N&W 611 TRILOGY- All Three Volumes

N&W 611 TRILOGY-VOLUME ONE

Norfolk and Western Class J 4-8-4 number 611 was one of 14 streamlined engines built by owner Norfolk & Western. It ran for the N&W between 1950 and 1959. It was restored and operated once again in excursion service from 1982 to 1994. Now in 2015 we get to enjoy the locomotive once again for its third tour in operation.

First we have a segment shot in Spencer at the North Carolina Transportation Museum where a photo day was held being the first public event for the locomotive. Background information on 611 is mentioned in this section as we enjoy the engine on the turntable, entering the roundhouse and making a few runbys with a freight train consist. A couple of historic autos are aso used during the event.

The next part of our show is the much anticipated "Homecoming Trip" as 611 travels with a passenger train of invited guests returning from Spencer to Roanoke. The train travels the former Southern Mainline to Lynchburg, then the former Norfolk and Western(Home Rails), to Roanoke. All this today of course is Norfolk Southern Corp. Most of this segment is trackside runbys, but we also get a couple of views from onboard the train.

The bulk of the video is the great action over the July 4th weekend in 2015. For three days 611 puts on a great show tackling the many grades on these 2 a day roundtrips. In the morning the train would run from Roanoke to Lynchburg over the famous Blue Ridge Grade east of Roanoke, and on the return traverse the eastern slope back to Roanoke. Wet rails on one trip create some dramatic slipping. We also see the engine passing the Roanoke Shops where the engine was built in 1950.

In the afternoon each day the 611 hauled passengers from Roanoke to Walton, where there is a junction between the mainline to Bluefield and the line to Bristol. We enjoy the westbound climb up Christiansburg grade through places like Shawsville, and watch the eastbound climb on the other side of the mountain passing through the old coaling tower at Vicker, and Christiansburg. 611 sounds great on these trips as locations with some slight grade or bigger climb were selected for better viewing and sound. Two different photographers contributed to this video.

Don't miss this return to steam operations for 611 in 2015. All shot in High Definition, and available in Standard Definition, or HD Blu-Ray.

Color, live audio, and limited narration so you can enjoy the action.

75 Minutes $25.00 SD, $30.00 Blu-Ray

N&W 611 TRILOGY-VOLUME TWO

Norfolk and Western Class J 4-8-4 number 611 was one of 14 streamlined engines built by owner Norfolk & Western. It ran for the N&W between 1950 and 1959. It was restored and operated once again in excursion service from 1982 to 1994. It ran for the first time in 2015(Volume 1), and now in 2016 we get to see more great action of this superb streamlined engine. The focus of this show is the May 7-8, 2016 trips from Roanoke. Like in 2015 these trips consisted of a morning run to Lynchburg up Blue Ridge Grade, and back to Roanoke assaulting the Blue Ridge Grade from the other side on its return. In the afternoon the 611 would haul this large passenger train westward to Walton where it was turned for the return to Roanoke. Like the morning run that assaulted Blue Ridge Grade, the afternoon trip to Walton featured two climbs of Christiansburg Mountain.

There is two-camera coverage of these Roanoke Trips, which brings you two shots on each trip up Blue Ridge Grade, and multiple shots on the Walton trips as well as regular locations on each trip. We also see 611 enter and emerge from Montgomery Tunnel, and witness several scenes at Shawsville plus near the summit near Christiansburg. There are many shots where we pan the driving rods and the engine going away, as well as the oncoming views. The weather was very good as you can see by the preview clips.

In addition to the Roanoke trips we follow 611 one-way from Roanoke to Manassas, where it will do the final excursions for 2016(These are in Volume 3). Special locations were selected for the gradient to showcase great 611 action. One thing about all these 611 videos (all 3 Trilogy dvd's) there is superb steam action with 611 working hard in most scenes.

Don't miss Roanoke trips from 2016, with great action scenes, plus the 1-way trip to Manassas. All shot in High Definition, and available in Standard Definition, or HD Blu-Ray.

Color, live audio, and limited narration so you can enjoy the action.

92 Minutes $25.00 SD, $30.00 Blu-Ray

N&W 611 TRILOGY-VOLUME THREE 

The Class J 4-8-4 611 is seen on the first trips of 2016 without diesel helpers, and the last series of trips in 2016. See great lighting and cool weather as 611 leaves early and returns late in the day, traveling along the mainline of the former Southern Railway, and at Hurt, Virginia diverges westward over the former Virginian Railway to Roanoke. All this is now Norfolk Southern of course. There is some spirited running, and great exhaust sounds as it pulls the heavy train along this roller coaster route. This series of trips was a real "Sleeper" in that it had fewer chasers, and perhaps the best weather (Clear and cool) during the excursions for 611 in 2016. Again you will enjoy hard working action as the engine is found on slight grades to make it work nicely. Mixing the mainline track speed with slight grades is awesome to watch modern steam power at work.

Next we head to Manassas, Virginia (remember the one-way trip is in Volume 2), to enjoy the final excursions for 611 in 2016. This line is known for its roller-coaster topography with Linden Hill being the steepest climb each way between Manassas and Front Royal. However there are many other small grades, and 611 puts on a fine show on this interesting line. Many of the other small towns are seen such as Bulls Run, and Markham to name a couple. We also get some close-ups of 611 in Manassas. This trip featured two-camera coverage also which provides excellent diversity and non-stop action on this historic route.

We end our coverage with a couple of scenes of the one-way trip from Manassas back toward Roanoke on the Southern trackage. It's a fine way to conclude our 3 volumes of "N&W Triology Volume 3" and the series. Special locations were selected for the gradient to showcase great 611 action. One thing about all these 611 videos (all 3 Trilogy dvd's) there is superb steam action with 611 working hard in most scenes.

Don't miss the Greensboro to Roanoke, and Manassas to Front Royal trips from 2016, with great action scenes. All shot in High Definition, and available in Standard Definition, or HD Blu-Ray.

Color, live audio, and limited narration so you can enjoy the action.

95 Minutes $25.00