N&W Class J 611 Excursions

Over the last few months numerous members of the Rivanna Chapter have ridden, spotted, and chased excursions headed by J 611.  While Charlottesville was not on the route of any of the excursions, we did benefit with two stops by J 611 and its entire consist during moves to and from Manassas.  Happily, there are thousands of pictures and images posted on the internet and an excellent video by Travis Koshko was broadcast by the Newsplex...so just a few photos are posted here to record some of the Chapter members' and friends' experiences.

John Pfaltz had the longest trip when his Lynchburg-Petersburg roundtrip turned into a 14 hour marathon due to track, signal, and other railroad challenges.  Louise and Chuck Ward had a great day on their Manassas-Front Royal roundtrip and reported that the only upsets were an avid photographer on the active tracks and an air conditioning problem (that Chuck got repowered).  Wayland Moore is thought to have set a new world's record for being spotted by more other spotters and in more locations than ever previously recorded.  Ed de Bary took a unique approach by undergoing training and then serving as a car host on Lynchburg-Roanoke runs. 

The photos below are by Ed, Sam Saunders, and Ross Thomas.  Note especially the car host shown below in uniform, for the Operation Lifesaver Car, NS 29.

Southbound

 

Northbound in Charlottesville

 

Roanoke

 

Roanoke

 

NS 29

 

NS 29 Interior

 

NS 29 Car Host on Duty 

 

End of the Day in Roanoke

Job Well Done

 

NRHS 2015 Vermont

The 2015 NRHS convention was held in Rutland, Vermont in June - Ann Harrod represented the Rivanna Chapter at this annual meeting.  She attended meetings, rode excursions, and visited interesting museums and other venues.  Ann brought back more than 200 photos and videos from her trip and has offered to narrate some of them at a Chapter meeting later this year.  In the meantime, here are a few editor's picks from Ann's album.  The locomotives shown above are from the Green Mountain Railroad and the Vermont Railway.

 

 

 

 

 

Colebrookdale RR Exec's Visit the Rivanna Chapter

The April 21st meeting of the Rivanna Chapter featured a presentation by Nathaniel Guest, president of the Colebrookdale RR.  Nathaniel was accompanied by Preston McEvoy, a board member and dedicated supporter of the Colebrookdale.  Nathaniel gave a terrific talk that illustrated the challenges and the miraculous success of this young enterprise.

Nathaniel, a working president, serves

as the conductor on many of the runs

 of the Colebrookdale. 

Prior to the presentation, John Pfaltz accompanied Nathaniel and Preston to assess some classic RR equipment stored on a siding near Verona, in the Shenandoah Valley.  Later that same afternoon, John and his gracious wife Margaret, hosted a reception for our guests.

Nathaniel, John, and Preston.

 

Nathaniel's presentation started with the earliest history of the Colebrookdale and brought it up to the present, including a recent successful excursion that included some surprises.

 



  The Mudball Express seeded some beautiful

wildflowers, but also yielded some splash back

inside the coaches!

 

Ross Thomas provided an insider's tour

of the University of Virginia on

the morning of the April 22nd 

 

The Rivanna Chapter's beloved PRR 477768

continues to be sold out on runs of the Colebrookdale

 

For more details check out the Colebrookdale at: https://www.facebook.com/colebrookdalerailroad

 

Rivanna Chapter Picnic

Splendid weather made for a wonderful afternoon for the Chapter on August 16 at the home of John and Margaret. 

 Chef Ed checks out the BBQ as Dan chills
 

 Elizabeth and Nicholas enjoy the burgers and slaw
 

Bernard and Dale sample the hot dogs and salad

 

 Members discuss potential locations for future monthly meetings
 



Timing for a visit to PRR 477768 and the Colebrookdale RR being considered

 

 

Chef Ed has had enough of the hot grill and declares the pool open

 



John relaxes in the hot tub

 



Elizabeth takes to the pool

 



On behalf of the Chapter, Ross thanks Margaret and John for a great afternoon

 

All photos by Susan and Ross 



Streamliners at Spencer

There was an extraordinary gathering of 26 operable, classic diesel streamliners at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer at the end of May.  The Rivanna Chapter did not attempt to organize a group trip to this four-day event, but four members made the trek on their own.

