Norfolk and Western 611, also known as the "Spirit of Roanoke" and the "Queen of Steam", is the only surviving example of Norfolk and Western's (N&W) class J 4-8-4 type "Northern" streamlinedsteam locomotives. Built in May 1950 at N&W's Roanoke (East End) Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, it was one of the last mainlinepassenger steam locomotives built in the United States and represents a pinnacle of American steam locomotive technology.
In 1982, No. 611 was restored to operation by N&W successor Norfolk Southern (NS). It became the mainline star of the railroad's steam program, pulling excursion trains as far south as Florida, as far north as New York, and as far west as Illinois and Missouri. In late 1994, when liability insurance costs led NS to end its steam program, the locomotive was again retired and moved back to the VMT.
After the outbreak of World War II, the Norfolk and Western Railway's (N&W) mechanical engineering team developed a new locomotive—the streamlined class J 4-8-4 Northern—to handle rising mainline passenger traffic over the Blue Ridge Mountains, especially on steep grades in Virginia and West Virginia.[5][6] The N&W built Nos. 600-604 at the Roanoke (East End) Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1941 and 1942.[6] They were painted black with a Tuscan red stripe wrapped with golden yellow linings and letterings.[5][7] The next batch, Nos. 605-610, were built in 1943 without streamlined casings due to wartime restrictions; these were classified as J1s.[8][9] A year later, the J1s were refitted with the casings and reclassified as Js.[10][11]
The class Js were the most powerful 4-8-4 passenger steam locomotives ever built, with 70in (1,778mm) driving wheels, 80,000lbf (355.86kN) of tractive effort, and an operating boiler pressure of 300psi (2.07MPa).[1][a] They had Timkenroller bearings on their drivers and tender axles, which enabled a smooth run and quicker acceleration.[1][7] Their 22D-type tenders hold 35 short tons (70,000lb) of coal and 20,000 US gallons (76,000L) of water.[14][b] They consumed 6.5 short tons (13,000lb) of coal and 11,860 US gallons (44,900L) of water per hour.[17] The locomotives were equipped with a Hancock long-bell 3-chime whistle.[18][19]
The class Js were among the N&W's most reliable steam locomotives; they ran evenly on its mountainous and relatively short route at an average speed of 40mph (64km/h), producing 5,100hp (3,800kW) at the tender drawbar.[13][20] On flat terrain, the class J locomotives could haul a 1,025 short tons (2,050,000lb) passenger train of 15 cars at 110mph (177km/h).[21][22]:5–6 Theoretically, they could go up to 140mph (225km/h) without wheel slippage.[12] They generally operated about 500 miles (800km) per day and 15,000 miles (24,000km) per month.[23][24]
The railroad built the last three class Js, Nos. 611-613, in 1950.[16][25] They were the last passenger steam locomotives built by the N&W and the last mainline passenger steam locomotives built in the United States.[25][26] Around 1955, all of the class J locomotives were given a pair of access holes in their streamlined front end, underneath the bullet nose, to ventilate the cross-compound air pumps from behind.[25][27]
No. 611, the twelfth class J locomotive, was the first of the final batch of three.[10][28] Completed at a cost of $251,544, it was put into revenue service on May 29, 1950.[1][2]:2 After some promotional photographs at N&W's Roanoke passenger station, No. 611 joined its fellow class J locomotives at work.[25] They hauled N&W's Powhatan Arrow, Pocahontas, and Cavalier passenger trains, running 676 miles (1,088km) between Norfolk, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio.[6][24] They ferried the Southern Railway's (SOU) Birmingham Special, Pelican, and Tennessean, running 209 miles (336km) between Monroe and Bristol, Virginia.[6][24] They also hauled mail trains and local passenger trains.[6][29] On June 29, No. 611 went to the Shaffers Crossing engine terminal in Roanoke for its first monthly maintenance and an inspection of its right-side cylinder head.[30]
In November 1955, after No. 611 had run a total of 30,628 miles (49,291km), it was given a scheduled repair at the Roanoke Shops.[32][33] Each time No. 611 received major repair work, some of its parts were missing or required further work, so the Roanoke Shops crew would have to interchange similar parts from its out-of-service sister locomotives, excluding Nos. 600 and 613.[34][35] No. 611 eventually held most of No. 605's running gear parts.[34][35]
On January 23, 1956, the locomotive derailed near Cedar, West Virginia, with the late westbound Pocahontas.[36][37] The engineer was killed and 60 passengers and crew were injured.[36][37] The locomotive was extensively repaired and returned to service the following month.[38][39] The accident was the country's last major steam-powered revenue passenger train wreck.[40][d]
Around February and early March 1958, the class J locomotives' tenders were outfitted with a cupola for the head-end brakeman to sit in, along with pipes to connect auxiliary water tenders and thereby eliminate stops to replenish water.[38][42] On March 31, Robert H. Smith retired as president of the N&W; Stuart T. Saunders succeeded him a day later.[43][44] Unlike his predecessor, Saunders had no interest in running steam locomotive operations and began to dieselize the N&W by ordering 268 new GP9 locomotives from the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) company.[43][45] However, he had not yet received the passenger GP9s needed to take over the class J locomotives' passenger duties and instead leased some EMD E-units from the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) and Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac (RF&P) railroads during the summer of that year.[43][46]
The class Js' retirement began with No. 604 heading for the scrap yard on October 24, 1958.[48][49] However, when the ACL E-units returned to their railroad to handle heavy winter traffic in Florida, some of the class J locomotives, including No. 611, briefly returned to passenger service until they were replaced by N&W's new passenger GP9s, which arrived at the end of 1958.[43][46] Some of the class Js continued to haul local freight trains on the Norfolk Division until their boiler flue time certificate expired around 1959.[43][48] Ultimately, the class J locomotives ran more than 3,000,000 miles (4,800,000km) in revenue service.[2]:2[50]
"I am writing this again to urge that you give really serious consideration to keeping one operational class J steam locomotive on your roster permanently."
