This summer, the legendary Norfolk & Western 611 steam locomotive is firing up her wheel—and she’s bringing history along for the ride.
Built in 1950 in Roanoke, Virginia, the 611 is the last surviving member of the “J-Class” fleet, widely regarded as the pinnacle of steam technology. With her iconic bullet-shaped nose, Tuscan Red stripe, and the raw power to haul passenger trains over the Blue Ridge Mountains at sustained high speeds, she’s not just a machine—she’s a living monument to American engineering ingenuity.
“The 611 was designed and built right here in Roanoke,” says Steve Powell, president of Buckingham Branch Railroad, which owns and operates the 611. “There are people alive today who either worked on building it, or are the children and grandchildren of those who did.”
Virginia Scenic Railway‘s Summer of Steam runs across two locations, each offering a distinct experience. The Staunton route (June 12–21) delivers one of the journey’s most dramatic moments: a passage through the 4,000-foot-long Blue Ridge Tunnel, a spectacular smoke-and-sound immersion cutting straight through Afton Mountain. The Louisa route (June 26–July 5) offers a deep historical dimension — passengers board at the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad depot, built in 1899 and one of the last surviving railroad depots in the country, before rolling through Gordonsville. It marks the first time a steam engine has operated in Louisa since 1980.
Each 90-minute round-trip excursion is designed with families in mind—just enough time to feel the rhythmic cadence of the pistons, hear the call of the 611’s whistle, and watch billowing plumes of steam drift across Virginia’s summer skies.
“It’s an opportunity to see the amazing engineering feats our forefathers accomplished,” says Powell. “Just being up next to the 611—sensing its size, feeling the rumble of the tracks, smelling the coal and steam—is a rare opportunity.”
But Powell hopes passengers take away something more than spectacle. “The best part of a train isn’t so much what you see,” he says, “but the memories you create with the people you’re with.”
America turns 250 this year. There’s no better way to mark the occasion than riding the rails of one of her greatest mechanical achievements.
Tickets available at VirginiaScenicRailway.com
This article is a Virginia Living digital exclusive.
