What 611’s revival says about NS and passenger excursions

The revival of Norfolk and Western Class J No. 611 to once again power passenger trains over the main lines of Virginia and neighboring states is truly an inspiring occasion. Restoring a steam locomotive is a proposition that requires great quantities of labor, time, persistence and money, and the coming together of those ingredients is a major feat. But more than that, the iconic No. 611 running under her own power on Saturday represented the culmination of both individual and institutional support. Many individuals and organizations pitched in funds for the effort, but it may not have been possible without the institutional support of Norfolk Southern.

NS's embrace of its heritage and, at least in some way, of the value of passenger trains, stands in sharp contrast to every other North American Class I railroad. With the limited exception of Union Pacific, no other Class I seems to want anything to do with steam locomotives, and no other sponsors or operates passenger train excursions beyond very limited business purposes. Not unrelated is the fact that NS has been a more willing partner with states and other agencies looking to expand or improve intercity or commuter passenger service over its lines.

To cite one other small example, Virginia Railway Express (a public authority supported by the Virginia counties and municipalities it serves) sponsors commuter service over both CSX and NS lines emanating from Washington, DC. VRE's main purpose is to carry commuters into DC from the Virginia suburbs, so the bulk of its service is into the capital in the morning and out in the evening. However, it runs three daily (Monday-Friday) trips on reverse schedules on which tickets are available to the public, all three on the mostly NS-owned Manassas Line (one outbound in the morning and two outbound in the afternoon). These moves are useful for repositioning equipment so that one trainset can handle two peak-direction trips the same day.

The public morning outbound trip leaves Washington Union Station at 6:25 AM, having just arrived from Manassas as the first morning inbound departure, and is then in place for the mid-afternoon inbound run, after which it turns around and makes a peak-hour outbound run (the sets operate in push-pull mode, with the locomotive always on the south end of the consist). Another train set that arrives in DC about an hour later in the morning also turns around and immediately returns to Manassas, but this is a deadhead move on which no tickets are sold. I learned that VRE would gladly sell tickets on this run, and NS has no objection, but that CSX is the objecting party. VRE also does not do any equipment repositioning moves on the CSX-owned Fredericksburg Line; all its equipment lays over at Amtrak’s Ivy City Yard in DC during the day.

The reverse-commute Manassas Line runs are extremely lightly patronized, but thanks to NS's cooperation, equipment repositioning moves that allow the agency to economize on equipment usage and save on Amtrak storage and cleaning costs at Ivy City can also double as a useful transportation service to a handful of passengers, from those in the DC area wanting to spend a day in Manassas, to Manassas area residents going into DC in the evening to spend a weekend or catch a flight or connecting Amtrak train. NS cooperation also makes possible such significant service upgrades as the Northeast Regional extension to Lynchburg, North Carolina's Piedmont Improvement Program, and Chicago's Englewood Flyover. Additionally, nearly all the public rare-mileage trips in recent memory, from Amtrak's Autumn Express runs to various charters sponsored by railroad historical societies, have been over NS rails.

Both CSX and NS advertise heavily in the eastern half of the country in an effort to maintain public goodwill, touting the essential role freight rail plays in the functioning of the economy. Each has a recognizable brand. But only NS can associate its brand with the enjoyment of railroading by many who aren't serious fans or industry insiders. CSX does virtually nothing to draw people to the enjoyment of its trains, either as passengers or as casual train watchers. NS, by contrast, does so with its 21st Century Steam program and its plethora of heritage units and other special paint schemes. While ad campaigns may increase people's conceptual understanding of what railroads are and do, they don't cultivate an affinity the way affordable opportunities for actual experiences do, either on board or trackside.

I'm looking forward to riding behind No. 611 next month, and to many future opportunities to enjoy unique excursions and special railfanning opportunities on NS rails. I also anticipate continued improvement of commuter and intercity passenger services using NS lines. I wish I could say the same for CSX. I realize that hosting passenger excursions exposes a freight railroad to some liability risk, but NS has obviously decided that the the rewards these opportunities offer for the company’s public image outweigh the risks.