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Norfolk & Western 611 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive built by the Norfolk & Western Railway's East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, in May of 1950 for the Norfolk & Western Railway. 611 is one of a class of 13 "J"s built by the Roanoke shops. The first batch, numbered 600 to 604, were built in 1941-42 and were delivered streamlined. In 1943, 605-610 were built, only unstreamlined, due to the cost of the extra shrouding during the war. These locomotives were later streamlined in 1946. And the last batch, 611-613 were built in 1950, all streamlined. The J's were built and designed completely by N&W employees, something that only few engines have the honor of. The total cost for building 611 was over $250 K in 1950, now it would be over $2 Million.
Design
The design of the J's was completely universal. They were equipped with 300psi boilers, 70" drivers, and roller bearings on all wheels and rods. The 70" drivers and 300psi boiler allowed for a higher tractive effort. When operating at maximum psi, the J's delivered 80,000 lbf of tractive effort-the most powerful for a two cylinder simple locomotive without a booster. The engineers designed the J class not to pull freight, but passengers, and at a high spped. The 70" drivers were very small for a locomotive that is to pull trains at over 100 mph. To overcome this, the wheelbase was made extremely rigid, used lightweight rods, and roller bearings were added. This allowed for smooth and easy rotation of the wheels. The negative affect of this was it lowered the adhesion rating, which meant that under great stress, the locomotives were subject to slipping/stalling.
Service History
The J's were the pride of the N&W, pulling crack passenger trains such as "The Powhatan Arrow" "Pocahontas" and "Cavalier" as well as ferrying Southern Railway's "Tennessean" between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. One test proved that a J could pull fifteen cars at 100 mph along one section of flat, straight track in eastern Virgina. It wasn't all glamour though. In 1956, 611 derailed into the Tug River. It was determined that the engineer had her going at an excessive speed around a curve and her high center of gravity caused her to flip on her side. Within a year, 611 was back up in running.
In the late fifties, N&W began purchasing first generation diesels, experimenting with fuel and maintenance cost. They leased several sets of EMD E-6s, E-7s, E-8s from the Atlantic Coast Line and Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroads. The diesels proved to be cheaper in maintenance and fuel cost, but several were required to equal the power of a steam locomotive. In the end, diesel prevailed, and the clock began to tick until steam was retired. In 1958 and 1959, the railroad ran several farewell to steam excursions, with 611 pulling the last one in October of 1959. While many of the locomotives went to the scrap lines, 611 was more fortunate.
Preservation efforts
Due to the efforts of several men, including famous photographer O. Winston Link, 611 was saved. In 1960, she was donated to the Roanoke Rail Museum, where she sat dormant for two decades.
In the early 1980's, Robert Claytor, president of Norfolk & Western in its last months, had his eye on 611. His brother, W. Graham Claytor, once president of the Southern Railway, was in charge of Southern Railway's Steam Program. This program had been around since 1966 with Southern Railway 2-8-2 4501, sending steaming ambassadors system wide. Robert envisioned something similar for the N&W with steam. He made a lease with the museum, and in 1981, 611 was sent to Southern Railway's Norris Yard Steam Shop in Birmingham, AL for an overhaul. In 1982, 611 emerged under steam, with the only change being a dual beam headlight instead of the single she carried in the fifties. That wasn't the only change that affected 611 during the rebuild. Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway merged into Norfolk Southern. This now doubled the amount of trackage of the N&W, allowing more trackage for 611 to tour. 611s first trip was a ferry move up the Southern into Lynchburg, VA, and then over the N&W to Roanoke for a ceremony. In 1985 she was named a National Historic Landmark. For the next twelve years, she remained the pride of the NS system.
In 1985, tragedy struck once again. 611 was at the head of an Employee Appreciation train from Norfolk, VA with Robert Claytor at the throttle. One of the passenger cars picked a switch inside the Great Dismal Swamp causing it and several other cars to derail. Many people were injured and the derailment tied up the main. This derailment brought a wave of change to the system, including the retirement of many of the older passenger cars. Despite rumors, the program chugged on, welcoming another locomotive, former N&W 2-6-6-4 1218. The two continued to pull the systems trains until 1994, when another disastrous blow hit. In September of 1994, there was a switching accident in Lynchburg, VA, involving the passenger cars of an excursion consist 611 was to pull the next day. This damaged several cars, causing a shortage, and the need for more cars. Only a month later, the news many had expected in the Great Dismal Swamp derailment was released. The executives of NS determined to terminate the steam program, due to rising insurance costs, increasing cost of maintenance, and a high system capacity. The last steam excursion was on December 4th from Birmingham, AL to Chattanooga, TN and back, pulled by 611. The next day 611 set off on her three day trek home to Roanoke, VA. Her official last day of being under steam was December 7, 1994, the 53rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. Between Sailsbury, NC and Roanoke, she displayed black flags on the run. That evening, upon arrival at Schaffers Crossing in Roanoke, her fire was dumped for the last time.
In 1995 611 was put back in the museum, now known as the Virginia Museum of Transportation, under a new trainshed. In 2003, a major renovation of the railyard brought a bigger trainshed, and 611 was joined by twice former stable mate, 1218. Both locomotives sit at the museum today, along with many other regional railroad equipment. 611 remains in excellent condition. Members of local organizations get together once a month to pull her up the track several feet to keep the bearings lubed. Before running again, 611 will need new flues and upgrades to the new FRA Form 4.