Norfolk Southern History

[NW Mailing List]

Mr. Shell, I certainly respect your inside knowledge of the decision to end 
the Norfolk Southern Steam Program. However, I must clarify that the " 
derailment of 1994" was actually caused by a train that was mistakenly 
shoving on the same track occupied by the excursion coaches. A track that 
was clearly closed by railroad rule book standards. A track that was 
REQUIRED to be protected against any movement by an employee. Norfolk 
Southern Operating Rule number 508. "When directing a move by radio 
communication, person directing the move, after establishing 
identification, will give engineer direction of move and distance seen to 
be clear. When one-half the last distance received has been covered, 
engineer will stop the move unless he is receiving additional signal from 
person directing move. Exception: Commencing five car lengths before 
coupling or stop is to be made, person directing move will call out 
distances in car lengths, as: "five cars;" "four cars;" "three cars;" etc. 
after acknowledging "five cars," engineer will not be required to further 
acknowledge countdown if doing so would interfere with safe operation. 
During this countdown, engineer will stop the move immediately after moving 
one car length unless he is receiving additional signal from person 
directing move." The damage inflicted upon the excursion coaches was simply 
caused by  disregard for the rules by a careless employee. To speculate on 
the tort responsibility of  Norfolk Southern from  damage inflicted upon an 
empty train of coaches, at night, in a railroad yard, is pure fantasy. It 
seems that very few want to believe that Mr. Goode could have been so cold 
as to end the Steam Program for no visible reason, so the apologists create 
many different reasons, liability being one; the story about the school 
children running across the track to board 611's train in Apomattox, for 
instance. Isn't it strange that Mr. Robert Claytor was able to operate the 
Steam Program so sucessfully, while facing these same concerns. Isn't it 
strange that Union Pacific continues their excursions many years after 
1994. As I heard more than one person say, in 1994, after the end of the NS 
Steam Program was announced, "They waited untill Bob Claytor was in the 
ground, before they ended it." Look to Mr. Goode for the reasons it ended. 
Look to the Board members of that year. Look to the profit and loss sheets. 
Remember the end of steam on the N&W, so impatiently, and wastefully 
implemented by Stuart Saunders. It wasn't fear of lawsuits that brought an 
end to the NS Steam Program, it was greed. Also, to those of you who 
continually call for Norfolk Southern to pull 611 from the museum, you can 
forget it. Not in this or any other lifetime. I invite you to do as I, and 
please contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of 611, and 1218, on a 
regular basis. Thank You, Jim Flummer, former 611, and 1218 locomotive 
engineer.


> I have to take exception to this comment. Norfolk Southern not running steam has nothing to do with whether or not they are interested in history. Norfolk Southern quit running steam excursions due to liability. I have heard this first hand from top NS management at the time. I was involved in some meetings with NS to preserve the steam program. After the derailment/accident in Lynchburg, VA in 1994 they realized that if that train had been full of school kids there would not be enough money to cover all of those blood sucking lawsuits that would follow. Blood sucking is my description, not NS's. I believe in compensation after an accident but these settlements these days are outrageous.

>

> Many of my dealings with Norfolk Southern show me that they are interested in history. They often support our historic organizations. The reason they often tear down unused structures is to avoid property taxes.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Richard D. Shell

> Troutville, VA

>

> In a message dated 1/27/2010 1:38:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

>

>     It's the same reason why NS sees absolutely no

>     reason to operate steam locomotives,