Norfolk and Western 611 Story

History

N&W built No. 611 and it into revenue service on May 29, 1950 at a final cost of US$251,544. It was one of the last batches of three class Js for the N&W, making them the last steam passenger locomotive built in the United States. No. 611 and the other class Js were assigned to haul the Norfolk and Western's passenger trains such as the Pocahontas, the Cavalier, and even the luxurious Powhatan Arrow between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati and Portsmouth, Ohio as well as ferrying Southern Railway's Birmingham Special, Pelican and Tennessean between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee.

Under the management of Stuart T. Saunders in the late 1950s, the N&W began to dieselize by experimenting the first-generation diesel locomotives with fuel and maintenance cost. They leased several sets of EMD E6s, E7s, E8s from the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) and Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroads to replace there class Js from passenger service. The class Js were reassigned to freight service until they were all retired and scrapped between 1958 and 1959, with the exceptions of one (No. 611). On the latter year, No. 611 was selected to haul two Farewells to Steam round trips excursions; one from Petersburg, Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia on October 18 and the other from Roanoke, Virginia to Williamson, West Virginia on October 24.

After retirement from revenue service, No. 611 was served as a steam generator at the East End Shops, the same place where it was built, until its boiler flue ticket certificate expired. Because of the locomotives excellent condition after being rebuilt from its 1956 accident, attorney and railfan W. Graham Claytor Jr. convinced the N&W to preserve the 611 rather than seeing it scrapped. In 1962, the locomotive was donated to the Roanoke Transportation Museum in Roanoke, Virginia where it sat on display at the Wasena Park. No. 611 was also a possible candidate for the American Freedom Train; however, Reading 2101, Southern Pacific 4449 and Texas and Pacific 610 were ultimately chosen instead.

In 1980, Graham's brother, Robert Claytor, who was the president of the Norfolk and Western in its last mouths, made plans to add the 611 to the Southern Railway's steam excursions program, which had begun in 1966 with No. 4501. In October 1981, Claytor leased the 611 and moved it to the Southern Railway's Norris Yard Steam Shop in Irondale, Alabama, where it would be restored to operating conditions. During the restoration, the locomotive's firebox sheets were renewed along with the flues replaced. Many of the 611's mechanical appliances such as injectors, dynamo, and feedwater heater were rebuilt. Some new parts were fabricated, including the crosshead guide shoes from a pattern mold and the staybolts from die casting. Two of the locomotive's left side rod bearings were refurbished by the Timken Roller Bearing Company.

On July 5, 1982, No. 611 was finally steamed up for the first time in 23 years and replacing another locomotive, Southern No. 2716, which had its excursion career ended due to firebox problems. During the time, Norfolk and Western, and Southern railways merged to form Norfolk Southern (NS) and Robert Claytor became the first chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of NS until 1986. This doubled the length of trackage available for No. 611 to run on.

After completing successful test runs from Irondale, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee on August 15 and 16, 1982, No. 611 made its ferry move back to Roanoke on August 20 with Robert Claytor at the throttle and his son, Preston firing. Upon arrival in Roanoke on August 22, Claytor made a speech to the citizens of Roanoke that No. 611 was "Roanoke Born, Roanoke Bred, and Roanoke Proud". On Labor Day weekend, No. 611 began its excursion trip, pulling the Roanoke Chapter National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) Centennial Limited train to Norfolk, Virginia. As one of the last, most prominent, and most distinctive locomotive assembled in Roanoke, No. 611 often serves as a symbol for Roanoke and its railroad history.

In 1983, No. 611 continued to pull more public and private excursion trips for the Norfolk Southern steam program including and NRHS excursion on Richmond, Fredricksburg and Potomac (RF&P) trackage from Alexandria, Virginia to Richmond, Virginia where it double headed with Savannah & Atlanta 750 on July 17. Afterwards, one of 611's excursion trip took the locomotive to the Midwestern United States, where it ran some August excursion trips out of Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri on Chicago and North Western (CN&W), ex Nickel Plate Road (NKP), and ex-Wabash (WAB) trackage.