Two friends and myself arrived early at Blue Ridge Saturday morning figuring we would be one of the first people there. Much to our surprise, they were already 30-40 people scattered in several places picking out their shots. After evaluating the crowd, me and one friend headed for one the smaller photo lines closer to the signal while the other friend stay back at the larger photo line in the curve. Eventually, in the distance, the sounds of 611's whistle could be heard, getting closer and closer with each blast of the whistle. Then, the shotgun exhaust of the J working hard up the Blue Ridge Grade could be heard with smoke rising up over the trees. Shutters click as last second test shots are taken to make sure everything is just right as the headlight starts to appear on the rail. Now coming around the curve, 611 appears with smoke bellowing into the air and stack talk that could be compared to standing next to the speakers at a rock concert. The train thunders past the still in service N&W CPLs and has conquered, yet again, the Blue Ridge Grade. The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is usually correct, but sometimes, a thousand words isn't enough.
