Train Festival 2011 - Rock Island, IL

[Larken24]

Supposedly we are going to be hearing a announcement regarding more equipment that will be at the event, hopefully it's something good!

Maybe they can help bring in something cool. I say 2816, 2719, and 401 are possibly next

[EJ&ESDM809]

http://www.haveenginewilltravel.com/events

Flagg Coal 75 and Lehigh Valley Coal 126 will be going to the event.

[Larken24]

Ok so the list is now looking like this.

Nickel Plate 765
Iowa Interstate 6988
Iowa Interstate 7081
Central Pacific 63 "Leviathan"
Flagg Coal. Co. 75
Lehigh Valley Coal 126
Iowa Interstate No. 513
Amtrak Equipment
Celebration Belle

[EJ&ESDM809]

There was a interview with the promoter of Train Festival here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/letstalktrains

He has said they are still trying to get 3751 to the event, and also hinted that NRE will most likely be participating and from from I got out of it, he said they are most likely going to send a genset or two since their Silvis shop is right up the road.

[Larken24]

He also hinted that NRE will most likely be participating .

What is NRE? I'm just curious

[GLC 392]

National Railway Equipment, they have several locations, Silvis IL, Dixmoor IL, Mount Vernon IL, and they also have a huge shop in Puducah KY.

[Larken24]

I'm really wondering what the final 2 steam engines will be for the train festival?
I'd say it would be one of these sets

Santa Fe 3751 and Canadian Pacific 2816
Canadian Pacific 2816 and Canadian National 6060
Spokane Portland and Seattle 700 and Canadian Pacific 2816

[EJ&ESDM809]

It has been announced that 3751 will not be able to attend the festival, unfortunatly. 700 is getting worked on so it most likely won't be a option either. They said they are looking at a medium sized steam engine and two small ones. The medium sized one I'm going to guess is 2816. It doesn't look like this festival will have quite the variety of big steam engines 2009 had, but it should still be a rather decent event.

[MDH]

Some big new additions including:

On Thursday, July 21, a train will depart Chicago’s Union Station for Rock Island and Train Festival 2011. The Rock Island Express will run via the BNSF Railway through Galesburg, Illinois.

Diesel powered Chicago - RI via Galesburg? Presume down the Mendota but then how do they make the turn to get up to RI?

Return trip will be Monday morning RI to Chicago.

[PerRock]

I would think that Amtrak would send it's Museum Train their making.

peter

[EJ&ESDM809]

I think it's lame they are using diesels and not the 765.

[TrainWatcher]

Robby, its all liability. If 765 broke down (heaven forbid!) they'd have no way to get her out of the way of any "priority" trains. She's not Amtrak qualified such as MILW 261, SP 4449, or ATSF 3751. So, you really can't slap on a AMTK engine and call 765 "Qualified". Lots of red tape with that certification process. Heck, rumor is SRI is gonn try to get AMTK certs for PM 1225. Gonna be a very long process.

[nathansixchime]

Robby, its all liability. If 765 broke down (heaven forbid!) they'd have no way to get her out of the way of any "priority" trains. She's not Amtrak qualified such as MILW 261, SP 4449, or ATSF 3751. So, you really can't slap on a AMTK engine and call 765 "Qualified".

Incorrect. The 765 has been "qualified" since last summer. As for breaking down, that's part of the reason Amtrak keeps a diesel on board. This is an issue of weights and clearances, but it's not a dead one yet.

Lots of red tape with that certification process. Heck, rumor is SRI is gonn try to get AMTK certs for PM 1225. Gonna be a very long process.

Not a very long process, just involved.

[EJ&ESDM809]

Yeah the 765 did indeed have work done last year in order to make it compliant with Amtrak, which is why I figured they'd have it lead the excursion. That's kinda too bad, because us here in the west suburbs of Chicago were hoping to see 765 at high speed down the racetrack like 4449 in 2009.

[nathansixchime]

Just because the 765 has not been announced as the motive power for the Amtrak special out of Chicago does not mean it cannot be in the near future. The organizers can't afford to not advertise the trips or wait until the 765 can be confirmed to start selling tickets.

The process to confirm clearances and restrictions confirmed for the multiple potential ways into Chicago proper is time consuming given the number of railroads and their respective operating, mechanical, and clearance departments involved, so we are still holding out hope that a solution can be determined.

This is a slightly different animal than getting the 4449 in and around Chicago as it came from the west and we are coming from the east. Seeing this machine under the platforms at Union Station is a long held dream for many people -- including us!

[EJ&ESDM809]

It sounds like the 765 will be coming in on on a separate train. The routes people have been talking about are the NS to the IHB to the CP at B12, the NS to the BNSF at Western Avenue, and out to the Iowa Interstate at Colona, and the NS down to the TP&W to the Iowa Interstate Peoria branch in Peoria. Rumors have also been flying on Illinirail about the Illinois Railway Museum sending some of their diesels out to the event, so we'll see if that happens. Right now the list is:

IAIS 6988
IAIS 7081
IAIS 513
NKP 765
Flagg Coal 75
Lehigh Valley Coal 126
Viscose 6
Amtrak units
Possible NRE Genset

[Larken24]

Nebraska Zephyr is COMING!!!!!!!!!

[EJ&ESDM809]

Yes it is, and not only that, but CNW 411 and CB&Q 9255 are going with it!

[railohio]

and also hinted that NRE will most likely be participating and from from I got out of it, he said they are most likely going to send a genset or two since their Silvis shop is right up the road.

If they offered shop tours I'd sign up in a second. Just another engine on display however is no motivation to attend.

[EJ&ESDM809]

The Nebraska Zephyr is for sure more of a story than NRE sending a Genset.