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In a rare feat of preservation, a 75-year-old steam locomotive continues operating in the same city where it was built, serving as a rolling testament to Roanoke’s railroad heritage.
The Norfolk and Western Railway’s Class J 611, known for its streamlined design and bullet nose, stands as one of the most successful passenger steam locomotives ever built. After its retirement in 1994, many thought its days of running the rails were over.
“It’s such an iconic engine, one of, if not the most successful passenger steam locomotives ever built, most modern steam locomotive ever built,” said Zach McGinnis, steam operations manager for the Virginia Museum of Transportation. “The streamlined look on it, the bullet nose, the stripe, it just has a cult following, a worldwide following.”
The 611’s second chance came in 2014 when the museum launched a restoration campaign. Its 2015 homecoming drew unprecedented crowds along the tracks from North Carolina to Virginia.
“That trip back to Roanoke in 2015 was something, never seen that many people trackside before to see her come home,” McGinnis recalled.
What makes the 611 unique is its continued operation in its city of origin.
“I cannot think of any engine in the country that operates out of the, or maybe even in the world that operates out of the city it was designed and built in,” McGinnis said. “We’re very fortunate to have that.”
The locomotive maintains all its original components after three quarters of a century.
“It’s 75 years old, all original,” McGinnis explained. “It’s going to outlast us because that’s the way it was designed to be and designed to operate.”
Tom Cox, executive vice president of the museum, emphasizes the broader significance of the railroad to Roanoke’s development.
“Roanoke as we know it would not exist were it not for the railroad,” he said.
The city’s importance grew from its strategic location.
“Everything that came to southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina, southeastern West Virginia... came through this freight station here which is located in Roanoke and it really established Roanoke... as a transportation hub,” Cox explained.
The museum now faces the challenge of preserving this piece of history for future generations.
“What we really need right now is the support and fundraising. We need grants. We need endowments,” McGinnis said. “The only way to keep this thing going is raising money for it.”
A unique aspect of the preservation effort is the knowledge transfer between generations. “We have our older guys who learned to operate, maintain 611 from the guys from the Roanoke shops in the 80s and 90s,” McGinnis said. “They’re passing it down to us.”
The museum takes pride in its role as caretaker of this historic artifact.
“We’re incredibly blessed to have both 611 and 1218 in our collection,” Cox said. “Both of them are world-class artifacts that are the envy of many many museums across the country and indeed throughout the world.”
McGinnis and his team remain committed to the locomotive’s future.
“We’re carrying that on, and we want to pass that on to the next generation as well to keep 611 running,” he said. This dedication ensures that this unique piece of American railroad history will continue inspiring visitors for generations to come.
Think you know your history? Test your knowledge of the 611 steam locomotive with the quiz below:
Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit thePatchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.