Fire Up 611 5/9/15: N&W J 611's Historic First Move of the Century

[@C-M-E]

What a beaut! Not too many tables that big ol girl will still fit on; so amazing to see a piece of history alive once again. Words just don't do her justice. Thanks for getting this one for the ages!

[@justjen1919]

Thanks for posting. I had tears in my eyes watching. I rode behind this lady 32 years ago along with my grandfather, and I'm hoping to get to visit her next year in Roanoke, to honor his memory and celebrate something we both loved, but got to spend such a short time sharing.

[@TrainTrackTrav]

It's been a long time coming! Welcome back, 611! We missed you.

[@AlexTrain5249]

TrainTrackTrav Agreed

[@AlexTrain5249]

TrainTrackTrav Agreed

[@nssteampunk4865]

OMG #611 is breathing fire again!!!!

[@ddkoda]

Wow! The mighty J under steam once more. I thought she'd spend the rest of her days in a musuem. However, through the industriousness of a capable team she is back on the high iron where she belongs. And that lonesome, mournful whistle. How it understates the great power that rests in her boiler and running gear. Just watching this graceful machine move once more is poetry in motion. Hopefully excursion service won't be too far away.

[@Trainlover1995]

Looks like they did an excellent job restoring her.

[@thenorgalofthehills5688]

BNSF1995 I agree. She looks great and appears to be running very smoothly.

[@TrainmanBrando]

The Creepernator She is. They are finishing painting and making some minor adjustments. Then she will be ready for the mainline.

[@thejohnnyboy_1635]

BNSF1995 we made sure we did a good job on her at spencer i sad to see she has left us

[@organbuilder272]

YOu really mean - the paint job looks goo. The restoration of that engine can not be seen. It is not just paint and trim.

[@magapickle01]

@@thejohnnyboy_1635when you say Spencer is there a place that just restored and works on rail cars ?

[@2winda]

She is absolutely the most stunningly beautiful machine ever built by human hands. Congratulations to the men who designed her....the men who built her and all of those who had faith in the dream of seeing this magnificent lady restored to her glory. Good job!!! Now, let's get her out there on the rails and show the world what the 9th Wonder of the World looks like.

[@ModelingSteelinHO]

Haven't heard this old girl since the late 80's. Sure is nice to hear her again.

[@axeandrail]

She is a thing of beauty! Hope she bring joy to many as she did, does to me. 1987(?) I enjoyed a rail fan ride and the next year my dad and I did some track side/chasing her. So glad to she her in full glory again! Thanks for posting.

[@trainkid16]

axeandrail Very cool. I'm hoping to have experiences of my own like that. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mhm2472]

Wow! Just wow..... She looks and sounds fantastic! She is one awesome locomotive! And truly one of the queens of steam! SHE IS ALIVE!!! Yes --- dreams CAN come true!! A HUGE THANK you to EVERYONE who helped restore her. This is a great video -- thanks SO much for recording as much as you did.

[@royvoorberg7339]

Wow, What a wonderful site to see this beauty roll down the track on her own. Let there be more events like this one..

[@4501trainman]

By the way: Thanks Chip,for taking and sharing this great Video. It's great to see a 65-year old like this,coming out of retirement for the second time.

[@connorflaherty175]

Nothing improves a railroad enthusiast's than a restored steam locomotive turning her wheels under her own power for the first time in a good while. Also, have any of you heard of the new Pennsy T1 4-4-4-4 being made from scratch, 5550?

[@RustyDreamsGarage]

This is one of the best videos to date!

[@timdelp1]

Bring back twelve eighteen!

[@sabeth17]

timdelp1 Bring it back in time to have the ultimate test with 4014. To settle everything once and for all. Bragging rights!!!!!

[@LNERMallard]

+sabeth17 Bah... that's a job for C&O 1601 or DM&IR 227.

[@GenericRailfan]

So good to see her moving again!

[@laurieharper1526]

Magnificent loco. She looks wonderful. My favourite US steamer. I know it could never happen, but I'd love to see her visit England. Respect to all who restored her.

[@11jimcleveland]

Wow - what a great year for steam - with the NKP 765 excursions, the Big Boy rebuild underway, and this..... fantastic locomotive!

[@deltatrains]

I keep coming back to view this wonderful video of this grand locomotive. Excellent ! Thanks, Peter.

[@PRR5406]

May she run forever!

[@zachboyd4749]

It is so good to see that's she's back.

[@ZJKFilms]

Can hardly wait till she comes to Chicago!!!

[@Willysmb44]

Thanks for posting this. I never thought the day would come again, having seen her in steam in the 80s and 90s...

[@solidsnake2234]

I was born after the 611 was retired from the excursion services, and never got a chance to see it in person. I remember reading an article that she would be up and running again this year and jumped up screaming "Fuck Yes!". She looks just as beautiful as the excursion videos show her to be.

