Restored in May 2015, the streamlined 4-8-4 will pull excursions out of Spencer, N.C.; Greensboro, N.C.; Manassas, Va.; and Roanoke, Va., where it was built in May 1950. In addition, No. 611 will make special appearances in Roanoke, Manassas, and Danville, Va., and Spencer, N.C.
After work to replace the front truck wheels and axles, No. 611 will deadhead from Roanoke to Spencer in February for annual maintenance work and its annual Federal Railroad Administration-required inspection.
The season begins April 9-10 with a pair of excursions out of the North Carolina Transportation Museum. On April 9, the engine will run to Lynchburg, Va., and return. On April 10, No. 611 will run to Asheville, N.C., This will be the first time in 22 years the Class J will operate on the famous Southern Railway Loops between Old Fort, N.C., and Ridgecrest, a mountainous area of tunnels and bridges where it takes 13 miles of tracks to cover 3 air miles.
Following the NCTM excursions, the remaining three excursion weekends will be hosted by the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
On April 23 and 24, full-day trips will depart Greensboro, N.C., to Roanoke, Va., and return. The route will be via Hurt, Va., and former Virginian Railway trackage to Roanoke both directions.
On May 7 and 9, No. 611 will run out of Roanoke to Lynchburg via Blue Ridge grade in the morning and to Walton via Christiansburg grade in the afternoon.
On June 4 and 5, No. 611 will pull a total of three trips from Manassas, Va., to Front Royal, Va., and return: One roundtrip on the morning of Saturday, June 4 and two roundtrips on Sunday, June 5, as part of the 22nd Annual Manassas Heritage Railway Festival.
Tickets will go on sale in February. For excursion details and information visit www.fireup611.org.
In addition to opportunities to ride and watch No. 611 roll by on excursions, the public is invited to take advantage of a number of special opportunities to get up close to 611 under steam, take photos, and meet the crew.
“We are very excited to offer this experience that people haven’t had before, to get really close to 611,” says Jim Stump, Forward 611 committee chair for the VMT. “We will be taking 611 to new destinations and giving communities an exciting opportunity to celebrate their history and rail heritage. It is amazing to experience this engine fired up.”
- Over the weekend of May 14, 2016 – visitors to the Virginia Museum of Transportation will get to view No. 611 fired up, and meet the crew.
- June 4, 2016 – After the morning excursion, No. 611 will make a guest appearance at the Manassas, Va., Heritage Railway Festival.
- June 2016 – No. 611 will be on display at the VMT.
- July 2016 – No. 611 will be featured at the North Carolina Transportation Museum for special events.
- Early August, 2016 – No. 611 will return to the VMT.
- Early September, 2016 – No. 611 again will return to NCTM for special events and maintenance.
- Sept. 24-25, 2016 – No. 611 will travel to Danville, Va., to be featured during Danville Rail Heritage Days.
- No. 611 will return to Roanoke after the NCTM events conclude in the fall.
The events at the NCTM and the City of Danville involve only the locomotive and its crew. No excursions to Danville or to Spencer will be offered.
For more great coverage of No. 611, check out Trains Magazine’s special issue “611 In Steam” and the companion DVD of the same name.
Thank you James Squires for not being another David Goode. As limited as the schedule and variety of locations are, I am thankful that we get to go back to Roanoke this year and enjoy some coal fired-smoke. This may be one of the last calls for steam trips if a merger still happens someday.
Hey! Better this comparatively limited schedule than none at all. Let us be thankful for what we have.
NS Savannah is docked in Baltimore at Pier 13, Canton Marine Terminal.
Museums listed at Charity Search Engines. Worth $7 a person a year.
SS United States preservation
I think we should all feel fortunate that NS is operating any trips this year given declining traffic levels and the unwanted overtures from CP. It's safe to say if the CP situation wasn't happening that there would likely be a slate of trips similar to last year that would also include 765 and 4501 again (are we really to believe that TVRM spent the time and money to restore 4501 for 1 years’ worth of 21st Century trips along with their fall trips to Summerville which could be handled by 630?).
NS 'gets' the PR value of operating these trips and has spent too much time and capital building the program back up (including the purchase and overhaul of the former C&O coaches) to now eliminate it completely. They have also been smart in partnering with TVRM, FWRHS and now VMT to operate these trips and lessen their costs along with not pursuing as aggressive a slate of trips as they did in the original program. The addition of ‘on-display’ evens, especially at Danville, are nice to see as it allows NS to generate more PR value from the use of the locomotive as well as educating the public. This was something that was overlooked in the original program and I don’t believe was fully exploited with the now concluded 21st Century Program either.
While the trips are great, if they’re to continue these additional non-trip type displays will be important to show support to NS beyond the railfan arena. And maybe once traffic settles down and hopefully CP goes away, NS will look at inviting FWRHS and TVRM back for additional trips in future years.
Keep in mind, this is 611's second year back in service and NS is currently facing a proxy battle for control of the company. Better to keep costs down now and if you survive, then MAYBE you can expand the program again and let 611 roam free.
The May excursions between Roanoke and Lynchburg / Walton: Shouldn't the dates be May 7 and 8, since the 9th is a Monday ??!! Please, let's have some proofreading before folks hit the "Enter" key …
Disappointed with the extremely limited schedule. The 611 travels only a couple of hundred miles from home for only a few weekends. While I never expected the 611 to come directly to my town, I (and others) thought this locomotive would get around the NS system to allow the people to see it. For many to see this fine machine, they have to travel long distances, maybe take vacation days, air fare multiple days of motel lodging, etc. This isn't cheep, especially if you have children.
Yes, I made a modest donation (what I could afford at the time) to restore 611. Recently received a request for another. Until they share with everyone, I don't think so.
museum listed at charity search engine. Best Friends Animal Society raises $34,575.
Unfortunately todays excursions do not have open-windowed cars, open vestibules or photo runbys. This is NOT your father's steam excursion!
STILL not coming to Richmond? BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Just kidding! I'll try to get to Manassas to say hello!
Roanoke, HERE I COME!
Air Mile= 6,076 ft, Track mile= 5,280 ft. Just sayin!