ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The iconic 611 is traveling back from its second restoration to headline Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam excursions in 2015.
Officials say 65 years after the Class J 611 was built at Norfolk & Western Railway's shops in Roanoke and placed into service for the first time May 29, 1950, the locomotive is scheduled to return under steam May 30.
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$1.5 million donation to help restore 611 locomotive
Chairman and CEO Wick Moorman, who launched plans for 21st Century Steam in 2010, and President Jim Squires will be aboard a J-powered train from Spencer, N.C., where the 611 has been undergoing restoration at the North Carolina Transportation Museum since June 2014.
Neither progress of rail industry dieselization nor ravages of time spent lying dormant on display for decades could defeat the 611, which survived the scrap heap of other steam locomotives and two retirements to take its place among a trio of iconic engines that will power 21st Century Steam this year, officials say.
The others are Southern Railway 4501 and Nickel Plate Road 765.
VMT is a new sponsor with Norfolk Southern, joining the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society to operate excursion trips between June 6 and Oct. 11. Tickets and schedule details will be available on the websites of trip sponsors.
Here is the schedule. All excursions are round trips:
| Date/ Other Information | Origin – Turn Point/Destination | Locomotive | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend of June 6 | Manassas – Riverton Junction, Va. | N&W J 611 | VMT |
| Weekend of June 13 | Lynchburg – Petersburg, Va. | N&W J 611 | VMT |
| June 27 | Bristol, Va. – Bulls Gap, Tenn. | SOU 4501 | TVRM |
| June 28 | Bristol – Radford, Va. | SOU 4501 | TVRM |
| Weekend of July 4 | Roanoke – Lynchburg and Walton, Va. | N&W J 611 | VMT |
| Weekend of July 18 | Fort Wayne – Lafayette, Ind. | NKP 765 | FWRHS |
| Weekend of July 25 | Youngstown – Ashtabula, Ohio | NKP 765 | FWRHS |
| Weekend of Aug. 1 | Buffalo – Corning, N.Y. | NKP 765 | FWRHS |
| Weekend of Aug. 8 | Allentown – Pittston, Pa. | NKP 765 | FWRHS |
| Weekend of Aug. 15 | Scranton, Pa. – Binghamton, N.Y. | NKP 765 | FWRHS |
| Weekend of Sept. 12 | Jersey – Cleveland, Tenn. | SOU 4501 | TVRM |
| Weekend of Sept. 12 Trips celebrate 100th anniversary of the Nicholson Bridge | Scranton – Nicholson, Pa. | NKP 765 | FWRHS |
| Weekend of Oct. 3 | Macon – Tennille, Ga. | SOU 4501 | TVRM |
| Weekend of Oct. 10 | Atlanta – Toccoa, Ga. | SOU 4501 | TVRM |