[@Redneck2393]

Probably the most famous steamer on the East Coast, and she's fixin' to hit the high iron once again!

[@TheBestTrainsAreReal]

She's just a beautiful locomotive! Great video!

[@bb22602]

Absolutely the most beautiful locomotive ever!

[@maxm2317]

I'm impressed, Chip. Excellent video of an historic occasion. Just wish I was there, but I had to work up here in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania.

[@rickoshay65]

WOW! Terrific video! Thank you very much for posting it, Mr. Allen!

[@ThomasZoey3000]

Finally after 21 years, the Mighty J returns to steam. :) I am just so happy about that. I was only four when she was taken out of service, so I never got to see it run. Until now anyways. Great shots, and I can't wait to see that locomotive in steam with my own two eyes.

[@mhagnew]

Well, the bell certainly works. Lovely restoration job, what a massive amount of work.

[@rage-xwolf_co2171]

Next we need to get N&W class A #1218 back please

[@jamesmccann1097]

Thanks for sharing the good news! It will be great to see her running again.

[@clearboardproductions503]

OMG OMG OMG! 611 under her own power! YES!

[@mark_wooley001]

Absolutely beautiful ... wow !

[@thenorgalofthehills5688]

david pinewhistle Ikr? I'm gonna go see her in service on May 23rd.

[@4501trainman]

This is great. I can't wait to see the rest runs to Barber Junction and back.

[@Videostosnoreto]

This thing accelerates better than an ES44AC! :D

[@09JDCTrainMan]

Well she does have more horsepower. :)

[@Videostosnoreto]

09trainman Take that GE!

[@BalticFilms144]

OH YEAH!

[@charonsferryold]

Ah, 2015. The year I was convinced steam railroading would not fade away just yet. darn

[@matthewmiller6068]

That was wonderful, thank you so much for posting this!

[@milepostproductions5610]

What a beautiful machine. I'm glad that she's still going to fire coal. Can't wait to see a video of her pulling cars.

[@natiman1345]

Need to tune up that whistle!

[@RailJoyProductions]

natiman1345 Agreed. The new whistle sounds like crap. They need to return it back to its proper sound.

[@DanielChannel57]

The Queen of the East has returned.

[@taffytamuttonfudge5765]

N&W #611 is Back!!!

[@_KaiTheGamer_]

This video is a truly awesome and historic event I would love to see this engine.

[@RailJoyProductions]

The Queen of Steam lives again! What a historic day! That whistle still does not sound right, though. Hopefully they will tune it soon.

[@charlesdreiser4801]

10:30 - A fire _woman_!

[@smitajky]

Something I also noticed. Times change. But why not? With power firing etc it is not the backbreaking work it was in the days of shovels.

[@raillashupaviation5108]

Nice Video Chip!

[@organbuilder272]

Funny - In another post someone said steam engines were too loud. Yet you can hear the idling engine of a diesel engine over the noise of steam. iesels are the louder.

[@jltrain-zgamingrailfan202x3]

N&W 611 is my favorite streamlined 4-8-4 of the eastern United States

[@Roncace]

I know he got other famous pictures of the J streamliners, but I wonder if the famous O' Winston Link managed to get a picture or two of 611 before the N&W was fully dieselized

[@dtrainsc35]

Nice shot, I was there yesterday as well

[@rileyodonald3034]

Absolutely amazing

[@iamtonyhann9251]

the n&w 611 is now doing excursions once again

[@The3751FAN]

I see a doubleheader with 765 again in the future.

[@JAILRail]

Yes. The two most-know steamers on this side of the Mississippi. That would be something.

[@GTRailFanProductions]

Christian Thomas can you give me information where to find DVD's about N&W #611 and NKP #765 doublheading in 1984. Yes that would be awesome. But what if we had SOU #4501, N&W #611, & NKP #765 Triplehead. That would the best day of my life if I got to see that.

[@The3751FAN]

+GT Rail Fan Theres only one video that i know of , its called "life begins at forty" , its mainly about NKP 765 but it has a segmint where it covers the doubleheader to portsmouth . You can buy it from trainvideodepot.com.

[@sooline3854]

The Queen awakens!

[@nicolasgoldring7128]

She's alive.

[@davesmith6173]

Awesome !

[@yankinga]

What an absolutely Herculean effort by everyone concerned to bring her back to life in such a short period of time. Long may she reign. Fire Up 1218! Fire Up 2156! LOL

[@Sys-Edit0r-1995]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[@09JDCTrainMan]

SHE'S ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVE! Again. :D

[@jacksalvin364]

611 was moved under steam.

