611

Sat Jun 13 11:26:39 EDT 2015

Amen, Ed.

Dave Phelps

In a message dated 6/13/2015 7:40:11 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

For those of you not old enough to remember, in 1964  (folks born that year 
could have grandkids by now) Paul Merriman’s Mikado 4501  came out of the 
contract shop in Chattanooga where it had been restored for  main line 
service.  It was painted in Southern’s passenger green and gold  colors (which 
nothing but passenger engines had ever carried), was lettered  “Chattanooga” 
under the number on the cab where division markings had been  carried even 
though there was never a Chattanooga Division on the Southern,  and the name 
Walter C. Dove below that (he was the retired General Road  Foreman of 
Engines who ran the engine on its first trips).  

Nobody cared whether the livery was “appropriate” or  not.  It was 
sanctioned by Southern’s top management represented by  Graham Claytor and that was 
good enough for everybody else.  Steam was  running again on the Southern 
and that was what mattered.

This was the locomotive that started our modern-day  excursion movement.  
If it hadn’t been for 4501 we’d likely not have had  a 611, or anything 
else, running around under its own steam.  And they  went so far as to put a 
Ks-1 Consolidation, the 722 (even less of a passenger  engine than 4501), out 
in green and gold.

So as far as I’m concerned, some little yellow  letters under the cab 
window are not worth mentioning.  Be happy that  they are running around on such 
a magnificent machine.

The J proved that it could go on other folks’  railroads and do what their 
4-8-4s could do, but nobody’s 4-8-4 (or 4-4-4-4)  could come on the N&W and 
do what the J could, and did, do.

So appreciate what you have.  Picking nits is a  waste of time.

EdKing

From: _NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List_ 
(mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org)   
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2015 4:04 PM
To: _NW Mailing List_ (mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org)  
Cc: _NW Mailing List_ (mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org)  
Subject: Re: Fwd: Fw: 611

I second Roger  -----   Ron

On Thursday, June 11, 2015 9:52 AM, NW  Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List 
<nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>  wrote:

I don't  understand all the furor over the "Spirit Of Roanoke" lettering on 
the cab. I  find the dual seal beam headlight and the removal of the TIMKEN 
covers on the  trailing truck and tender truck journals more offensive than 
that. I think all  the J's, and especially the 611, represent the Spirit Of 
Roanoke.

My 2¢,
Roger Huber
Deer Creek  Locomotive Works

____________________________________
 From: NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List  <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
Cc: NW Mailing List  <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 3:02 PM
Subject: Fwd: Fw:  611

I wrote the VMT and  stated my concerns about the words "Spirit of Roanoke 
on 611 and here is the  response I got in return. Alan Cox

Mr. Cox, 

Thank you for your  feedback. We know that putting the "Spirit of Roanoke" i
n small letters  under the cab window has upset a lot of 611 fans. 

The Roanoke City  Council designated the Class J 611 as the "Spirit of 
Roanoke" and the Class  A 1218 as the "Pride of Roanoke" a long time ago. This 
decision had the  support of railroaders, community and business leaders and 
the  railroad.  Both of these locomotives were  owned by the City of Roanoke 
from the early 1960s to 2012, when ownership  was transferred to the 
Virginia Museum of Transportation. 

In and around Roanoke, the locomotives represent the pride, ingenuity  and 
craftsmanship of the people who built these giants of steam. The Spirit  of 
Roanoke honors the laborers who engineered, designed, built and  maintained 
these superior locomotives in Roanoke's East End Shops. 

The decision to add the Spirit of Roanoke under the cab window was made  by 
the City Council and the Board of Directors at the VMT. City, community  
and business leaders wanted to honor the thousands of railroaders who were  
the heart and soul of the Norfolk & Western operation. 

Peg  McGuire
Director of  Communications

Virginia Museum of  Transportation

303 Norfolk Avenue  SW

Roanoke VA 24016

pmcguire at vmt.org

cell:  540.339.2753

fireup611.org  |  vmt.org

From:  ABCOX99 at aol.com [mailto:ABCOX99 at aol.com] 
Sent:  Tuesday, June 09, 2015 3:42 PM
To: VMT Info
Subject: 611

I am very disappointed to see that the VMT has  decided to put a name on 
the side of 611. No Norfolk & Western engine in  the "J" class ever had a name 
to my knowledge. I have heard numerous  complaints about this and have to 
agree that it doesn't belong. I consider  it graffiti and has no place on 
such a beautiful locomotive. No matter what  is said, the VMT will do what it 
wants and that is a shame.  

Sincerely, Alan  Cox

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