In January 1959, No. 611 was taken out of revenue service and stored alongside its fellow sister locomotives Nos. 603, 606, 608, and 609 at Bluefield, West Virginia, waiting to be scrapped.[48][52] But Washington, D.C., lawyer W. Graham Claytor Jr., began trying to convince Saunders that No. 611 should be retained in working order; he noted that the locomotive was in good condition with an extended boiler flue time certificate, thanks to the extensive overhaul that followed its 1956 wreck.[39][51] As vice chairman of the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS), Claytor requested that No. 611 be moved under its own power back to Roanoke.[51] This was done on May 22, and it was stored at the Shaffers Crossing roundhouse to await its opportunity to pull an excursion train.[38][53][e]
On August 30, 1959, Appalachian Power Company (APCO) vice president W. Graham Claytor Sr., the father of Claytor Jr., borrowed No. 611 to haul a special excursion train from Roanoke to Norfolk, enabling the passengers of APCO employees and their families to travel over to Virginia Beach, Virginia, before returning to Roanoke on September 2.[38][53] On October 18, No. 611 traveled to Petersburg, Virginia, where it hitched up to a Washington, D.C. Chapter NRHS excursion from Washington Union Station and hauled it to Norfolk.[53][f] On October 24, No. 611 pulled the Rail Museum Safari excursion from Roanoke to Williamson, and back.[38][53][56] Upon returning to Roanoke, the locomotive went to the Shaffers Crossing roundhouse, where it was officially retired from N&W's operating locomotive roster on October 27 and stored alongside M class4-8-0No. 475.[57][58] On November 3, Saunders announced that No. 611, which still had some serviceable flues in its boiler, would not be scrapped, but used as a standby stationary boiler at the Roanoke Shops.[51][59]
In May 1960, the N&W ceased to operate steam locomotives in revenue service, becoming one of the last major Class I railroads to do so.[60][61] In April 1961, photographerO. Winston Link offered to purchase No. 611 for $5,000; the N&W replied that it was not for sale.[34][59] A year later, the locomotive's boiler flue time certificate expired and it returned to storage at the Shaffers Crossing roundhouse.[59][62] In late May that same year, Saunders abruptly donated No. 611 to the Roanoke City Council; Claytor donated $500 for its upkeep.[59][63] In spring 1963, No. 611 was cosmetically restored and put on static display at the new Roanoke Transportation Museum in Wasena Park, which opened on Memorial Day that year.[59][63] In late 1966, at Claytor's request, SOU president D. W. Brosnan launched the railroad's steam excursion program with Ms class 2-8-2No. 4501 running excursion trips, including additional N&W trackage.[64][65][66]
First mainline excursion service
"Nothing I have done has given me more pleasure since coming to the railroad as taking the 611 out of its tomb at the Transportation Museum."
During the 1970s, there was speculation about returning No. 611 back to operation and the Roanoke Chapter of the NRHS began to put this plan together.[68][69] Graham and his brother Robert even rooted for them and a meeting was arranged by the Chapter officials to seek permission from N&W president John Fishwick to perform a hydrostatic test on the locomotive.[68][69] Fishwick agreed, but he refused to let No. 611 run on N&W trackage.[68][69] Two weeks after Fishwick retired on September 30, 1981, his successor, Robert Claytor leased the locomotive from the Roanoke City Council for $5,000 per year.[69][70] On October 16, No. 611 was removed from display and moved to the Roanoke Shops to be inspected and prepared for its trip to the restoration site.[71] It was discovered that the locomotive's bearings were already greased up, thanks to some N&W crew workers who had secretly entered the Roanoke Transportation Museum on its closing days in January 1981.[68][69] On October 22, the locomotive left Roanoke; three days later, it arrived at the SOU's Norris Yard steam shop in Irondale, Alabama.[71]
The restoration work, performed by SOU master mechanic Bill Purdie and his team, began with supervision from retired Roanoke Shops foreman Paul Housman and ex-N&W draftsmen Mark W. Faville, who provided some of the original N&W class J design drawings.[2]:10[72] No. 611's injectors, dynamo, and other mechanical appliances were completely rebuilt.[72][73] The firebox sheets, and flues were replaced.[71][72] It was discovered that the water in the locomotive's feedwater heater was frozen and it causes the feedwater pump to crack, so the latter had to be replaced with a new one taken from class A2-6-6-4No. 1218.[73][g] Some new parts were fabricated, including the crosshead guides and boiler staybolts.[73] Two of the locomotive's left-side rod bearings were refurbished by Timken.[73] The locomotive's original Westinghouse 8-ET type brake system was replaced with a new 26-L type brake stand to accommodate easier repairs and replacement parts.[75] The cab interior was sheathed with varnishedhardwood.[75] A radio speaker system was added inside the cab to enable the locomotive crew to communicate with the train dispatcher.[75] The locomotive's original single-beam headlight was replaced with a vertical dual-beam headlight for the crew having better visibility at night.[73] The restoration work, which cost around $600,000, would be Purdie's last contribution before he retired at the end of 1982.[73][76]
On July 5, 1982, No. 611 was steamed up for the first time in 23 years.[77] It took over excursion service from Southern No. 2716, which was retired due to firebox problems.[73][h] During that time, the N&W and SOU railroads merged to form the new Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), retaining the steam excursion program and doubling the trackage available for No. 611 to run on.[1] Robert Claytor became the first chairman and chief executive officer of NS; he would serve through 1986.[70][82] After completing test runs from Irondale to Chattanooga, Tennessee, on August 15 and 16, 1982, No. 611 departed for Roanoke on August 20 with Robert Claytor as the engineer and his son Preston as the fireman in the cab.[73][75] After some whistle stops in Anniston, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Salisbury, North Carolina, the locomotive arrived in Roanoke on August 22 in time for the city's centennial anniversary, where Claytor made a public speech in which he called No. 611 "Roanoke born, Roanoke bred, and Roanoke proud".[75][83] As a result, the locomotive became an icon of Roanoke's railroading history.[83]
