ROANOKE, Va. — Norfolk & Western Class J locomotive No. 611 will travel to Pennsylvania’s Strasburg Rail Road for four weekends of events in September and October.
The Virginia Museum of Transportation and Strasburg will combine for events including an opportunity to ride behind the restored N&W 4-8-4, opportunities to operate and fire the locomotive, cab rides, and photo charters. Classic car shows, behind-the-scene shop tours, and other family-centered events are also planned.
“Since its restoration, the Virginia Museum of Transportation has sought opportunities for the 611 to engage people from all walks of life,” museum board member Brian Barton said in a press release. “The partnership with the Strasburg Rail Road allows us to spark a fascination with steam locomotives and transportation, our history, steam technology, mechanical engineering, and design.”
The events will reunite No. 611 with Strasburg’s N&W Class M locomotive, No. 475, a 4-8-0 built in 1906 and in service on the N&W until 1962.
“Reuniting 475 and 611 is a rare opportunity for railfans and heritage railroad tourists alike,” Steve Barrall, station master at Strasburg, said in the release. “When the two locomotives are side-by-side, you will see, hear, and feel how the Norfolk & Western Railway revolutionized steam technology in under 50 years.”
The Strasburg events include:
— Sept. 28-29: A Norfolk & Western Railway Steam Reunion.
— Oct. 4-6: Railfan Photography Extravaganza
— Oct. 12-14 Rail & Road: A Transportation Evolution
— Oct. 19-20: At the Throttle of Norfolk & Western Steam.
Tickets, which range from $5 to $750, depending on the event, are available at the Strasburg Rail Road website beginning Friday, March 15.
Norfolk Southern played an instrumental role in bringing the two organizations together, Barton said. “Without the support from Norfolk Southern, the VMT would not be allowed to ferry the locomotive to special events. For the safety of the railroad’s crews, railfans, and the general public, the ferry moves will not be announced beforehand.”
The Strasburg trip will be the first action for No. 611 since a Virginia Museum of Transportation event in September 2018. The trip to Pennsylvania reflects an idea first suggested by museum director Beverly Fitzpatrick in 2017, that the museum was interested in “broadening the base” of the locomotive’s operations by sending it farther from home. [See “Museum considers sending No. 611 farther afield,” Trains News Wire, May 26, 2017.]
Strasburg has added 3 days of short (15 minutes) trips behind 611 over Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 12-14th,2019.
611 will pull open-window coaches and an open-air car.
$10.00 for adult
http://www.strasburgrailroad.com
You can ride behind it at Strasburg during the first weekend. To Leaman Place and back. They can’t sell tickets for the moves to and from Strasburg because NS and Amtrak don’t allow excursions at this time.
Well, this should sure get ME off my butt! Ok, maybe it can’t feature high speed running on the Strasburg…but maybe enroute! You can bet the railfan network will be on high alert about those ferry moves.
It would be incredible if 611 could storm up Horseshoe Curve on the return trip!
The story says that N&W 4-8-0 475 was “in service” on the N&W until 1962. That can’t be – steam ended on the N&W in the spring of 1960. It was probably in storage until 1962.
Same late October weekend as the fall TCA York meet. Sounds like a long weekend is in my future…
HOLY COW!!!! The 611 is my favorite steam locomotive. I got to see it on static display down in Roanoke at the VMT a couple years ago (on my way to see the eclipse). I’ve always wanted to see it run, but its a long trip and hard to make with my family.
Now its coming to my backyard! I never thought it would come up here. Not only do we get to see it run, but get to ride behind and IN it! Its a dream come true!
Thank you to Strasburg and VMT for making this happen!!
Any chance to ride behind it? Would make sence to sell ticketes for the transfer trips
At first glance, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PRANK! WOW! What can I say?! I am ECSTATIC! I NEVER thought that I would EVER see this happen in my lifetime. I thought the logistics were impossible! Well, well, well… this certainly is turning out to be the year of proving the SEEMINGLY impossible to absolutely be possible… Union Pacific is bringing back Big Boy #4014 for the 150th Transcontinental Anniversary events in Ogden and Promontory May 10th and 11th, which is right around the corner! If the rebirth of a Big Boy in the year 2019 ain’t proof enough of accomplishing the “impossible”, I don’t know what is!
As a frequent visitor of Strasburg, I CANNOT miss this opportunity! Not often do you get a chance to see a mainline steam locomotive like N&W 611 RIGHT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD… I live in Perry Hall, (Baltimore County) Maryland, and Strasburg is an EASY 50 mile drive away. Heck, I will GLADLY skip the 300 mile trek to Roanoke this year, even though it is a gorgeous drive down Interstate 81 through the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains… Forget mainline excursions this year! THIS is the opportunity of a lifetime for many folks, including myself. Might as well take advantage of it…
Shortest route is through Hagerstown, MD and into PA. I still hate NS and Amtrak for banning mainline excursions though. I would have loved to see some 611 excursions in PA including freight only routes toward Reading/Allentown/West Falls near Philly (wye), Renovo, Port Road to Perryville, MD. NS doesn’t want the risk of general public on its property again. That’s why even the deadhead moves won’t be published. Too many nuts, and a lady was killed by 844 last year, now those excursions are ending out of Denver. I rode behind 611 a few years ago from Manassas, VA. I had no idea it would ever travel to PA.
Speculative routing: Roanoke-Lynchburg-Manassas-Front Royal (Riverton Jct.)-Hagerstown-Rockville Bridge-Enola-Columbia(via Shocks Mill Bridge)-Lancaster-Paradise
Oh wow. The most famous Virginian to visit Pennsylvania since General Lee and the boys visited Gettysburg!
how will the engine get there anyways? on the pittsburgh division or the back way through philly?
Holy…
Wow