Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2016 - 46

More Trains In The Mountains: The Mighty 611 is Back
BACK ON THE TRACKS: The mighty steam engine No. 611
(above) was built in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1950 and has been
granted a multi-million-dollar restoration in recent years.
Now, in 2016, it's ready to roll back on the tracks of the Norfolk Southern system, and that includes passenger trips with
a few mountains in view.

Trips are set to feature coach, first-class and dome cars on
the following dates: April 9, The Virginian (Spencer, North
Carolina, to Lynchburg, Virginia); April 10, The Blue Ridge
Special (Spencer, North Carolina to Asheville, North Carolina); April 23-24, The Roanoker (Greensboro, North Carolina
to Roanoke); May 7-8, The Powhatan Arrow (Roanoke to
Lynchburg); May 7-8, The Pelican (Roanoke to Walton, Virginia, near Radford); June 4-5, The American (Manassas, Virginia to Front Royal, Virginia). fireup611.org/540-342-5670.
*

KENTUCKY COAL TRAIN: Big South Fork Scenic Railway at
Stearns, Kentucky, (above) provides a seven-mile ride to Blue
Heron- what was once a coal camp in the 1940s and now a
part of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.
This line runs on what was once the Kentucky and Tennessee Railway and was used to haul coal in the early 1900s.
"It's not that much recreational. It's more of a historical and
going-back-into-time-type trip," says the conductor, Sam
Mullis. "These old cars are a vintage-type car that they ride
in. One of them goes back to 1944 and the early-to-mid '50s."

46 BlueRidgeCountry.com

The open-air cars come close to touching rock cuts while
carrying as many as 10,000 passengers during October.
Pets are allowed on board - so long as they are on a leash.
bsfsry.com/606-376-5330
* IN THE SMOKIES: Slip across Fontana Lake after departing
Bryson City, North Carolina, on the Great Smoky Mountains
Railroad (above). This 44-mile, round-trip ride courses
through the Nantahala Gorge with comfortable cars.

Thousands board the scenic railroad's "The Polar Express"
train in November and December at Bryson City.
"And the railroad does an excellent job of following the
movie with the script," says Bill Ellis, a rear brakeman. "The
cars are decorated, and the little area that we have as the
North Pole is decorated. It's just great seeing people excited, and parents and kids come to ride the train in their
pajamas." gsmr.com/800-872-4681.
* NO SECRET: Tennessee's Secret City Excursion train attracts hundreds of passengers on select, scheduled-weekend rides. It rolls north for six miles from the Tennessee
town of Oak Ridge, built in secret by the U.S. government
during World War II. While here, stay at Staybridge Suites
(865-298-0050) and eat at Razzleberry's Café on Jackson
Square (865-431-0300). secretcityrailroad.com/865-2412140.
* MORE: Many other trains offer rides across the mountains of the South. At various times, you'll find trains
operating on the Potomac Eagle at Romney, West Virginia
(potomaceagle.info); along the New River across West
Virginia in October (newrivertrain.com); and on many
Saturdays on the Three Rivers Ramblers at Knoxville, Tennessee (three riversrambler.com).

http://www.bsfsry.com http://www.fireup611.org http://www.gsmr.com http://www.secretcityrailroad.com http://www.potomaceagle.info http://www.newrivertrain.com http://www.threeriversrambler.com http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2016

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