400 Tons of Baldwin Muscle. Weighing in at 871,550 lbs fully loaded with tender, and wielding just under 70,000 lbs of tractive effort, the massive Spokane, Portland & Seattle #700 sits ste... (more)
Milwaukee Road 261, with Amtrak 184 assisting, passes by older BNSF power entering the Willmar yard.
The westbound Powhatan Arrow arrives back in Roanoke as it shoves its train back toward the passenger area as it passes the former Norfolk and Western office building in downtown Roanoke
On a beautiful spring day, the Norfolk & Western Class J 611 backs her train to the Randolph St control point to unload her passengers for a three hour layover in downtown Roanoke Virginia. This w... (more)
N&W 611 is tied down on the Lindley Pass Track at Pomona yard. The engine is Hot n Ready for weekend excursions. She'll be pulling 'The Roanoker' round trip from Greensboro to Roanoke and back S... (more)
Steam crew member John Otey watches 611 closely as the turntable gets lined up so that the big J can pull into the Bob Julian roundhouse during Jim Wrinn's "Fired Up!" photo charter last... (more)
611 shoves back to the yard after turning on the Wye amongst the crowds.
One of the the first photos I had made of N&W 611 under steam since June of 1986. This was for Jim Wrinn's "Fired Up!" photo charter at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. ... (more)
The morning of May 29, 2015 found virtually no one around at Spencer with the exception of the steam crew preparing 611 for the next day's triumphant journey to her birthplace of Roanoke, Virginia... (more)
Norfolk and Western class J 611 is leaving Atlanta on the second leg of its return to Roanoke, Va. under steam for he first time. The train had run from Birmingham the day before.
Norfolk and Western class J 611 has been brought down from Roanoke, Va. and the first rebuilding for steaming up is underway.
In Celebration of O. Winston Link, a pioneer in Night Photography, I figured making the trek down to North Carolina to see the beauty, would not be complete without bringing all my gear. So in th... (more)
The pinnacle of Soviet passenger steam power relegated to yard work. Steam is alive and well in Russia.
Former Reading T-1 #2102 at Port Clinton. The big Northern seen here on the Port Clinton Turntable is none other than former Reading Company T-1 #2102. Originally built in 1923 by the Bald... (more)
UP 844 with three E units are waiting to enter Denver Union Terminal as soon as Extra 5838 West clears the lead, on June 21, 1997. The two GP-60’s were leading the First Ladies of the World wh... (more)
When Moscow's steam fleet isn't pulling excursion trains, they are often put to use working the local commercial switching jobs.
611 simmers while being carefully cleaned while Southern FP-7 #6133 acts as yard goat, assembling the train that 611 will pull home to Roanoke the following morning.
611 backs down to tie on to her train which will be the consist for her inaugural trip home to Roanoke the following day.
The SP&S 700, built in May 1938 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, stands proudly amoungst Alco-product NKP 324, constructed 17 years later originally for the Utah Railway.
Ex-Reading T-1 2102 in its old "Reading Rambles" dress leads PRR E8s 5706 and 5898 around the Reading Yard, getting ready for a night photo session.
The homecoming celebration at the O. Winston Link Museum has just ended and the beautifully restored Norfolk & Western J Class No. 611 eases her train through the Roanoke Yard and into the setting... (more)
At the conclusion of the Fired Up Photo Charter hosted by Jim Wrinn of Trains Magazine, 611 rests after a long day of run-by's next to NCTM staple FP-7 #6133. Thunderheads build in the background ... (more)
A row of ex-South African steam locomotives rest in Auckland: Class 25NC No's 3508 and 3432, and GMAM Garratt No. 4083. These locos were privately purchased and shipped to New Zealand in 1996, to ... (more)
611 lumbers past a staged scene where a 1959 Skyliner waits for the locomotive and her 1958-specific matching consist. Several scenes were created with vintage automobiles during the Fired Up Phot... (more)
After completing the final run-by of the Fired Up Photo Charter, 611 backs her matching train, filled with the paying photographers, back to the Spencer Shops. A few of us who decided to walk back... (more)
Bedtime for 611. The photo shoot is over, the actors are gone and the photographers are already headed for the parking lot. The crew from Fire-up 611 moves in to secure the engine for the ... (more)
Living on borrowed time.... With her days of service numbered, a Norfolk & Western J-Class Steam Locomotive is in the care of the night hostlers as a leased diesel-electric cab unit approac... (more)
Southbound Powhatan Arrow. Reaching the south end of the yard, the Conductor calls the "highball" and the nearly 400-ton J-Class begins to accelerate her "Powhatan Arrow"... (more)
Steam locomotives? Cabooses? Lordy, Roanoke IS Heaven!
