I started this route but only got a few miles. I started at Grand Junction TVRM station and headed toward the Tenbridge and the line north. FYI, NS is no longer doing steam excursions with TVRM and Fort Wayne, they stopped after 2015, and 611 operated to 2017, this year so far there are no 611 excursions scheduled. I have a feeling NS is not even allowing excursions with 611 anymore, and they auctioned off five of the six red excursion coaches that were lettered for NS last summer that were used in the recent steam excursions with NS and the three museums. 630 and 4501 are doing runs to Summerville, GA four of them are doubleheaded. Most of the June 2 sold out and some of the October. 765 is running on Metra again this September same route as last year and probably at CVSR again after that. Metra and CVSR allow open vestibules unlike NS and Metra allows higher speeds than 40 mph. Two open window coaches lettered for Nickel Plate are used at CVSR. The rest are CVSR’s streamlined coaches with sealed windows. You have to remember that NS is a publicly traded company and has to answer to shareholders so they have to spend their money wisely. Perhaps new CEO Jim Squires decided that steam excursions were no longer a good investment for NS in light of needing to cut costs and stay competitive. It was previous CEO Wick Moorman that supported the steam excursions and he now retired from Amtrak.
