Norfolk Southern Plans Heritage Units!!!

Beattie said:
Best thing for NS would be get some of there famous steam engines back on the rails.
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Such has already occurred.
Southern #630 ran the first mainline excursion from Chattanooga, TN to Knoxville, TN a few months ago. TVRM is still restoring the Southern #4501 as well to be used on NS Steam Excursions.
N&W #611 & 1218 will not be coming back, don't whine, there's reasons. One, 1218 is way too expensive and it kills the track and switches. 611 needs a major boiler re-build. Also, NS is seemingly un-interested in the N&W steam anyway, I don't blame them. NS has paid for a good deal of the Southern steamer's restorations.
Norfolk Southern has been very generous to do 18 units, I only expected 3. I am shocked they are doing a Conrail unit, given Conrail in all reality still exists under a split holdings agreement.
Get your real Conrail units while you still can, I have official word that, well, let's just say they're getting repainted even faster. I can't post the exact quote here. You need to get trackside for the remaining CR units ASAP.

Cheers,
Woody

In addition, don't expect NS to model them after those ridiculous Lionel units.
The NS official statement clearly states each unit will be modelled after the original company's paint scheme as accurately as possible.
 
NS plans to recreate the paint schemes as accurately as possible. By contrast, UP used the old railroads' logos and colors, but created new interpretations on the old liveries.
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AKA: No crazy, made-up Heritage schemes.


This makes me very, very happy.
 
me to its shame they wont rebuild the J611 though ): oh well maybe they will one year when they got some extra cash on hand on the Heritage units id love to see em i hope they go through with this
 
611 Can be restored however there is other issues besides repair to use her again. 1218 is in pieces and would take a lot of money to get her back up and running. I acutally would like to see the Y6a come back if any of the N&W as she never had a chance to run. 2156 I don't know her condition but she could possibly be a canidate. 630 is ok but shes not a touring main line engine type. The issue is the east coast lacks streamlined steamers running and huge trains out here. The west coast is lucky they got all those great steamers in action.
 
The whole problem in a nut shell is that the muesums don't want to let there engines go. And thats the problem with 611,1218,etc. If they stop being so stubborn they maybe could get the ball rolling. Cause I personnly love to see them in action then dead in the water I mean who wouldn't. Time will tell on this maybe in another 10 15years something will be done.
 
Most railfans raised cain when the GP59 4610 was repainted from the SOU green back to black now we know why that was done. From what I have read the N&W, SOU, Conrail, and PRR will be put on ES44AC units among others. PC, EL, Erie, Virginian, and the first NS will be on SD70ACe among others.
As to why the 1218 or 611 are not running, there are several reasons. 1: the museum does not have the money. 2: the locomotives belong to the city of Roanoke. There has been talk among people at the museum the last time I was there about trying to raise the money and get Raonoke to agree to getting 611 back on the rails. If either one does run again, look for it to be 611. 611 will cost much less to fix plus needs alot less work. 1218 is laying in pieces everywhere, most of the firebox is laying in the shop floor at the old SOU steam shops in Birmingham. As far as 1218 being harder on the track, I dont think so. All large steam engines are harder on the track than lighter ones or diesels.

Paul
 
Well that sounds like good news in the future for 611. My other question is I know from what I read that 587nkp is coming out this year. I wonder if ns could add it to their steam program? Or is it planned for its own special runs when finshed
 
Again, I present the argument against 611.
Here's another point, 611 isn't owned by Tennessee Valley Railroad, I am not crazy when I say that NS and TVRM have sort of a thing going on.
Again, Wick Moorman is a Southern man, don't expect him, yes him, to fund a N&W unit. Word has it, Moorman himself is paying well over half of 4501's restoration.
Personally, I could care less if that N&W crap runs again, because in all honesty, we all know which railroad was the better half of the NS merge, and that would be Southern. The facts back that up.
I would be very, very surprised if NS gets involved with the N&W units. I'd almost bet against it.

Cheers,
Woody
 
illinoiscentral said:
Again, I present the argument against 611.
Here's another point, 611 isn't owned by Tennessee Valley Railroad, I am not crazy when I say that NS and TVRM have sort of a thing going on.
Again, Wick Moorman is a Southern man, don't expect him, yes him, to fund a N&W unit. Word has it, Moorman himself is paying well over half of 4501's restoration.
Personally, I could care less if that N&W crap runs again, because in all honesty, we all know which railroad was the better half of the NS merge, and that would be Southern. The facts back that up.
I would be very, very surprised if NS gets involved with the N&W units. I'd almost bet against it.

Cheers,
Woody
Click to expand...
I am with you on the point that NS wont fund the N&W locomotives. If they ever do run again, which I doubt, it will be because VMT or Roanoke pays for it and NS allows it. Moorman is a Southern man, that and the fact that NS does not own the TVRM locomotives and does not have to pay the upkeep on them is the reason we have SOU steam not N&W. NS does not want the cost or trouble of having their own locomotives. They also dont have the facilities or people to maintain them anymore. NS is paying for the restoration of the SOU locomtives on the condition that they can use them when they want. TVRM maintains and runs them. This means its not NSs problem when something happens, they dont have to fix it.

Paul
 
What are you talking about? Norfolk and Western had the best fleet of steam engines and most efficient ones. A train in a shed is no place for a engine. Reminds me how sad It was when the Dash 7s were replaced :(. I love how nobody seems to care about our history and just puts it aside like garbage. I mean is nobody with me to bring back our history to life?
 
I would love to see 1218 back again, i like it better than 611. If someone came along with enough money, anything is possible. But what are the chances of someone with that much money wanting to put it in what most people think of as a rusty old train. If i had a million or two to spend, thats where it would go. 1218 can be fixed, with alot of money and effort.

Paul
 
I can't wait to see the Conrail unit, I wonder if they're doing the canopener scheme or CR-Q? I hope it's CR-Q on an SD70ACe, that would look great with the white band. Anyway, I already saw something on NS's website with GP30s painted in NW, SOU, and CR paint schemes. I hope the heritage units are painted as good as these GPs!
 
Check out operating ratio's for N&W and for Southern. Southern was a lot larger but N&W kicked it's butt year after year after year in O.R.
 
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