On Labor Day weekend of 1982, No. 611 began its inaugural excursion run, pulling the NRHS Roanoke Chapter's Centennial Limited train from Roanoke to Norfolk, Virginia.[73][84] The locomotive was to be turned on the Lambert's Point Yard turntable for the return trip to Roanoke, but it derailed on the sharply curved approach track, which was modified after the N&W steam era ended.[73][84] A pair of GE C30-7 diesel locomotives were called in to haul the return trip, while No. 611 was rerailed and towed to Roanoke to be repaired.[73][84] On September 6, No. 611 made a one-way excursion trip from Roanoke to Alexandria, Virginia, with Graham Claytor running it.[73][84] On October 19, No. 611 went to Bluefield and Iaeger, West Virginia, where it was tested to be turned on the wyes in preparation for the round-trip excursions from Roanoke to Bluefield and Iaeger on October 23, 24, and 30.[84][85] On Thanksgiving weekend, No. 611 hauled its last 1982 excursion, which was called the Oyster Bowl Special and ran from Roanoke to Norfolk and back.[84] During that time, ex-N&W locomotive foreman Frank Collins served as No. 611's primary engineer.[73][75]
No. 611 approaching Tolono, Illinois, with the NRHS Independence Limited excursion in June 1985
In 1983, No. 611 continued to pull more public and private excursion trips for the Norfolk Southern steam program, including an NRHS excursion, where it double headed with Savannah and Atlanta 750 on RF&P trackage from Alexandria to Richmond, Virginia, on July 17.[85][87] Afterwards, the locomotive hauled the longest one-way excursion trip from Richmond to the Midwest,[88] where it ran some excursion trips out of Chicago, Illinois; and St. Louis, Missouri, on Chicago and North Western (C&NW) tracks as well as ex-Nickel Plate Road (NKP) and Wabash (WAB) rails that N&W acquired back in 1964.[85][89] After the 1983 season, No. 611 went back to Irondale to have its firebox repaired and staybolts replaced before resuming excursion service in April 1984.[90][91]
On May 19, 1984, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) named No. 611 a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark and presented a plaque to the Roanoke Transportation Museum.[2][74] On August 11 and 12, the locomotive pulled more excursions on ex-NKP rails, including between Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, for the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society.[86][92] On August 19 and 20, it double headed with Nickel Plate Road 765 from Erie to Ludlow, Kentucky.[86] On November 10 and 11, No. 611 visited Jacksonville, Florida, to haul the Suwanee Steam Special round-trip excursion from there to Valdosta, Georgia, for the North Florida Chapter NRHS.[86][93][i]
In June 1985, No. 611 ran the longest one-way NRHS Independence Limited excursion trip from Roanoke to Kansas City, Missouri.[86] Two months later, the locomotive hauled a special Ohio State Fair excursion from Kenova to Columbus; in the cab was Walter T. Carter, a long-retired N&W engineer who had run one of the class J locomotives on the Powhatan Arrow 28 years prior.[90][95][j]
In early 1986, the locomotive was given a thorough overhaul that included repairs to its running gear and receiving a new ashpan.[74] On that same year of May 18, No. 611 was pulling an NS employee excursion train from Norfolk to Petersburg, Virginia, through the Great Dismal Swamp in Suffolk, Virginia, but the consist struck a faulty switch on the mainline, damaging 14 cars, and injuring 177 passengers.[74][96] After the wreck, NS decided to limit its steam locomotives, including No. 611, to 40mph (64km/h) while pulling excursions on their rails.[97]
During the Roanoke NRHS convention in August 1987, No. 611 pulled a round-trip excursion train from Roanoke to Radford, Virginia, where it ran side by side with the recently restored No. 1218, which was pulling an empty 50-hopper car train; the locomotives later double-headed at Radford.[94][98] After 1987, Collins retired; his assistant Bob Saxton would serve as No. 611's primary engineer until late 1994.[98][99][k] A maintenance period saw No. 611's flues replaced;[101] it returned to service in September 1988.[94][l]
In June 1989, No. 611 joined Nickel Plate Road 587 to haul the Roanoke NRHS Chapter Independence Limited excursion trip from Cleveland, Ohio, to Roanoke.[94][103] On September 16, No. 611 ran two round-trip excursions from Roanoke to Radford and Lynchburg, Virginia, pulling a matching set of ten Tuscan red passenger cars, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Powhatan Arrow re-equipment.[94][103]
No. 611 pulling an excursion out of Norfolk, Virginia, in 1993
In early 1991, the Norris Yard maintainers replaced No. 611's crown sheet and tires and overhauled its trailing truck.[101][104] Upon returning to service, it joined No. 1218 and No. 4501 on a triple-header, hauling a 28-car passenger excursion train from Chattanooga to Ooltewah, Tennessee, on November 3, during the NS steam program's 25th anniversary.[105][106] While No. 4501 took a few coaches to Cleveland, Tennessee, and then back to Chattanooga, the two N&W steamers hauled the rest to Atlanta, Georgia.[106] After the 1991 season ended, No. 611's tender was fitted with coal boards to increase its capacity, which enabled the locomotive to run more than 300 miles (480km) without stopping for coal.[107][108]
In late October 1992, No. 611 ran two round-trip excursions from Charlotte to Asheville, North Carolina.[94][106] The first, on October 24, ran via the Old Fort Loops.[94][106] The second, on the following day, brought 20 passenger cars over the Saluda Grade, the steepest standard-gauge mainline railway grade in the United States.[94][106] On the advice of NS Piedmont Division superintendent Eugene Greene, the consist was split up at the bottom of the grade to prevent the couplers on the passenger cars from breaking while climbing the steepest part of Saluda Grade.[106] Three assisting EMD SD40-2 diesel locomotives pulled the first 15 cars, while No. 611 pulled the last five.[106] The latter briefly wheel slipped and stalled for a few minutes near downtown Saluda, then finally reached the top of the grade.[106] The locomotives and cars were reassembled in the Saluda siding for the rest of the trip to Asheville and the return trip back to Charlotte.[106][m]
