First Look! Norfolk & Western 611 Returns to Mainline Excursions

4K - On Saturday October 7th, 2023, Norfolk & Western J class 4-8-4 #611 returned to mainline excursions for the first time in over 6 years. Running through the beautiful countryside on the Buckingham Branch Railroad Richmond and Allegheny Division, the excursions are being put on by the Virginia Scenic Railway and Buckingham Branch Railroad, in cooperation with the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Known as the Shenandoah Valley Limited, the 4 hour long excursions run between Goshen and Stanton, Virginia.
All locations and train info listed in the video.
Thanks for watching! | Video and Content by MichaelLovesTrains 2023
Timeline:
0:00 - Departing Goshen
2:50 - Craigsville
3:49 - Swoope (Hewitt Road Crossing)
5:11 - Swoope (Hewitt Road Overpass)
6:40 - North Mountain Siding (Returning to Goshen)
7:57 - Arriving back at Goshen

[@montymcmanus5899]

Old girl looking and sounding great!

[@T-rick]

Incredible. Cant to see and hear this person someday.

[@TimsTrainsChaser]

Great film

[@Jackie0748]

Excellent video of beautiful 611! Very nicely done...thanks so much!!

[@evanf1293]

I've been waiting over 5 years to see this happen again and it sure was worth the wait! I also hope VMT & the Buckingham Branch can come to some deal similar to what FHRHS did with INE so they can run their engine on their rails as this is like the perfect place to run 611 and where they don't need to worry about having ptc installed as that's one of the reasons 611 couldn't run on the mainline since 2018.

[@USASteamProductions]

I'm sure they will. If these excursions are successful, they might do more, well just have to wait and see.

[@evanf1293]

@@USASteamProductions Fingers crossed.

[@TOTONDAS-rt2bp]

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[@EntertainmentWorldz]

Great catches and awesome video 😍😍😍😍

[@TNRailProductions_01]

Great video

[@lashendawest7509]

Great catches and awesome video of 611

[@Corneli-l8r]

I missed seeing 611 back on the mainline. It's been a while since it pulled any mainline excursion trains

[@southerncrescentproductions]

I was a passenger on the October 7 train! It was my first ever mainline excursion!

[@gretchenchadwick8343]

My son is special needs and he is overjoyed to see 611 pulling a main line excursion again and hopes that she will get to more often like she did before. He also hopes that the 2 Canadian 4-6-2 Pacific's 1238 & 1286 will return to Virginia and pull excursions like they did in the early 1990s.

[@tylerrose5232]

Did you really need to add that your son is special? Or did it make you feel special by saying that

[@gretchenchadwick8343]

@@tylerrose5232 Well I feel it is something you celebrate 🍾✨ and you highlight it and autism awareness is very important and you want people to understand how your mind works and it is nice to be caring and sensitive to someone's needs.

[@joannachadwick1200]

Great post my buddies! I think it is important to let other people know how much we all love trains and there is nothing wrong with anyone highlighting their child and mentioning they are special needs. What is wrong is to get on the internet and cyber bully people. I am proud of my sis and nephew.

[@gretchenchadwick8343]

@@joannachadwick1200 Thank you for standing up for him Nae Nae!

[@PNWRails]

Amazing! It's like I was there.

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

That was simply beautiful! (Dave).

[@maxwellwalcher6420]

love it and wuld 611 carry the Powhatan Arrow.

[@ChristopherTindall]

Huh, seeing a lot more steamers now that CP has pulled out 2816....

[@benchedthatpiece]

Great video, well done!

[@mxstylie312]

awesome!

[@lindaelgart7833]

yuormom

[@railfanjackson4531]

That opening shot was simply incredible

[@jerjar2]

Got that good whistle again

[@williamclarke4510]

If you go to Goshen, take Rt. 39 so you get to see Goshen Pass. Well worth it. Both ways.

[@Slipperyisimproving]

The N&W #611 is back on the mainline once more. She's been steamed up once more for Fall 2023 excursions. Welcome back to the mainline excursion career, N&W #611.

[@Visio.Vibes1]

Appreciate all the angles showing the Queen on her journey. Thrilled she is being used for this excursion. As I got a chance to be in the cab before her leaving PA, pulling that whistle was fun. It is so distinct to me. Glad I banged into your video and nice job!! L:224

[@sharkyfish3492]

its sad, that our queen has to pulled backwards to the station with a diesel locomotive, like some great warrior wounded off a big victory battle... However its SO good to see her on mainline again

[@ricardo3011]

611’s scary whistle

[@VincesArtDesigns]

Why did this not happen sooner!!!

[@brianfalzon6739]

I hope that 611 and 765 will reunite again for a second time doubleheader since 1984! That would be amazingly epic if that happens!

[@Rebel9668]

Title say's mainline, description say's Buckingham branch...so is it that a branchline of the mainline or what?

[@richardwoodrow1509]

Does it get any better than this? Then a good quality subwoofer and big screen tv.

[@ArnoldwMace]

One steam engine pulling and 2 diesel pull backwards who has the drawbar horsepower

[@VincesArtDesigns]

Whats the whistle?

[@ToothlessThedragon9]

It's her 1990's whistle which is known as her Original whistle

[@stevesantana6623]

No diesel back up

[@denault3985]

I thought the N&W 611 was retired several years ago?

[@USASteamProductions]

Why would you think that?

[@MackeyBigBoy4014]

It was in 1994, but was restored in March 2015.