I was proud to be on the original rebuild crew for 611,back in the 80s; rode many miles with her during my tenure at the steam department. I'm happy that she's still steaming to this day! Living,breathing history ; N&W 611❤
Dude yes!!!! I went on a whole tangent about this when she was first rebuilt back I think 2015 or 2016. There wasn't much info out on it at the time but I knew it sounded ever so slightly different than the one it had in the 90's. And youtube commenters back then where like, "I can't tell the difference" and some were calling me crazy. But I did a serious deep dive on the web over the course of several weeks and found out that the owner (I think one of the Clayton's) withheld the whistle from the 90's from the rebuild team over a disagreement over the writing "Spirit of Roanoke" on the cab so they had to make a replica which, though it still sounds great, sounds ever so slight different that the original. Pretty trivial reason to withhold the whistle if you ask me. But I'm so glad I'm not the only one who noticed.
I was a Southern employee from 6/65 to 8/78 and rode many a coal train over both these routes. Also fired the SR-4501 quite often. I will say that I was never comfortable going DOWN either of these grades. Also, while a short stretch of Saluda is 5%, the average grade from Belmont to Saluda was said to be 4.7%
Some clarification on things in this video: Salisbury to Asheville is the S Line and that's the line that the Old Fort Loops are on, but Saluda's a completely different grade on a completely different route. Saluda Grade is on the W Line from Spartanburg, South Carolina to Asheville, North Carolina via the town of Saluda, and that's the one with the 5% grade. The Loops; funnily enough, the route I live on; aren't as steep. Note: Norfolk Southern did abandon Saluda Grade at the end of 2001 because of the costs associated with it and I'm fairly certain the rails of the route weren't picked up. Or at least the rails of the grade itself and sidings at Melrose weren't picked up at the very least, given that there are videos of 'em post-abandonment. If you do some looking here on UA-cam, you'll find videos of people exploring the old route and finding those old rails. 1st edit: I'm here in 2020 to say that I got this film on DVD at a local model train show, and I *HIGHLY* recommend it. 2nd edit: I've done some rewording to make my comment more clear and concise.
Friends and me rode with #611 in 2015 from Lynchburg to Petersburg and caught her near Appomattox and was able to chase for a short time, saw the car we had rode in the day before. We went to NC the following year and saw her being worked on at NCTM. We also visited Saluda and Old Fort Loops, but did not see a train on the Loops, one had just arrived at Old Fort. Saluda did not look as bad at the summit but articles I read and pictures I have seen it was a brutal and wild ride,
What an engine of tremendous horse power Its sad i rode most of the excursions except none with the 611 it had broke down so I could not ride behind it Bill
ExcessMean Yeah but it is said her sand dome or sanders became clogged so it kept wheelslipping on the hill so they stopped once they stalled and resolved the problem
Yes you have permission to use footage from this UA-cam clip (please include "used with permission"), please give credit to Green Frog Productions, Ltd - and to American AltaVista - and a link to the video on our website!
@mistermodified1 Hey, at least Wick Moorman revived the Steam Program, albeit a highly faded shadow of itself. Thanks to that, we had a rather euphoric dream ride between 2011 and 2015. Then came his appointment as CEO of Amtrak and the Steam Program was once again cancelled. We all know how 611 soldiered on with excursions for two more years under Amtrak's insurance banner, but then came Wick's stepping down as co-CEO of Amtrak with Anderson, and Anderson's subsequent cancelling of all privately chartered trips; mostly, thank the good Lord we still have the New River Train, albeit reincarnated after a supposed death; and 611 is down to ferry moves between the VMT and the NCTM, then came the Reunion Of Steam at Strasburg and I dare say, 611's peak after excursions were nicked, and everything seemed all right. Of course, now we're left to wonder what's gonna happen with her after her ferry move back to the VMT from the NCTM in March this year. Edit: Revised wording and spelling, and boy, the last statement of this comment didn't really age that well. Ah well. 'Tis what it is.
@@brianfalzon6739 No notifications, 6 months later, and I'm just now replying to this. Well, all I can say is that I hope he does a better job at it then Anderson did and undoes some of his *u n w i s e* business moves.
@@lawrwncemitchell9955 Two 611 trips were covered with this film. A trip over the S line from Salisbury, NC to Asheville, NC and then the trip over the line from Charlotte, NC to Asheville, NC via Saluda. This excerpt from the film has shots from both the S Line and Saluda trip’s in it.
@@bg2070 I can even tell it's Saluda, 611 was on her knees all the way up that grade and when she stalled, that told me right there how nasty that grade is, read a Trains Book about that grade and one runaway, that grade is no joke, I don't blame NS for finally abandoning that line
I was proud to be on the original rebuild crew for 611,back in the 80s; rode many miles with her during my tenure at the steam department. I'm happy that she's still steaming to this day! Living,breathing history ; N&W 611❤
I'm so glad she's under steam again and still has a beautiful voice, but that whistle was the best one it ever wore in my opinion
Dude yes!!!! I went on a whole tangent about this when she was first rebuilt back I think 2015 or 2016. There wasn't much info out on it at the time but I knew it sounded ever so slightly different than the one it had in the 90's. And youtube commenters back then where like, "I can't tell the difference" and some were calling me crazy.