In July 1993, No. 611 pulled the NRHS Roanoke Chapter's 19th annual Independence Limited excursion, which arrived from Knoxville, Tennessee, by SOU No. 4501 at Richlands, Virginia, bound for Fort Wayne, Indiana.[94][109] Upon arrival in Fort Wayne, the excursion was transferred to NKP Nos. 587 and 765, which took the train to Chicago for that year's NRHS convention.[94][109] Sometime after 1993, No. 611 was added to the National Park Service's Historic American Engineering Record.[110] In June 1994, No. 611 joined a double-header excursion run with Frisco 1522 for the annual NRHS convention in Atlanta for a series of trips to Chattanooga and Macon, Georgia.[111][112]
On September 28, 1994, a consist was being moved at the Kinney Yard in Lynchburg for a planned NRHS excursion to Richmond, which was to have been led by No. 611 in early October.[112] The consist derailed, damaging nine passenger cars, two of which were deemed unrepairable.[112] The accident led NS to raise its liability insurance from $10 million to $25 million.[112] On October 29, NS CEO David R. Goode announced the decision to end the steam program due to rising insurance, maintenance costs, low spare system capacity, and delayed freight traffic.[112][113][n]
On December 3, 1994, No. 611 hauled the last NS steam-powered excursion trip from Birmingham, Alabama, to Chattanooga and back.[115] On December 5, No. 611 set out for Roanoke with brief stops in Atlanta that day and Salisbury on December 6.[115][o] After it arrived in Roanoke on December 7, No. 611 had its fire put out for the final time after 12 years of excursion service with NS.[115] The locomotive's boiler flue time certificate expired in early 1995.[117] Additionally, Preston Claytor removed No. 611's original whistle for safe keeping.[118]
No. 611 sat in storage at the Roanoke Shops until October 1995, when it was returned to the Roanoke City Council.[81][119] It was put back on display at the Roanoke Transportation Museum, which had been renamed the Virginia Museum of Transportation Museum (VMT) and given a new home in the former N&W Roanoke freight station after its original location was destroyed in the 1985 Election Day floods.[119][120] The locomotive sat under the Robert B. Claytor and W. Graham Claytor Jr. Pavilion, whose namesake brothers had died in 1993 and 1994, respectively.[81][121][p]
In June 2003, No. 611 was reunited with No. 1218, which was partially reassembled and cosmetically restored from its cancelled 1992-96 overhaul.[122] In 2007, Nos. 611 and 1218 were put on temporary display at the Roanoke Shops to commemorate its 125th anniversary.[123] At that time, No. 611's original whistle was on loan to the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Michigan, where it was temporarily used on the Pere Marquette 1225 steam locomotive.[118] On May 8, 2010, No. 611 was put on temporary display in front of the former N&W Roanoke passenger station, now known as the O. Winston Link Museum for National Train Day.[124] In 2011, the Roanoke City Council nicknamed No. 611 "The Spirit of Roanoke", which the VMT inscribed under the cab windows.[125] On April 2, 2012, the Roanoke City Council donated Nos. 611 and 1218 to the VMT.[126][127]
Second mainline excursion service
No. 611 (left) with No. 1218 (right) in July 2013
In 2011, NS CEO Wick Moorman brought back the steam program under the name 21st Century Steam, leading to speculation that No. 611, nicknamed the Queen of Steam, might again be restored to operating condition.[128][129] On February 22, 2013, VMT executive director Bev Fitzpatrick and the officials formed the Fire Up 611! committee to study the feasibility of returning No. 611 to active service.[130][131] Three members had worked with No. 611 since the 1980s and 1990s: chairman Preston Claytor, volunteer firewoman Cheri George, and Steam Operations Corporation president Scott Lindsay.[130][131]
On June 2, 2013, the VMT and NS tested No. 611's bearings and confirmed that the locomotive was in excellent condition to be restored.[132] On June 28, VMT officials launched the Fire Up 611!capital campaign.[129][133] The group aimed to raise $3.5 million by the end of October to acquire a maintenance facility for the restoration, but raised just $2.5 million.[129][134] Shortly after, NS donated $1.5 million of the proceeds from the auction of a Mark Rothko painting to the committee.[135][136]
In April 2014, after raising money from nearly 3,000 donors all over the United States and 18 foreign countries, the Fire Up 611! committee made several key appointments to the locomotive's mechanical team, and struck a deal with the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) in Spencer, North Carolina, to use the ex-SOU Bob Julian roundhouse to restore No. 611.[137][138] Three members of the mechanical team had previously worked with No. 611: ex-SOU general foreman of steam Douglas S. Karhan, ex-NS steam department foreman Robert Yuill, and NS senior general foreman Bob Saxton.[99]
On May 24, 2014, No. 611 was towed out of the VMT; it was moved to the NCTM the next day.[139][q] At the Streamliners at Spencer event the following weekend, Moorman removed the first bolt from No. 611, ceremonially beginning the restoration work.[141][142] On June 2, the actual work was begun by the Steam Operations Corporation with the help of 75 volunteers, including several from the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.[143][144] By July 1, the locomotive had been completely stripped down.[145] The restoration work included installing new flues and rear flue sheet, boiler work, repairs to the locomotive's trucks, tender, superheaters, boiler staybolts, cross-compound air pumps, safety valves, running gear, and air brakes.[146][147] It met the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) safety guidelines and certification requirements.[143] On July 25, the Fire Up 611! committee and the NCTM offered behind-the-scenes tours of No. 611's restoration progress.[148]
On February 23, 2015, No. 611's boiler passed a hydrostatic test;[149] it was test-fired on March 31.[150][151] The locomotive was then reassembled and repainted with paint donated from Axalta.[152][153] On May 9, No. 611 moved under its own power for the first time in nearly 21 years.[154][155] On May 15, Claytor resigned his position to protest the VMT board's decision to engrave No. 611 with the words "The Spirit of Roanoke"; he was replaced by executive search consultant Jim Stump.[125][155] On May 21, the locomotive completed a round-trip mainline test run from Spencer to Greensboro, North Carolina.[156][r]