Although the N&W J 611 is coal fired, it also made a grand appearance at Spencer on the morning of May 30.  Wick Moorman, the chairman and CEO of Norfolk Southern, loosened a nut on the 611's power train as the ceremonial beginning of its two-year rebuild process.  The Chapter recently contributed 2 x $611 for that effort.

Below are a few amateur photos taken by Ross Thomas of some of the locomotives at Spencer.  The internet is loaded with thousands of better ones!  The Museum's website has a sampling of the activity at Spencer:

 http://nctrans.org/Events/Streamliners-at-Spencer-Photos.aspx

Visit to the High Bridge

On May 24, members and friends of the NRHS Rivanna Chapter visited the High Bridge Trail State Park near Farmville.  The Park encompasses the remnants of the historic High Bridge, built in 1854 to cross the Appomattox River and connect Petersburg and Lynchburg. The bridge is 2,400 feet long and ranges from 60 to 125 feet high. It was originally made of wood, standing on 21 brick piers and included a pedestrian walkway next to the tracks and a nearby wagon bridge. During the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate forces attempted to destroy the bridge to their advantage. Today a newer bridge, adjacent to the remains of the original, is a rail trail converted from a line last belonging to Norfolk Southern and having originated as a portion of the South Side Railroad.

Bob Flippen, an educational specialist with the Park, provided an excellent narrative and tour for our group.  Bob explained the construction of the bridges, the strategic role they played in the War, and the fortifications at both ends of the Bridge. 

After the walking and biking tour many of the participants enjoyed lunch together at Charley’s Water Front Café in Farmville.  The photos below capture the highlights of the day.

Denis Mason checks out the former N&W depot

in Farmville on the way to the High Bridge

Ann Harrod photo

 

Approach to the bridge with crushed

 stone on top of the old railroad bed

Doug Bush photo

 

Bob Flippen describes the construction

of the bridge at a shady overlook 

Ben Farmer photo

 

Above: the new bridge is on the right and the

 remains of the old bridge are on the left. 

Below: one of the old brick piers is shown with

 angle iron and bands, added later for stabilization.

Carl Bauske photos



 

 

The Rivanna Chapter group pauses at the

mid-point on the bridge on a glorious sunny day

Doug Bush photo

 

The Chapter and Ross Thomas thank Bob Flippen

 for an excellent tour and present a print of PRR 477768

(neither the Seaboard nor the PRR ran over the High Bridge!)

Ann Harrod photo

 

Members and friends cool off at Charley's in Farmville

Ed de Bary photo

 

 

For more information on the High Bridge and the Park, visit the sites below: 

 

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/high-bridge-trail.shtml

  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Bridge_Trail_State_Park

 

 

 

A Cabin Car's Journey - Part I

Over the past six years, John Pfaltz and other members of the NRHS Rivanna Chapter lovingly restored PRR Cabin Car 477768 at a spur in Red Hill, Virginia.  In January 2014, the cabin car made a glorious return to Pennsylvania to become part of the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust in Boyertown.  The images and video links in the three-part sequence below capture some of the trip, as well as events in Virginia and Pennsylvania prior to and after the transfer.


The Farewell Ceremony at Red Hill, VA, and the departure for Lynchburg, VA

Photos from the Ceremony on Dec. 19, 2013

 A group of some of the Rivanna Chapter members who restored the Cabin Car 

Photo by Susan Thomas

 

Another group of some of the Rivanna Chapter members who restored the Cabin Car 

Photo by Dale Diacont

 

Dignitaries from Boyertown, Charlottesville, and the Rivanna Chapter exchange greetings

Photo by Ann Harrod

 

Colebrookdale RR and Rivanna Chapter personnel team together 

for a ceremonial push of the Cabin Car 

Photo by Wayland Moore

 

Charles Haddad (Boyertown Rotary) presents history books

to John Pfaltz and Roger Lehmann (Boyertown Lions) looks on 

Photo by Ann Harrod

 

 

The southbound departure for Lynchburg on Jan. 13, 2014

NS crew prepares for switching as the Cabin Car is

pulled from the spur in Red Hill onto the NS mainline

Photo by John Pfaltz

 

The Cabin Car's Journey is continued in Part II below.