But I did a serious deep dive on the web over the course of several weeks and found out that the owner (I think one of the Clayton's) withheld the whistle from the 90's from the rebuild team over a disagreement over the writing "Spirit of Roanoke" on the cab so they had to make a replica which, though it still sounds great, sounds ever so slight different that the original. Pretty trivial reason to withhold the whistle if you ask me.
But I'm so glad I'm not the only one who noticed.
I was a Southern employee from 6/65 to 8/78 and rode many a coal train over both these
routes. Also fired the SR-4501 quite often. I will say that I was never comfortable going
DOWN either of these grades. Also, while a short stretch of Saluda is 5%, the average
grade from Belmont to Saluda was said to be 4.7%
Bring saluda grade back to life
Some clarification on things in this video:
Salisbury to Asheville is the S Line and that's the line that the Old Fort Loops are on, but Saluda's a completely different grade on a completely different route. Saluda Grade is on the W Line from Spartanburg, South Carolina to Asheville, North Carolina via the town of Saluda, and that's the one with the 5% grade. The Loops; funnily enough, the route I live on; aren't as steep. Note: Norfolk Southern did abandon Saluda Grade at the end of 2001 because of the costs associated with it and I'm fairly certain the rails of the route weren't picked up. Or at least the rails of the grade itself and sidings at Melrose weren't picked up at the very least, given that there are videos of 'em post-abandonment. If you do some looking here on UA-cam, you'll find videos of people exploring the old route and finding those old rails.
1st edit: I'm here in 2020 to say that I got this film on DVD at a local model train show, and I *HIGHLY* recommend it.
2nd edit: I've done some rewording to make my comment more clear and concise.
Friends and me rode with #611 in 2015 from Lynchburg to Petersburg and caught her near Appomattox and was able to chase for a short time, saw the car we had rode in the day before. We went to NC the following year and saw her being worked on at NCTM. We also visited Saluda and Old Fort Loops, but did not see a train on the Loops, one had just arrived at Old Fort. Saluda did not look as bad at the summit but articles I read and pictures I have seen it was a brutal and wild ride,
something we wont see again
What an engine of tremendous horse power Its sad i rode most of the excursions except none with the 611 it had broke down so I could not ride behind it Bill
only 5500 HP (80,000 lbs of tractive effort)
did you know that southern railway 4501 also went on suluda grade
A beautiful streamliner handling a 5% grade with relative ease, magnificent.
Relative ease? It stalled out pulling a 5 car train! I love steam too, but this was no easy trip.
ExcessMean Yeah but it is said her sand dome or sanders became clogged so it kept wheelslipping on the hill so they stopped once they stalled and resolved the problem
At 6:25 he’s wrong the rails are still there
611 On Saluda
That’s the old fort to Asheville line, not Saluda
Can I Use This For A Project I'm Making
Yes you have permission to use footage from this UA-cam clip (please include "used with permission"), please give credit to Green Frog Productions, Ltd - and to American AltaVista - and a link to the video on our website!
Well done / Like / • Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂
In 1994, Norfolk Southern ended their Steam Program.
Due to rising insurance costs and new management up at the top of the corporate totem pole.
@mistermodified1 Hey, at least Wick Moorman revived the Steam Program, albeit a highly faded shadow of itself. Thanks to that, we had a rather euphoric dream ride between 2011 and 2015. Then came his appointment as CEO of Amtrak and the Steam Program was once again cancelled. We all know how 611 soldiered on with excursions for two more years under Amtrak's insurance banner, but then came Wick's stepping down as co-CEO of Amtrak with Anderson, and Anderson's subsequent cancelling of all privately chartered trips; mostly, thank the good Lord we still have the New River Train, albeit reincarnated after a supposed death; and 611 is down to ferry moves between the VMT and the NCTM, then came the Reunion Of Steam at Strasburg and I dare say, 611's peak after excursions were nicked, and everything seemed all right. Of course, now we're left to wonder what's gonna happen with her after her ferry move back to the VMT from the NCTM in March this year.
Edit: Revised wording and spelling, and boy, the last statement of this comment didn't really age that well. Ah well. 'Tis what it is.
@@justahillbilly7777 Anderson got fired from Amtrak, William Flynn took over as CEO.
@@brianfalzon6739 No notifications, 6 months later, and I'm just now replying to this. Well, all I can say is that I hope he does a better job at it then Anderson did and undoes some of his
*u n w i s e* business moves.
Yea, it backed into a track at Lynchburg with a main line train hanging out on the ladder, and tore up all hell.
This is not Saluda....
This was definitely Saluda. I know because I’m the one who shot this footage along with Bob Loehne. We went to Saluda and shot this in 1992.
@@bg2070 Okay if you say so 😂😝😂😝😂😝
@@lawrwncemitchell9955 Two 611 trips were covered with this film. A trip over the S line from Salisbury, NC to Asheville, NC and then the trip over the line from Charlotte, NC to Asheville, NC via Saluda. This excerpt from the film has shots from both the S Line and Saluda trip’s in it.
At the end it is Saluda NC.
@@bg2070 I can even tell it's Saluda, 611 was on her knees all the way up that grade and when she stalled, that told me right there how nasty that grade is, read a Trains Book about that grade and one runaway, that grade is no joke, I don't blame NS for finally abandoning that line