The recently restored No. 611 (middle) with the inoperable Nos. 1218 (right) and 2156 (left) on May 31, 2015
On May 23, 2015, during the Send Off Celebration event, ten guests paid $611 each to drive the locomotive.[155][159] On May 28, the NCTM and Trains magazine held the Fired Up! photo charter runbys with the locomotive pulling replicated 1950s freight and passenger train consists, alongside ACL E6No. 501, which was temporarily re-lettered "NORFOLK AND WESTERN" to replicate one of the leased ACL passenger diesel locomotives that N&W used to replace No. 611 and the other class J locomotives on their passenger trains.[160][161] On May 30, No. 611 began its homecoming trip back to Roanoke with now former NS CEO Moorman at the throttle.[144][162] The next day, the locomotive was reunited with the inoperable class A No. 1218 and class Y6a No. 2156, which was on loan from the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis for display at the VMT until 2020.[157][163][164]
On June 6 and 7, 2015, No. 611 hauled its first 21st Century Steam excursion in Virginia, running The American from Manassas to Front Royal on ex-SOU tracks.[165][166] The locomotive then returned to ex-N&W rails, hauling the Cavalier excursion from Lynchburg to Petersburg on June 13 and 14.[165][166] On June 15, it hauled a short freight train bound for Spencer, where it began its monthly boiler inspection at the NCTM.[166][167] On July 1, it returned to Roanoke, where it ran two round-trip excursions: the Powhatan Arrow to Lynchburg in the morning and the Pelican to Radford in the afternoon during the Independence Day weekend.[165][166] Then NS ended its 21st Century Steam program, although No. 611 continued to pull various excursion trips over NS trackage.[168][169]
In February 2016, No. 611 received new front leading wheels and axles made by the Brenco Product Engineering.[170][171] Afterwards, the locomotive ran two round-trip excursions with the NCTM: The Virginian from Spencer to Lynchburg on April 9 and the sold-out Blue Ridge Special from Spencer to Asheville the next day.[170][172] On April 11, No. 611 partook in another NCTM photo charter runby along with ex-Lehigh Valley Coal Company 0-6-0 No. 126.[173][174] On April 23 and 24, the locomotive ran The Roanoker round-trip excursion from Greensboro to Roanoke via Altavista, Virginia, on ex-Virginian Railway (VGN) mainline.[170][175] From mid-May to early June, it reran the previous year's Powhatan Arrow, Pelican, and American round-trip excursions.[170][176] Afterwards, it returned to the NCTM for the summer events of cab rides, caboose rides, in-cab experiences, visitors sounding the locomotive's whistle, and short passenger train rides around the museum.[177][178] On August 8, No. 611 returned to Roanoke under its own power for display at the VMT.[178] On Labor Day weekend, it was steamed up again for the VMT events of cab tours and photo sessions with N&W GP9 No. 521.[179] On September 7, No. 611 returned to the NCTM again for more events of cab rides, caboose rides, and in-cab experiences before returning to Roanoke on October 24.[178][180]
No. 611 waiting to depart Roanoke, Virginia, with the morning Powhatan Arrow excursion on May 28, 2017
On January 6, 2017, the locomotive returned to the NCTM for its annual FRA inspection.[178] On April 8, it ran The Virginian round-trip excursion and the next day's Charlotte Special round-trip excursion from Spencer to Charlotte in the morning and a second round-trip excursion, The Piedmont Limited from Spencer to Greensboro in the afternoon for the NCTM.[178][181] Afterwards, No. 611 took part in NCTM's 100 Years of American Steam event, which marked the unveiling of the restored 4-4-0Texas steam locomotive.[182][183] After the event, No. 611 reran the two round-trip excursions; The Roanoker from Greensboro to Roanoke on April 22 and 23 and The Cavalier from Lynchburg to Petersburg on May 6 and 7.[178][184] On May 23, the Virginia General Assembly officially named No. 611 as the Official Steam Locomotive of Virginia.[185] On Memorial Day weekend, No. 611 ran its final mainline round-trip excursions out of Roanoke; The Powhatan Arrow to Lynchburg and The Pocahontas to Radford.[178][184] The locomotive's excursion economic impact was reported to be at least $4 million per year.[186] These were the last contributions of VMT executive director Bev Fitzpatrick before he retired at the end of 2017.[187][188]
Post-NS excursion service
No. 611 running on the Strasburg Rail Road in June 2021
In 2018, No. 611 was unable to perform any mainline excursions due to new restrictions on private charter trips imposed by Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson.[189][190] VMT now operated No. 611 as a traveling exhibit; it visited the NCTM for its annual FRA routine maintenance, as well as more smaller events around the museum.[191][192] On September 26, No. 611 returned to the VMT under its own power for the final time.[193] Afterwards, the locomotive was forbidden to run on the NS mainline under its own power because it lacked a positive train control (PTC) system.[178][191] The VMT sought donations to equip No. 611 with PTC.[178][191]
In 2019, VMT sent No. 611 to the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, for the five-weekend N&W Reunion of Steam events from September 27 to October 27.[194][195] Lacking both the PTC and cab signaling system, No. 611 was paired behind a diesel locomotive for the trip to Strasburg and would still become a thing to this day.[191][196] Upon arrival, No. 611 joined another ex-N&W steam locomotive, No. 475, for the first time since 1959.[58][197] The first weekend of November found No. 611 back at the NCTM for in-cab experiences and caboose rides.[198]
In early 2020, No. 611 was restricted to static display at the NCTM by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was steamed up during the autumn season for in-cab experiences, cab rides, and caboose rides.[199][200] In late May 2021, the locomotive returned to SRC for weekends of excursions, in-cab experiences, cab tours, hostling tours, and whistle-blowing.[201][s] On July 2, No. 611 was sidelined due to a broken leaf spring in its trailing truck, which was repaired in time for the next weekend excursions.[199][204] Afterwards, in early October, No. 611 went into the SRC workshops for its annual FRA inspection and maintenance to its boiler staybolts.[205][206] In 2022, it participated in more SRC events: in-cab experiences on September 30-October 2, cab tours on October 7–9, photo charters on November 9–10, and excursion rides on November 11–13.[207][208]