Let it shine! Members of the Fire-up 611 Crew take advantage of a little down-time to wipe away a morning's worth of accumulated soot on their big Northern, in preparation for an afternoon ... (more)
Last minute orders. An N&W Agent hoops up a last-minute update to train orders as the crew of a J-Class Northern departs the Spencer Yard with a north-bound freight.
N&W 611 turns her train on the wye in downtown Roanoke immediately following her arrival from an all day ferry move beginning at Spencer, NC. She brought 13 cars along for the ride, including her ... (more)
Relics of a Golden Age. A pair of classic automobiles pause for the passage of a Norfolk & Western mixed train, headed up by a streamlined, J-Class Locomotive that is a classic in its own r... (more)
Reunited in Roanoke After much fanfare over the past month, Norfolk & Western 611 sits quietly with its firebox still warm alongside its Roanoke-built sisters at the Virginia M... (more)
Her Majesty has left the building. With Fire-up 611 crews carefully monitoring her every move, Norfolk & Western 611 eases out of a stall in the Bob Julian Roundhouse and onto the Spencer T... (more)
Reporting for work. With a hiss of steam from the cylinder cocks, the big Norfolk & Western J-Class #611 slowly eases off the turntable and into the yard at Spencer. Shortly, she'll tie on... (more)
It's around 7:30am and 611 has a full day of run-by's ahead of her for the Fired Up Photo charter which would last until 10pm that evening. We never got to see 611 pose under the water column, but... (more)
N&W 611 finds her final resting spot at the Manassas yard after a hard day's work. Even next to modern traction she looks quite large, a testiment to her size and engineering.
A lucky day for some railfans as a private coach at the end of an Eastbound Amtrak passes by NW 611 as she prepares to uncouple her coaches. Evening has arrived and the crew will now get a well-de... (more)
Three Mechanics of the 611 work on getting her cleaned, greased and ready for the next adventure on the rails.
NW J1 611, in all her glory, slowly pulls forward after uncoupling from her 20 coaches after a full day's work. 611 will slowly pull across a grade crossing, then switch tracks to once again back... (more)
N&W 611 takes a spin on the Spencer turntable for all the fans to see.
Exactly one year before making her maiden voyages across North Carolina and Virginia, the most impressive machine on Earth, N&W 611, sits in Spencer, North Carolina at the streamliners event.
These are just some of the fine folks involved with restoring, maintaining and operating N&W 611. As with the majority of steam railroading, most of these folks do not get paid. They volunteer the... (more)
In a scene reminiscent about 60 years ago, the Southern caboose has been uncoupled from the tender and NW 611 heads towards the large crowd assembled around the turntable at the North Carolina Tra... (more)
In a view that could likely be taken in 1958, 611 rumbles past the idling ACL 501 re-lettered to represent the units N&W leased. Southern 6133 has been working all afternoon to assemble the photo ... (more)
611 rolls past a restored 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible on the second of what would be a Dozen plus rub-by's during the Fired Up Photo Charter on May 28th, 2015.
Newly renovated 611 gets a bath on her 65th birthday in preparation for her historic homecoming run to Roanoke the following day
Roanoke's Rockstar J 611 is finally home as the excursion train is turned on a wye in downtown Roanoke and the Mill Mountain star stands atop its namesake mountain in the background.
The Norfolk and Western J611 takes the track to go around the shops for the next portion of the photo charter and passes the newly painted First Responders Locomotive parked for everyone to view. ... (more)
611 poses briefly with two stablemates, Sourthen FP7 #6133 and ACL 501, both residents of the NC Transportation Museum. ACL E-3 #501 had been given a decal to appear as a N&W engine.
An O. Winston Link-esqe shot of the 611 being serviced during the "FiredUp" photo charter.
The 611 gets serviced during the "FiredUp" photo charter.
Norfolk and Western 611 reverses past the Spencer Shops fuel racks on its way to the turntable for public viewing.
After a long day of test runs, N&W 611 eases up to the turntable, to be lined up over the ash pit
The Norfolk and Western J Class is the largest steam locomotive to ever grace the Spencer Shops turntable. The giant engine barely fits with it overhanging at both ends.
On May 24, 2014, Norfolk and Western class J #611 was moved from its Virginia Museum of Transportation display location to the Norfolk Southern locomotive service facility at Shaffers Crossing in ... (more)
The excitement surrounding Norfolk and Western 611 as seen from a Gandy Dancer on the other side of the Spencer Shops roundhouse.
