they split the train going up Saluda Grade was because they were afraid the combined horsepower of the 611 and three diesels might literally be strong enough to tear out the couplers on some of the older passenger cars in the train.
Great video! Saluda is quiet now, and likely won't see service again, but at least the Queen of the Rails is back on the high iron where she belongs!
Mark Hill the diesels were for braking power going back down the grade and they did no assistance for the 611 going up the grade
I’m typing this on October 25, 2022.
All I gotta say is that time flies.
Yes it is, and yes he was. The fireman who climbed up on the boiler and manually sanded the rails did a good job too.
Nothing silent about this engine. Love it! lol
Gotta say the N&W J class is the most gorgeous loco I have seen.Thanks for sharing.
Night shots A#1. You don't have to see, just by hearing the living breathing lady, you are seeing her. Thank you for sharing.
The bulk of N&W's trackage was not was steep mountain grades. Between Norfolk and Cincinnati you had 3 grades of consequence, Blue Ridge, Christiansburg and Elkhorn (all between 1.2% and 1.6%). Most of the remainder of the railroad was hill and dale running and flatland running on the east end. The Js were designed for quick acceleration on moderately graded track. They had enough power to keep the schedule with their trains on the steepest grades without helpers.
Full head of steam, loaded consist and a clear track to Ashville, annihilaing Saluda grade in the process, 611 was a real beast in the 90s.
0:00 now that is how 611s whistle should sound
611 and three high hood SD40-2's, you wont see me complaining about those diesels!
the 90s were truly the second golden age of steam.
almost all the iconic post-dieselisation engines were either still in use, just been restored, or had just come out of the shops.
i can't think of one class-1 steam engine that has been restored that wasn't in use back then.(accept for NKP 759 which was briefly restored and only really went on one major excursion)
I rode on this excursion. It was a memorable trip The train left Greensboro on a Sunday. The day before it went to Roanoke. Thanks for showing what it looked like from outside the train.
Wow! You sir are an artist! Those night shots are absolutely marvelous! Although the best shot in this video would have to be @2:56 where the lovely lady slips her wheels and chugs her way up the grade. Aside from that, all your shots in this video are magnificent. Very nicely done, a job well done and a favorite for me.
2:56
The J's did just fine on coal drags and time freights after they were removed from passenger service. Great video!
great video!!! I really wish the Saluda Line was still in service
Outstanding, she's cooking!
Added to a play list!
at 3:45 when she crests the grade that is amazing
YES YES YES !!
My father used to tell me all sorts of stories about 611 running by our house. He always told me how packed our driveway was that we couldn't get out. People would come around for miles just to see her run on the tracks, We have a good railroad crossing that doesn't have the flashing lights or anything so it's a prime spot for taking footage and pictures. It's probably going to be the same soon! I'm crossing my fingers!
Riley Ginger don't it will be this year
Alex Paumen don't worry
The FA is the weight on drivers divided by the starting Tractive Effort. A factor of 4, or slightly above, is considered good. If the FA is much greater than 4 the engine is considered overweight or underpowered, one symptom being slow acceleration. An FA under four makes the engine prone to slipping.
611 has a weight on drivers of 288,000 lbs and a starting tractive TE of 80,000 lbs, for a factor of 3.6.
611 was built for fast acceleration and HP at speed, not drag service on steep grades
Your explanation makes perfect sense in regards to 611 its almost a perfect marriage for no slipping. Thank you
very true
Glad you made this trip. You will make it no more. The rails have been cut.
Unless Norfolk Southern spends a huge amount of resources to return the Saluda Grade to operational status for increased freight traffic in the future, these scenes of N&W 611 on the Spartanburg to Asheville route will unfortunately never happen again. It is highly unlikely NS will reopen Saluda unless they are in DIRE need of it. Lets be thankful that at least we will be getting the 611 back on the rails. There are plenty of other places on the system where she can run long excursions.
Rail Joy Productions it good to see she was getting some exercise
A Sullivan besides, NS sold 26 miles of the line east from Asheville so that connection will never happen again
no revenue on that line
NS seems to hate everything that Southern railway did and even ended the steam program too. Remember that both places 611 was restored were Southern railway shops.
Southern railway fans love our steam queens
Why all the diesel pushers? I know that bad boy has enough power to handle all that. Damn that night shot at 5:44 is awesome
The Diesels are there for Dynamic Brake assist and in case anything were to go wrong
My favorite steamer. Can't wait to see her this weekend in Spencer! Soon her call will be heard again...
Fantastic!
I was under the impression that one diesel would be enough in such a small train...
This whistle better in the 90's then it got now
In 1980’s sounds like the whistle is unmotivated, and in 2010’s sounds like it’s angry
@@chickenoraria7559 and in the 2020's it sounds like it has asthma
@@EngineerDaylightSounds the Same Like '90s But With lower pitch
Greg, did you watch the video? The helpers were not attached when she pulled six of the cars up Saluda Hill by herself. Look at is this way: She has about the same amount of tractive effort as a single SD40-2, with a significantly lower factor of adhesion and a huge penalty in weight. Add to that that she had damp sand in her sandbox that would not flow through the sander pipes and you get a stall.
K&l trainz n&w 611 whistle at 0:03
The loco actually stalled near the crossing at Saluda while going upgrade. Was able to crawl the rest of the way upgrade though without the 3 high-hood SD40-2s
could you explain the adhesion factor please? I understand it's the amount of traction the engine has but does 3.60 mean?
What a beast!
Can't wait to see her in the 21st Steam Special.
thank you.