On January 31, 2023, No. 611 was put on temporary outdoor display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, near the SRC.[209][210] From May 21 to 29, it participated in The Farewell Tour weekend events of in-cab experiences and excursion rides at the SRC.[211][212] It left the SRC on May 31 and returned to the VMT for display on June 2.[213][214] On June 24–25 and July 22–23, the VMT offered behind-the-scenes tours around the locomotive and its history.[215][216]
On the morning of September 14, 2023, No. 611 left the VMT and arrived at the Virginia Scenic Railway's (VSR) Victoria Station in Goshen, Virginia, that afternoon.[217] There, the locomotive would haul VSR's weekend Shenandoah Valley Limited round-trip excursions through the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests between Goshen and Staunton, Virginia, running on the Buckingham Branch Railroad (BB) tracks during October and early November.[218][219] Additionally, the BB rails were formerly operated by the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O).[219] This would mark the locomotive's first fall foliage season excursions through Virginia since 1994.[217][219] Before that, during September 30, the VMT and VSR offered in-cab experiences for guests to operate or fire the locomotive along the Goshen industrial track.[220][221]
No. 611 ran its first VSR excursions on October 6.[219][222] As there is currently no turntable or wye for No. 611 to be turned around at Staunton, a pair of BB diesel locomotives were placed on the rear of the excursion train for the run back to Goshen.[223][224] On the night of October 27, No. 611 was sidelined by a broken boiler staybolt; the BB diesel locomotives filled in for the next day's excursions.[225][226] On October 29, No. 611 was repaired; it hauled some of the last Shenandoah Valley Limited weekend excursions on that day and from November 3 to 5.[226][227] On November 7, the locomotive returned to Roanoke, where it idled at the VMT,[228][229] whose president Will Harris retired on June 27, 2024.[230][231]
On December 14, 2023, No. 611 was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR).[232] It was also added to the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places around February 2024.[233] As of 2024, there were no excursions planned for No. 611 to pull.[234] The locomotive was currently under maintenance until further notice.[234]
On May 14, 1952, No. 611 crashed into a tractor-trailer truck loaded with ice cream at a railroad crossing in South Point, Ohio, while hauling the Pocahontas train No. 3.[30] The locomotive's front end was covered with ice cream but was undamaged; it continued its trip to Cincinnati.[30]
Four days later on June 24, 1953, No. 611 was pulling the Powhatan Arrow train No. 26 when it ran into the end of a tractor-trailer truck at a crossing near Ironton, Ohio, denting its bullet nose and crushing its front footstep on the fireman's side.[39][235] It was repaired shortly afterwards.[235]
On the evening of December 7, 1954, No. 611 was pulling the Powhatan Arrow train No. 25 when it collided with a 1941 Fordsedan at McDermott, Ohio.[32]
On July 26, 1955, after No. 611 departed Cincinnati with the Cavalier train No. 16, it ran into a 1952 International truck at the city's Canal Ridge Road.[32]
On a cold winter night of January 23, 1956, at 12:51 a.m., No. 611 derailed with the late Pocahontas train No. 3, pulling 11 cars at more than 50mph (80km/h) around a 30mph (48km/h) curved track along the Tug River near Cedar, West Virginia.[36][37] The locomotive slid down the embankment of the river and toppled onto its left side along with its tender and the first six cars while the last five cars remained on the rails, undamaged.[37][t] The engineer was killed, while the fireman, eight other crew members, and 51 passengers were injured.[36][37] The accident gave No. 611 cosmetic damage to its left side, where its skirting panels, running boards, valve gear parts, and other appliance parts were completely torn off.[37][238] The damage to the locomotive and its tender was estimated at $75,000.[33] The locomotive and the six damaged cars were all repaired and put back into service.[33] The tender received dents, which was later removed during the locomotive's 2014-2015 restoration.[38][155] However, its sand dome retained a large dent.[38][39]
On November 18, 1956, No. 611 struck a 1952 Buick automobile at Lincoln Street, while running light engine from Roanoke, Virginia, to Portsmouth, Ohio.[38]
On May 18, 1986, No. 611 was at the head of a NS employee excursion train from Norfolk to Petersburg, Virginia, pulling 23 cars through the Great Dismal Swamp in Suffolk, Virginia.[74][96] Some were heavyweight and open-air passenger cars that lacked tightlock couplers.[96] The train was running at 58mph (93km/h) with Robert Claytor at the throttle when two of the passenger cars struck a faulty switch on the mainline.[74] They derailed, taking 12 other passenger cars with them.[74] The locomotive, the first six cars, and last two cars stayed on the rails undamaged.[74][96] Of the thousand or so employees and family members aboard, 177 were injured; 18 of the most seriously injured were airlifted to hospitals in nearby Norfolk for treatment.[96][97] Eleven of the derailed passenger cars were repaired.[97] The two damaged open-air cars, the Missionary Ridge and Queen and Crescent Club, were scrapped and another, the W. Graham Claytor, Jr., was donated to the VMT.[97][239] After the wreck, the heavyweight passenger cars and open-air cars were retired from mainline excursion service since it was too difficult and expensive for them to be retrofitted with tightlock couplers.[97] The Great Dismal Swamp wreck was the worst accident in the history of the NS steam program.[97]
On June 1, 1958, Link sat with his audio tape recorder in the mail car behind the locomotive's tender as it pulled the Cavalier train No. 15 from Roanoke to Williamson, recording the audio sound for his The Fading Giant: Sounds of Steam Railroading Vol. 2album.[242][243]
