ROANOKE, Va. – Train lovers of all ages celebrated the birthday of the beloved 611 steam locomotive in Roanoke on Wednesday.
Wednesday marks the 69th anniversary of the delivery date of the 611, one of fourteen Class ‘J’ passenger locomotives built for the Norfolk & Western Railway between 1941 and 1950 and the last one in existence today.
The Queen of Steam is back at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, which had a special event for the occasion.
Local historian Ken Miller gave a short presentation of the 611's history.
"The 611 is part of a great railroad legacy for not only Norfolk and Western but for Roanoke and certainly for the museum, so we celebrate her and we celebrate the many other locomotives and rolling stock that we have here," said Bob Sigman, executive director for the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
You can also check out the documentary, "611: American Icon," which includes exclusive footage of the restoration and captures the locomotive running under steam for the first time in 20 years.