Norfolk and Western 611, also known as the "Spirit of Roanoke" and the "Queen of Steam" is a preserved Norfolk and Western (N&W) class "J" 4-8-4 "Northern" streamlined steam locomotive built in May 1950 by the N&W's East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia. It was one of the last steam passenger locomotive built in the United States and represents the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology.
No. 611 was assigned to haul the N&W's Powhatan Arrow, Pocahontas, Cavalier passenger trains between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati and Portsmouth, Ohio as well as ferrying the Southern Railway's Birmingham Special, Pelican and Tennessean between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. It was retired from revenue service in 1959 and donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) to be put on display in 1962, making it the sole survivor of the fourteen class J locomotives. In 1982, Norfolk Southern (NS) restored the locomotive to operating condition for excursion service as it became the star of there steam program, pulling excursions throughout the eastern Union States. No. 611 was retired again in December 1994 and moved back to the VMT.
In February 2013, the VMT formed a committee called Fire Up 611! to raise enough money to restore the locomotive to operating conditions once again for excursion service in May 2015. It often visits the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) in Spencer, North Carolina for its annual Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) maintenance and inspection as well as doing cab rides, caboose rides, in-cab experiences, whistle blowing, and short passenger trains rides around the museum. Most recently in fall 2019, No. 611 went to Strasburg, Pennsylvania to participate in the Strasburg Rail Road's N&W Reunion of Steam events where it ran several excursions trips, photo runbys, and in-cab experiences alongside 4-8-0 Norfolk and Western 475. On May 26, 2021, No. 611 returned to Strasburg where it was scheduled to stay and pull excursions until early October 2021.
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Norfolk and Western 611 Story
Non-FictionN&W 611 is the last J-class steam locomotives around
