For the third year since her return to service in 2015, Norfolk & Western Class J 4-8-4 #611 in 2017 ran excursions out of her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. Over the three day Memorial Day weekend, the locomotive handled two daily trips.
In the morning on Saturday and Sunday, the Powhattan Arrow ran eastbound over the famed Blue Ridge Grade, turning at Lynchburg for the return to Roanoke. Each afternoon and on Monday morning, the Pocahontas ran westbound over Christiansburg Grade and turned on the wye at Walton.
Three camera crews were on hand to capture the action, visiting many locations on both routes. Locations include Blue Ridge, Bonsack, Forest, Lowry, Shawsville, Christiansburg, Elliston, Vicker, Walton and Montgomery Tunnel.
Along the way several freights were met, and both cameras were on hand as the steam special overtook a stack train while climbing the Christiansburg Grade at Shawsville.
Additional
footage looks at the Class Js in their heydays, #611's excursion career
in the 1980s and her second return to service.
All aboard for nearly an hour and a half of hard working steam in action on the mainline!