[@peterlombardi2263]

IM CRYING AFTER YEARS YES YES YES OPEN HER UP ON THE MAIN DRAG

[@trainstravel1]

Amazing. !!

[@sonnydean1617]

611 is awesome. However, Did anyone notice the SR rolling stock on display? My Grandfather retired from the SR with 40 years of service to the Big Green....

[@trainkid16]

+Sonny Dean The museum where 611's restoration took place and this video was filmed is the location of the former Southern Railway Spencer shops in North Carolina. So yes, there is appropriately a ton of operative and non-operative Southern equipment on the property.

[@ezbrony9050]

she needs to come the Cuyahoga valley the 611 and 765 could bolth pull trains there

[@SteamKing2160]

Well its been a good 20 years since the Norfolk Southern decided to ended its steam operations in 1995. But at least the Claytor Brothers made an effort.

[@Toledo1940]

It's wonderful to see that the 611 is back under steam, after her premature (second) retirement some 20 years ago. My only regret is that the contour of her tender has been changed for the worse by an addition to its coal compartment.

[@manga12]

+Toledo1940 well being able to carry a bit more coal means it has a little more fuel, and less chance of the need for a diesle on long trips to help out taking some of the burden, like they had to on the horseshoe trip in 765 npk, though one of the runs she made the whole of the curve itself unaided and that has a slight incline, she had plenty of power but had to make the fuel and water last there was no place to stop and reload her for the 300 mile run that day, and its not the flat lands of indiana and ohio, where the fort wayne racetrack division was on the prr, nor the rails of the ny central where they tested the jet powered black beetle budd railcar in the 1960s for highspeed rail study, yes thats right a 160 mph+ run from butler indiana to stryker ohio just give it a chance they tried it out on npk 765 this year too which I thought made her look strange

[@Toledo1940]

+manga12 Could you translate this into English?

[@manga12]

+Toledo1940 IN laymans terms more coal means longer trip without the thought of need for more power locomotive wise, they made the npk 765's coal bunker bigger with one of these too.

[@Cbazz]

& I get to ride behind the 611 on the maiden voyage

[@conanmiller960]

Is it true that NS has denied the awesome 611 & the excursion, use of its rail lines???

[@genemoser8975]

Why Spencer and not Roanoke for restoration to running? How about the other J???

[@nickel_plate765ftyfilms2]

Well,next all we need is 1218 back

[@JAILRail]

Someone please give me a list of locomotives on the list to restoration.

[@collegefootballfan7909]

I was there but missed the move.

[@pimpassjakegames2791]

ohhh thats the original whistle Her whistle needs warming up

[@geomodelrailroader]

see those cars on the turntable Museum of Transportation restored them and had them painted NS colors one will be a Generator Car for 611, two will be crew coaches, and the last one will be a Tool Car. now there are two Steam Shops in the Class 1 World NS Steam Shop in Roanoke and UP Steam Shop in Cheyenne both are in the process of restoring their Northerns #844 will be back on the rails soon and both UP and NS have a meet coming up in 2016 where both Northerns will be showcased.

[@ToledoRails]

Really? Where at ? Chicago? That would be awesome to see. 611 and 844 have never been together, 1218 had met the locomotive in the very early 90s in St. Louis.

[@geomodelrailroader]

ToledoRails could be any of those locations

[@GTRailFanProductions]

where did you here this?

[@geomodelrailroader]

GT Rail Fan on the forms

[@GTRailFanProductions]

what forms

[@dianastuart7693]

Freakin' awesome video! Was that a lady engineer? Everyone there that day should run out and buy lottery tickets! A joy to watch. Thank you!

[@GDP999-z1u]

they should have left the whistle the way it sounded in 92-94.

[@crwi1983]

YES!!!!!!!!!

[@southwestvirginiarailfan729]

Looks like the NCTM needs a bigger turntable. The queen barely fits on it. XD

[@SteamKing2160]

Right where is A Class 1218?

[@trainchaser17b91]

The whistle she’s wearing isn’t her original whistle

[@jrahrig]

Alleluia!! ^_^

[@Landaux]

Tim Allen ... EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!! :D URR URR!!

[@peterrosenquist]

Landaux who is Tim Allen?

[@Alcochaser]

Okay good, NEXT 1218

[@craigm2520]

Haha they are letting her burn coal in the smoke stack like crazy

[@magapickle01]

She's pretty !

[@DUBMANS]

I don't like that coal add on it ruins the streamline on the Loco but that's just me

[@FastFreightStudios]

Still using coal?

[@KflanntheRailfan]

Got to see her for the first time in Manassas. Glad to see the 611 up and running again. Glad you caught her first move. Thank you for sharing. I am subscribing to you, if you could subscribe back to me. Thank You Kflannigan98

[@sabeth17]

This is train porn!!!

[@ccosby3469]

sabeth17 what ?