Rail Fanning: N&W 611 2016 Manassas Excursion

[@southwestvirginiarailfan729]

Nice pacing shots & video!!

[@robkrasinski6217]

I hate NS now because they hate excursions again. I was on this on June 4, 2016 as well as at Strasburg Sept 2019. I rode two 765 excursions in PA May 2013 and August 2015. I like the Reading and Northern Railroad which is 25 miles from me and I just rode behind 2102 again on Oct 1 from Reading to Jim Thorpe first time since Sept 7, 1991 from Emmaus to Pennsburg and April 1988 from South Hamburg to Temple. It was out of service for 30 years. In fact you can ride behind 611 at Strasburg Rail Road in November this year for one weekend. Was it there since August 2019 or did NS take it back to Roanoke, VA in 2020 then back to Strasburg in 2021? Some of the routes that 611, 765, 630 and 4501 took in the 21st century steam excursions were on NS freight only lines with no Amtrak or commuter service. Like the line to Front Royal. It started out at the Manassas Amtrak and VRE station but then veered onto the NS B line toward Front Royal wye which is freight only. My mom was with us on these excursions with 765 and 611 as well as 2102 years ago and 425 May 2009 all day excursion from Tunkhannock to Jim Thorpe and Strasburg, WK&S, New Hope, Bel-Del, Wilmington and Western, Steamtown, etc. and we lost her in the hospital on June 14, 2022. Her breath gave out. On the 765 and 611 excursions she had a battery oxygen concentrator with her with spare batteries. She did those for me despite her breathing and other health issues. Her man friend of 28 years is taking care of my younger brother and I now. We are disabled and don’t drive. I lost my father March 8, 1986 at night, a car hit him while he was walking across the street. The lady driver was drunk and she had a man riding with her. I love steam locomotives and enjoy riding behind them more than diesel locomotives. But, I would love to ride Amtrak again someday, we rode Amtrak from Philly to Orlando, FL to spend a week at Walt Disney World in August 1989. We rode the SEPTA train a few times from Lansdale to Philly in 1989 and the 1990’s, and NJ Transit from Annandale, NJ to New York on the Raritan Valley line in late Nov 1995.