Iconic N&W 611 Steam Locomotive Returns to the Shenandoah Valley this Fall

STAUNTON, Va., July 9, 2025 — The Virginia Scenic Railway announced today that a joint venture between the Virginia Scenic Railway, The Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc., the Steam Railroading Institute, and the Virginia Mechanical Preservation Society will bring the famed Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 steam locomotive back into service for a limited series of passenger excursions this fall.

The sleek and powerful locomotive, designed and built in Roanoke by the Norfolk & Western Railway, has been widely hailed as the finest steam locomotive in the world.

The 1950 Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 is the sole surviving Class J 4-8-4 steam locomotive. After entering service in 1950, it transported passengers until it retired in 1959.

The 611 is owned and operated by Virginia Museum of Transportation as a traveling exhibit. It is the official Steam Locomotive of the State of Virginia, a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Starting on September 26, 2025 the Virginia Scenic Railway will operate the steam-led passenger excursion as the Shenandoah Valley Limited for five consecutive weekends.

Tickets are expected to be available for purchase later this summer through Virginia Scenic Railway’s website.

“We are excited to partner with new and old friends to bring back the thrill of mainline steam excursions through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  The return of the N&W 611 is sure to bring joy to all who see and ride it,” said Steve Powell, President of the Buckingham Branch Railroad, which operates the Virginia Scenic Railway.

Due to the large number of carriages anticipated to run in this consist, train rides will begin and end at the custom-built Victoria Station in Goshen, Virginia. Once aboard the train, guests will steam through the rolling hills, forests and fields of the legendary Shenandoah Valley before the round-trip excursion returns to Goshen.

The Steam Railroading Institute and the Virginia Scenic Railway are providing passenger coaches. Seating options are anticipated to include Coach, Premium Coach, Table Class, and Dome Class. Specific details about the schedule, price, and ticket release dates will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the 611 excursions, subscribe to the e-newsletter on the Virginia Scenic Railway website to be among the first to know when tickets become available.

Photos available on request; media please contact railway@moorepublicrelations.com.

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The Virginia Scenic Railway began service in 2022 and offers the state’s only regularly scheduled sightseeing excursion service. VSR is owned and operated by the Buckingham Branch Railroad, the largest short-line railroad in Virginia with four divisions and 280 miles of track.  Learn more at VirginiaScenicRailway.com

The Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc. in Roanoke is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s official transportation museum. It houses the largest collection of locomotives in the Mid-Atlantic region including the famed N&W Class J 611.

The Steam Railroading Institute from Owosso, Michigan, is dedicated to educating the public about steam era railroading in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. This includes preserving the skills and technology needed to maintain steam locomotives by operating steam era equipment and providing the experience of steam locomotives in actual operation. In addition to the fleet of passenger coaches and dining cars that will visit the Virginia Scenic Railway this fall, SRI also owns and operates Pere Marquette 1225, the locomotive animated in “The Polar Express” movie.

The nonprofit Virginia Mechanical Preservation Society in Goshen, Virginia, is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Commonwealth’s mechanical and steam history. The organization developed Goshen’s new Victoria Station to host steam engine excursions.