Norfolk Southern's 1983 promotional documentary video Going Home showed the locomotive's first restoration and homecoming trip to Roanoke in 1982.[244][245]The Ballad of 611, a song written by the David Niblock Band, can be heard in the documentary.[84]
↑ Originally, the first 11 class J locomotives produced 275psi (1.90MPa), which provided 733,000lbf (3,260.55kN) of tractive effort.[12] Their boiler pressure was later raised to 300psi (2.07MPa) in late 1945 to achieve more economic operation.[13]
↑ The first 11 class J locomotives' tenders originally hold 26 short tons (52,000lb) of coal and 22,000 US gallons (83,000L) of water.[14][15] In the mid-1940s, they were later changed to 35 short tons (70,000lb) and 20,000 US gallons (76,000L), respectively due to multiple water stops on the N&W mainline.[14][16]
↑ It also puffs out a plume of black smoke, which was uncommon for the class J locomotives.[38][55]
↑ No. 1218 presently received a replacement pump from one of the B&O Railroad Museum's steam locomotives.[74]
↑ To run in excursion service, No. 611 would need two pieces of rolling stock: an auxiliary water tender for longer trips and a tool car to carry maintenance equipment for the locomotive.[42][78] The auxiliary tender No. 220166 was originally from an ex-Louisville & Nashville (L&N) 2-8-4Big EmmaM-1 No. 1958.[79][80] Additionally, the tool car No. 1407 was a former N&W storage mail car.[67][81]
↑ No. 611 hauled this excursion trip numerous times between 1985 and 1994, excluding 1987 and 1993.[86][93][94]
↑ No. 611 went to Saluda Grade three more times on May 30, 1993 and October 23 and November 13, 1994.[94][106]
↑ In 2015, Goode admitted that it was a mistake.[114]
↑ On the final leg of the journey, a local churchchimed as No. 611 whistled through Gretna, Virginia, just 25 miles (40km) south of Lynchburg, reminding some of O. Winston Link's famous recording of N&W No. 603 arriving at Rural Retreat, Virginia with the northbound Pelican passenger train on the night of December 24, 1957.[115][116]
↑ In 1995, the locomotive's second original auxiliary tender No. 250002 was donated to the Friends of the 261 for use behind Milwaukee Road 261.[81] The No. 1407 tool car was purchased by the Roanoke Chapter NRHS.[81][119]
↑ It was moved to Spencer, North Carolina by NS No. 8103, an SD70ACe diesel locomotive painted in Norfolk and Western colors.[140]
↑ Being prepared for its second excursion career, No. 611 was given another ex-L&N Big Emma auxiliary tender VMTX No. 250001.[157][158]
↑ Originally, the 611's first 2021 Strasburg excursion trips were scheduled for May 21–23, but these were cancelled due to the locomotive having some malfunctioning issues to its mechanical stoker, which was later resolved in time for the May 29–31 trips.[202][203]
The Norfolk and Western Railway, commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precision Transportation"; it had a variety of nicknames, including "King Coal" and "British Railway of America". In 1986, N&W merged with Southern Railway to form today's Norfolk Southern Railway.
William Graham Claytor Jr. was an American attorney, United States Navy officer, and railroad, transportation and defense administrator for the United States government, working under the administrations of three US presidents.
Robert Buckner Claytor was an American railroad administrator. He became President of the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1981 and was instrumental in the merger of the Southern Railway and the Norfolk & Western in 1982. He was the first chairman and CEO of the new Norfolk Southern, and is credited with locating the headquarters of the Fortune 500 company in Norfolk, Virginia, within sight of the massive coal pier at Lambert's Point on the Elizabeth River at Hampton Roads.
The Roanoke Shops is a railroad workshop and maintenance facility in Roanoke, Virginia. Between 1884 and 1953, the shops produced 447 steam locomotives, all for the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). The Roanoke Shops built the N&W's famous Big Three class steam locomotives; the 4-8-4 class J, the 2-6-6-4 class A, and the 2-8-8-2 class Y6. In late 1953, the Shops built their final steam locomotive, making it last standard gauge steam locomotive built for revenue service in the United States. In 2020, N&W's successor, Norfolk Southern abandoned the Shops and Genesis Rail Services leased the property in July 2023.
The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a museum in Spencer, North Carolina. It is a collection of automobiles, aircraft, and railway vehicles. The museum is located at the former Southern Railway's 1896-era Spencer Shops and devotes much of its space to the state's railroad history. The museum has the largest collection of rail relics in the Carolinas. Its Back Shop building of nearly three stories high is notable for its size, two football fields long.
Southern Railway 4501 is a preserved Ms class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive. Built in October 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, No. 4501 was the first of its wheel arrangement type for the Southern Railway (SOU). In July 1948, the locomotive was retired from the railway in favor of dieselization and was subsequently sold to the shortline Kentucky and Tennessee Railway (K&T) in Stearns, Kentucky, to haul coal trains.
The Powhatan Arrow was a named flagship passenger train operated by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) in the United States. Debuting on April 28, 1946, the daily westbound No. 25 and the eastbound No. 26 connected Norfolk, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio, covering 676 miles (1,088 km) in about 15 hours and 45 minutes behind streamlined 4-8-4 class J steam locomotives. In late 1949, N&W re-equipped the Powhatan Arrow consist with new lightweight passenger cars, dining cars, and observation cars from the Pullman-Standard Company. It was advertised as the "most beautiful train in the east."
The Norfolk and Western J class was a class of 14 4-8-4 "Northern" streamlined steam locomotives built by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) at its Roanoke Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, between 1941 and 1950. The most powerful 4-8-4 locomotives ever produced, the J class were part of the N&W's "Big Three" that represented the pinnacle of steam technology.
The Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) is a museum in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia, that is devoted to the topic of transportation.