Does anyone notice at 0:03 that the tone of the whistle sounds like the whistle used on K&L Trainz's N&W Class J Model?
Think that’s the origin whistle for the K&L Trainz N&W J class.
Yeah, because Steve had to lower the pitch down due to the doppler effect in the video.
That's Inman at 1:13. We have a home movie from this time and I think that's our old blue Celebrity. I was only 2 years old. It's like Inception!
That video is very nice. I miss them days chasing her. Nothing...absolutely nothing compares to the J.
Who was engineer on this trip, if I may ask
Did they need 3 diesel-electrics to slow her down and keep it under the limit?
Why'd those sd40s randomly disappear?
Fantastic chase!
The Challenger has never run in this territory. 611 is not a mountain mauler, in fact she has a factor of adhesion of just 3.60, which would make her prone to losing her footing. Note that she slips with just five cars at Sand Cut and stalled shortly after passing me. Plus, the diesels brought the train down the mountain using dynamic braking, a much safer descent than using just air brakes.
Old girl is WORKING HARD!
Was that bridge towards the end the one before the grade to Saluda?😊
true, but there is still something special about 611's whistle, but I dont quite know what it is...
You have to walk up a path from Pearson Falls Rd. to track level.
THAT WHISTLE
I and two of my best friends chased that trip, we were in a red '72 Chevy PU. that was a wild and fun trip. Unfortunately my video in still on VHS tape and I have not been able to watch it for years. Do you have any out takes of folks milling about at the bottom of the mountain? Or maybe of that truck?
10:14 .....callin into the night
That big flash of light was the work of the late O. Winston Link, right?
Some bunch in Utica NY had a locomotive he owned up here at a gun store with a siding. I love his photo of the steam choo choo passing the drive in ...all flashbulbs.
what's with the three diesel units
+Jerry Hubbard Probably traction. Saluda is a very steep hill. The steepest one in the country in fact.
+The Creepernator +Jerry Hubbard The diesels were primarily there to provide dynamic braking on the return trip DOWN Saluda Hill. Secondarily, to pull most of the train up the grade. 611 had her work cut out for her, hauling her own weight plus 5 cars up the nearly 5% Saluda Hill grade. The power to weight ratio of those SD40-2s is much higher than anything ever achieved by any steam locomotive, especially when you factor in the necessary evil of hauling around 200+ tons of tender.
Thanks
+Jerry Hubbard cheating!
+Jerry Hubbard keep in mind, with only 5 coaches, 611 still stalled just shy of the top of the grade.
0:03, 0:16 Favorite parts of the whistle! 🤗
This was the time she stalled on her way up the hill right? Who ever was the engineer was really good to get the train going without assistance.
Mike Sexton again, received no credit
Hey, what are those diesels doing in there?
Steamers are not in normal use in the US. This was run so people could look at it and admire it. The infrastructure isn't present to support its planned trip always under its own power. Not enough water.
no water tender :) RIP Saluda Grade
Is that 611 J-class!
Most definitely.
0:07 the whistle
Saluda Mt. is not recommended for passengers trains, freight only.
0:07 K&L Trainz N&W 611 Whistle
Why so many diesel locomotives needed?
The Saluda grade is one of the steepest railroad grades in the nation. Also, given the weight of the train, they need the braking and traction power of the diesels to maintain proper control of the speed of the train. Being that Saluda is a steep grade, they must keep the train under 10 MPH the whole way to ensure safety of the train and crew. There are automatic track switches on both ends of the grade that are built to stop runaway trains. The train must keep under 10 MPH in order to keep the switches aligned for the main track and pass through them. If not, the sensors in the tracks will sense a potential runaway train and keep the switch aligned for the runaway train siding. Also, the diesels can provide dynamic braking which is something that 611 doesn't have. Dynamic braking is the use of the diesel's traction motors against the forward motion of the locomotive to help slow down the train along with the brakes. It also keeps 611 from having to wear down its own parts for braking on this grade.
+Gary Plastek Also notice that there is no Aux Water Tender, they were stretching out how far 611 could go on a single tenders worth of water.
Many reference works clearly state that the Saluda grades is in fact the steepest STANDARD GUAGE mainline grade in the U.S. There are a few very slightly steeper narrow gauge grades over shorter distances.
doesnt it use a shitload of steam to keep layin on the whistle? dont get me wrong, I cant wait to have my hairs stand up on the back of my neck again
Probably only a couple of millishitloads.
0:07 trainz whistle
k&l trainz origin n&w j class chime in 00:07
K&l trainz n&w j class chime 0:07
Am I to assume it would take three diesels to do the work of 611 on its own? Not surprising. I hate diesel backup. Destroys the aesthetics of the train and demeans the steam locomotive. I'm so glad 611 is being restored to service again. Can't wait! Thanks for posting this video. Wonderful sounds. For some reason the whistle sounds even better after dark!
+g bridgman Depends what you define as work. For slow speed lugging, one SD-40-2 has about as much tractive effort as the J and weighs quite a bit less, so it would probably do more work on the mountain. It probably would take all three to provide the kind of high speed horsepower that the 611 is capable of.
The old adage is that a steam locomotive is able to handle more train at speed than it is able to start whereas a diesel can start more train than it can handle over the road at reasonable speed.
Thanks for your reply. As you know, by now 611 is restored, up and running. Thanks so much to those that made it possible.
Why would it stall, it has 3 diesel helpers? Boggles my mind. I know the diesels are simply there just in case but its a steep grade and there's no shame in needing help to make it. The fact that it stalled is simply an epic fail. Way more motive power than needed and still stalled, wow.
Come to india we can teach you how to operate trains efficiently