No. 611 thrills the crowd at Villamont, Va., on May 30, 2015 on its homecoming journey to Roanoke, Va. Jim Wrinn photo.
On Saturday, I stood trackside at Villamont, Va., on the eastern slope of the Norfolk & Western’s fabled Blue Ridge Grade to watch Class J No. 611 effortlessly move its 18-car passenger consist across the ridge that’s just outside its hometown of Roanoke. As the engine paddled by, whistle tied down for the grade crossing at Tower Road and not even working hard, the crowd of locals and railfans burst into applause and cheers. I heard the same thing happened in downtown Roanoke, but I can’t vouch for it personally – I was stuck in the 30 minute traffic jam on U.S. 460 trying to get into the city.
This was an emotional moment for everyone involved. This gorgeous Tuscan red, black, and gold blend of mechanical excellence and superb esthetics is thrilling anywhere, but much more so in motion. I wiped tears and sunscreen from my eyes. What was impossible 21 years ago when NS ended its steam excursion trains is once again possible in the era of drones, Facebook, and text messaging.
The return of No. 611 to steam is nothing less than a miracle, the result of a confluence of people who understand the excitement and good will it generates for railroading, people willing to donate to the cause to make it happen, and having the people who know the mechanics of these industrial age dinosaurs. We’re indeed fortunate that all of these factors came together to make this locomotive, which the Smithsonian’s Bill Withuhn has said is the best steam passenger 4-8-4 ever built, return to life. But Saturday’s success should not be taken for granted. There’s a new shop building for the locomotive to be completed – groundbreaking took place over the weekend, and more money to be raised for that and for an endowment to keep the engine going. As usual, there’s already a 5-year work plan for the engine’s upkeep and maintenance in Chief Mechanical Officer Scott Lindsay’s head. As it always has been, the work of a steam-powered railroad is never done.
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