Norfolk and Western 475 is a M class 4-8-0 "Twelve-wheeler" type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works as part of the Norfolk and Western Railway's (N&W) first order of M class numbered 375–499. It was first assigned to haul freight trains on the N&W mainline before being reassigned to branch line duties on the Blacksburg Branch in the 1920s.
Norfolk and Western 1218 is a preserved four-cylinder simple articulated 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive, built in June 1943 by the Norfolk and Western's (N&W) Roanoke Shops in Roanoke, Virginia as part of the N&W's class "A" fleet of fast freight locomotives. It was retired from regular revenue service in July 1959, and was later restored by Norfolk Southern for excursion service for their steam program, pulling excursions throughout the eastern United States from 1987 to 1991. It is currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia.
Norfolk and Western 2156 is a preserved Y6a class 2-8-8-2 compound Mallet steam locomotive. The Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) built it in 1942 at its own Shops in Roanoke, Virginia as the second member of the N&W's Y6a class. No. 2156 and its class are considered to be the world's strongest-pulling extant steam locomotive to ever be built.
Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway (SOU) as a member of the Ks-1 class. It was primarily assigned to haul freight trains on the Murphy Branch between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina until its retirement in the 1950s. No. 630, along with sister locomotive No. 722, were sold to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) to be served as switchers.
Southern Railway 722 is a class "Ks-1" 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in September 1904 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to run on the Murphy Branch, where it hauled freight trains between Asheville and Murphy, North Carolina for the Southern Railway (SOU). In 1952, it was purchased by the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC), alongside its sister locomotive No. 630, where they were served as switchers around Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Atlanta and West Point 290 is a P-74 steam locomotive built in March 1926 by the Lima Locomotive Works (LLW) in Lima, Ohio for the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. It is a 4-6-2 heavy "Pacific" type steam locomotive, which was remarkably similar to the Southern Railway's Ps-4 class. With sister locomotive No. 190 built for the Western Railway of Alabama (WRA), No. 290 ferried the Southern Railway's Crescent passenger train on the West Point Route between Atlanta, Georgia to Montgomery, Alabama until its retirement from revenue service in 1954.
The 21st Century Steam program was conducted by the Norfolk Southern Railway from 2011 to 2015, featuring four classic steam locomotives pulling passenger excursions along Norfolk Southern rails in the eastern United States. The last train was to be Southern 4501's Piedmont Limited excursion trip from Atlanta, Georgia, to Toccoa, Georgia, but cancelled on October 1 due to Hurricane Joaquin.
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2716 is a class "K-4" 2-8-4 "Kanawha" (Berkshire) type steam locomotive built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). While most railroads referred to these 2-8-4 type locomotives as Berkshires, the C&O referred to them as Kanawhas after the Kanawha River, which flows through West Virginia. Used as a dual service locomotive, No. 2716 and its classmates served the C&O in a variety of duties until being retired from revenue service in 1956.
The Norfolk and Western A was a class of 43 2-6-6-4 simple articulated steam locomotives built by the railroad's own Roanoke Shops between 1936 and 1950 and operated until the late 1950s. The locomotives hauled fast and heavy freight trains for the railroad and only one has been preserved, No. 1218.
The Cedar train wreck occurred on the night of January 23, 1956, when the Norfolk and Western (N&W) Pocahontas passenger train derailed at more than 50 mph (80 km/h) along the Tug River near Cedar, West Virginia. The accident killed the engineer and injured 51 passengers and nine crew members. It was the last major wreck of a steam-powered revenue passenger train in the United States.
The Great Dismal Swamp train derailment occurred on the afternoon of May 18, 1986, when a special Norfolk Southern employee passenger train derailed at the Great Dismal Swamp near Suffolk, Virginia. The accident injured 177 passengers; 18 were seriously injured and need to be airlifted to nearby hospitals in Norfolk, Virginia. The train was pulled by Norfolk and Western 611, a class J 4-8-4 steam locomotive, which was restored to operating condition for excursion service in 1982.
↑ Weber, George (1995). "Steam'n thru Georgia in '94". National Railway Bulletin. Vol.60, no.1. National Railway Historical Society. pp.4–27. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
↑ Kirkman, Kenney (July–August 2003). "Memories of 1218"(PDF). Turntable Times. Vol.35, no.7/8. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. pp.5–6. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
↑ "Our Story". Virginia Museum of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
↑ "N&W 611 and 1218"(PDF). Turntable Times. Vol.44, no.2. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. April 2012. p.5. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
↑ "611 Test "Run""(PDF). Turntable Times. Vol.45, no.2. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. June 2, 2013. p.8. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
↑ Price, Gray (June 2014). "611 Farewell Celebration"(PDF). Whistle Stop. Vol.34, no.6. Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum. pp.6–7. Archived from the original(PDF) on April 13, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
1 2 "N&W No. 2156 Headed To Roanoke"(PDF). Turntable Times. Vol.47, no.2. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. May 4, 2015. p.5. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
↑ "In Cab Experiences". Virginia Scenic Railway. Buckingham Branch Railroad. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
↑ Gruber, John (Summer 2001). "O. Winston Link's sounds of steam". Classic Trains. Vol.2, no.2. Kalmbach Media. p.28. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
Jeffries, Lewis (1980). N&W: Giant of Steam (1sted.). Pruett Publishing. ISBN0-87108-547-X.
King, Ed (1998). Norfolk & Western in the Appalachians: From the Blue Ridge to the Big Sandy. The Golden Year of Railroading (1sted.). Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN0-89024-316-6.
Loy, Sallie; Hillman, Dick; Cates, C. Pat (2005). The Southern Railway: Further Recollections. Images of Rail (1sted.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN978-0-7385-1831-2.
McKinney, Wayne (2014). Roanoke Locomotive Shops and the Norfolk & Western Railroad. Images of Rail (1sted.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN978-1-4671-2111-8.
Miller, Kenneth L. (2000). Norfolk and Western Class J: The Finest Steam Passenger Locomotive (1sted.). Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, Inc. ISBN0-615-11664-7.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