Newly restored Norfolk and Western 611 begins to creep towards the turntable at Spencer Shops to pose for the gathering crowds.
Norfolk & Western "J" Class pulls slowly off the turn table to make some surprise test runs for the remainder of the evening for the first time running under its own power in 20 years.
After flying up from Roanoke on only her second day of operation after restoration, No 611 pants quietly while the photographer catches his breath after the chase. To add to the day, he wanted to ... (more)
Will Sadler keeps a watchful eye on the 70 inch drivers of the freshly restored Class J 611 as it rolls away from the turntable for a few test runs around the museum grounds.
All eyes at the North Carolina Transportation Museum are on the streamlined 4-8-4 as the 611 prepares to move off of the turntable. Following the move, a round of applause broke out for those who ... (more)
This was the first time 611 had run under her own power since December of 1994. I was one of the first to see her move after her restoration.
When dreams become a reality Norfolk & Western J-Class No. 611 simmers under nighttime skies on the grounds of the N.C. Transportation Museum. After arriving at the museum in Spring of 2014... (more)
Careful: The turntable accurately displays the sentiments of all those involved in this historic moment as the mighty Class J 611 slowly moves onto the turntable under the watchful eye of N... (more)
With her first cruise around the museum property complete, 611 rests for the night outside the roundhouse.
The J's first move of the 21st century under her own power has just been completed as she sits on the NCTM's turntable smoking away.
The 611 has successfully made a move all the way to the end of NCTM property and is now shoving back next to the remainder of the Old Spencer Yard.
Familiar faces meet nearly a year later in Spencer, but this time the N&W one is operating. The test run was a total shock, but a very well received one. Both the crew of 611 and those admiring th... (more)
History was made at 5:34pm on this day as N&W Class J 611's wheels turned under her own power for the first time in 20 years and 153 days. It's smiles all around, both for the crew and those of us... (more)
Union Pacific 844 Steam train stopped at Union Pacific yard in Sparks, NV.
Photographer- Unknown- from the 35 mm original Kodachrome slide. Former Wabash #100, now (at the time the photo was taken) N&W #500 "Claytor Lake" brings up the rear of an N&W 611 po... (more)
Photographer- Unknown- from a 35 mm Kodachrome slide. Former N&W Class 'J' 611 lays over in the C&O Fulton Yard on a hot and humid Wednesday July 20, 1983 between trips for the 1983 NRHS Conventio... (more)
This is the current state of the fast moving Fire Up 611 campaign. The superheater unit is back in and the boiler has passed its hydrostatic test. As evidenced in this shot, clearly the Southern r... (more)
C&O 4-8-4 No. 614 was made by Lima Locomotive of Lima, Ohio in 1948 and was the last passenger steam locomotive commercially built in the USA. For three seasons in the late 1990's, it was the loco... (more)
ATSF 3752 rounds the curve into LAUPT on National Train Day. The 3751 will be on display today and then prepare for the trip to the Grand Canyon.
Photographer- Don Jilson- from my personal collection. Morning finds Nickel Plate Road 765 preparing for a one way freight move back to Fort Wayne, IN after running during the 1984 NRHS conven... (more)
Ready for departure. Spokane, Portland & Seattle's massive Northern steams in the Portland Yard with a string of heavyweight coaches, looking for all the world like she's about to depart on... (more)
This gal doesn't get out much, but if you can coax her out of the house, she'll definitely show you a good time! Spokane, Portland and Seattle #700, a massive E-1 Class, 4-8-4 Northern Loc... (more)
A couple of impressive pieces of machinery share the yard at the Depot in downtown Duluth, MN.
The newer locomotive (by more than a decade) is on the right
Photographer- George Povall from my collection. First day of the 1957 NRHS convention in Roanoke, VA finds J Class 4-8-4 #608. This engine may have just come off the eastbound leg of the Poca... (more)
Milwaukee Road 261 receives some attention from her crew during the lull between the day's run up to Duluth and the night photo special set to begin later that evening.
Schenectady graduates Milwaukee Road 261 (1944) and Soo Line 2719 (1923) shared the stage in a night photo session at the Lake Superior Railroad museum in Duluth.
Milwaukee Road 261 returned to operation last year following a thorough rebuild with a jaunt up to the North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth. Plenty of railfans were on hand to welcome back the bi... (more)
During the "Steamliners at Spencer" event, the roundhouse was loaded on Thursday evening, May 29, with a representative of all the units, and Norfolk and Western class J #611 on the turn... (more)
Norfolk Southern Chairman Wick Moorman raises the first bolt removed in the restoration of the Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 restoration at the North Carolina Transportation Museum's Streamliners at Spe... (more)
