Norfolk & Western 611 and 475: The Queen's Farewell Tour (4K)

Over the course of two weekends in May of 2023, Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 "J" Class #611 would once again return to the Strasburg Rail Road for a final time to conclude her residence in Pennsylvania. Following the "Farewell Tour" at the Strasburg Rail Road, the famed locomotive would return to her namesake, Roanoke, Virginia, after receiving a federally mandated inspection at Strasburg over the past year. With the weekends specifically coinciding with the "Queen of Steam's" build date, May 29, 1950, the locomotive would celebrate her 73rd year, fired up, and hauling thousands of enthusiasts and tourists alike along the "Road to Paradise". Attracting crowds of people trackside, Queen and Strasburg's resident sister, N&W 4-8-0 "M" Class #475, would handle passenger trains alongside each other in a spectacular fashion. This two part film begins with coverage of 611 trackside and on board concluding with 475. Please sit back and enjoy pure N&W steam power — for one final time — in "The Queen's Farewell Tour" by Keystone Rail Productions!

History of N&W 611:
The Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 "J" Class 611 was built on May 29, 1950, by the skilled craftsmen of Norfolk & Western's Roanoke Shops. She was operated by the N&W in revenue service hauling numerous crack passenger trains. The J's were considered to be the the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology. Of the 14 streamliners built, 611 was the only one to escape the scrappers torch. It was retired in 1959 from revenue service and moved to VMT in 1962. In 1982, Norfolk Southern restored the locomotive to operating condition for excursion service and it became the star of their steam program pulling excursions throughout the eastern portion of the United States. She was again retired again in December 1994 and moved back to VMT. In February 2013, a campaign called "Fire Up 611!" was formed to return 611 to operating condition. The famous J then returned in May of 2015, and continues to steam to this day.

History of N&W 475:
Norfolk & Western 475 is a 4-8-0 "M" class locomotive built in 1906 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA. She would be delegated to haul heavy freight and coal trains. Later in her career, she would be replaced by larger locomotives and work on various branches along the N&W's trackage. After completing a faithful 50 years of service, she was retired in 1956. After being saved from the scrappers torch in 1980, the locomotive exchanged hands with many owners, and was finally purchased by the Strasburg Rail Road Company in 1991 and was restored to operating service in 1993. In 2018, she was set to undergo a mandatory 1,472 day inspection, and was returned to service in late 2019 with a centered headlight. She continues to serve the Strasburg Rail Road in reliable service today.

Locations:
0:00 Opening - Cherry Hill
0:52 Part I - N&W 611
1:03 East Strasburg - 611
2:07 Fairview - 611
3:31 Esbenshade - 611
4:24 Cherry Hill - 611
5:57 Carpenters - 611
7:48 Leaman Place - 611
11:39 On Board - 611
12:13 Carpenters - 611
14:26 Cherry Hill - 611
18:19 South Side - 611
18:58 Groundhog Cut - 611
19:57 Esbenshade - 611
21:24 Fairview Pond - 611
22:14 Fairview - 611
23:16 East Strasburg - 611
24:04 J at the J Tower - 611
25:15 Part II - N&W 475
25:24 East Strasburg - 475
26:13 Fairview - 475
26:43 South Side - 475
27:08 Carpenters - 475
28:30 Leaman Place - 475
30:34 Carpenters - 475
32:05 Cherry Hill - 475
35:30 Esbenshade - 475
36:42 Fairview Pond - 475
37:17 Fairview - 475
37:59 East Strasburg - 475
38:52 M at the J Tower - 475
40:19 Finale - East Strasburg - 611

Note: Some of the locations accessed in this film used explicit permission from landowners. Please DO NOT trespass.

To learn more and support the Virginia Museum of Transportation, please visit:
http://www.vmt.org

To learn more and support the Strasburg Rail Road's operations, please visit:
https://www.strasburgrailroad.com

Special Thanks To:
- Strasburg Rail Road Company
- Virginia Museum of Transportation
- Crews of 611 & 475
- The KRP Family

Filmed on:
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Sunday, May 28, 2023

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All Rights Reserved
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