Hey Why CSX and NS Cancelled Steam Program
- Thread starter WLE105
- Start date
cascaderailroad
New member
Alot is being canceled. This years railfest in Altoona may not get off the ground, and Office Car Special excursions over the mountain between Altoona to Johnstown are on permanent hold, due to increased schedualed freight traffic...and no company interst, time, or money for tourists and railfan trips are in the plans.
Could also be for liability reasons. Insurance companies have raised their rates again. They always do this when the economy is bad and they lose customers. You'd think that they'd lower their rates to attract customers, but that's not howt hey work.
When this has happened in the past, many tourist-only lines have closed up.
John
When this has happened in the past, many tourist-only lines have closed up.
John
The answer to your question can be found near the bottom of this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_and_Western_611
Hope it helps!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_and_Western_611
Hope it helps!
simulatortrain
jointed freaking rails
CSX had a steam program?
that's exactly what I was thinking
Ditto on that. The closest CSX had to a steam program was the "Chessie Steam Specials", and as the name implies, those were with Chessie. Those trips ended in 1982 because... reason unknown.
It's pretty thoroughly answered as to why Norfolk Southern canceled the steam program. The cost of passenger insurance, the cost of maintaining 611 and 4501 and the passenger cars, the fact that the equipment was limited to 45mph after the 1986 Great Dismal Swamp accident, and a lot more.
One theory I can say is that NS and CSX aren't fully anti-steam, they just don't want to have to worry about it. This is why the most recent steam runs over these two are mostly deadheading. Most recent I can think of are, for CSX, the MILW 261 when returning to Minneapolis in 1996, and for NS, the 4449 and 765 returning from Michigan
It's pretty thoroughly answered as to why Norfolk Southern canceled the steam program. The cost of passenger insurance, the cost of maintaining 611 and 4501 and the passenger cars, the fact that the equipment was limited to 45mph after the 1986 Great Dismal Swamp accident, and a lot more.
One theory I can say is that NS and CSX aren't fully anti-steam, they just don't want to have to worry about it. This is why the most recent steam runs over these two are mostly deadheading. Most recent I can think of are, for CSX, the MILW 261 when returning to Minneapolis in 1996, and for NS, the 4449 and 765 returning from Michigan
simulatortrain
jointed freaking rails
CSX was slightly considering one of the Alleghenies at one point.
cascaderailroad
New member
Bummer...#1361 is to be a static display
K-4 #1361 plans derailed indefinately...
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/528846.html?nav=742
Very doubtful if she'll ever run again.
K-4 #1361 plans derailed indefinately...
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/528846.html?nav=742
Very doubtful if she'll ever run again.
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So What...
I tell you, if you sponsored Diesel-electric power & paid your insurance, even the Class I's would make a weekend for you.
Because it is on their property however, they want a $1M cash bond for your protection(darn-anything could happen!).
Live in the Southeastern United States of America on the Southern Railway System line? If you send a decent request with all the details, the Norfolk Southern will provide the SOU GP59 #4610 engine to pull your ride.
No insurance? The NS don't want to think of the lawsuits that can be involved!
Lawyers, insurance companies, run this Nation!
I tell you, if you sponsored Diesel-electric power & paid your insurance, even the Class I's would make a weekend for you.Because it is on their property however, they want a $1M cash bond for your protection(darn-anything could happen!).
Live in the Southeastern United States of America on the Southern Railway System line? If you send a decent request with all the details, the Norfolk Southern will provide the SOU GP59 #4610 engine to pull your ride.
No insurance? The NS don't want to think of the lawsuits that can be involved!
Lawyers, insurance companies, run this Nation!
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A different day & age..
The tight restrictions place by the FRA are a reflection of the fact that all of the former steam engineers are no longer working for the railroads.
The boiler set-up follows the same standards as any other steam-generation machine...
The engineer is required to have boiler certification, or at least one certified boiler-operator is required to be present.
As with the K4 project, the fault of the costs of operating & rebuilding rests on the fact that the locomotive was not preserved, just parked & left sit for years.
Most projects involve free-labor volunteers, only the managers get paid...
It seems to me that it would be cheaper to place a steamer on a freighter & send it to China where it could have been rebuilt by folks with many years experience.
The tight restrictions place by the FRA are a reflection of the fact that all of the former steam engineers are no longer working for the railroads.The boiler set-up follows the same standards as any other steam-generation machine...
The engineer is required to have boiler certification, or at least one certified boiler-operator is required to be present.
As with the K4 project, the fault of the costs of operating & rebuilding rests on the fact that the locomotive was not preserved, just parked & left sit for years.
Most projects involve free-labor volunteers, only the managers get paid...
It seems to me that it would be cheaper to place a steamer on a freighter & send it to China where it could have been rebuilt by folks with many years experience.
amen brother amen.
The boiler set-up follows the same standards as any other steam-generation machine...
The engineer is required to have boiler certification, or at least one certified boiler-operator is required to be present.
As with the K4 project, the fault of the costs of operating & rebuilding rests on the fact that the locomotive was not preserved, just parked & left sit for years.
Most projects involve free-labor volunteers, only the managers get paid...
It seems to me that it would be cheaper to place a steamer on a freighter & send it to China where it could have been rebuilt by folks with many years experience.
there is still hope for 1361 can be back in steam dont give up on hope.
NO.
If CSX starts a steam program, they will use something that is part of CSX's heritage. This includes railroads like Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio, Western Maryland, Clinchfield, Seaboard Air Line, Atlantic Coast Line, Louisville & Nashville, and even railroads from Conrail's heritage (which due to Conrail being split between CSX and Norfolk Southern, this is hard to narrow down).
So relating to that, I can think of plenty of engines CSX could choose that would be appropriate, like C&O 614, B&O 5300, an Allegheny, the C&O 490, L&N 152, WMSR 734, WMRY 202, and even Clinchfield #1.
But certainly not the Frisco 1522. It has zero historical value to CSX. Also, when you think about it, Frisco is short for "San Fransisco". This would make even less sense for a railroad running in the East.
Start doing your history, dpfan1. From the looks of it, you have EVERYTHING to learn
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Why Frisco 1522? It is owned by the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis
i thought csx ran on ex frisco tracks?