Norfolk and Western 611, also known as the "Spirit of Roanoke" and the "Queen of Steam", is the only surviving example of Norfolk and Western's (N&W) class J 4-8-4 type "Northern" streamlined steam locomotives.

It was the last major wreck of a steam-powered revenue passenger train in the United States. The train had been pulled by N&W No. 611, a class J 4-8-4 steam locomotive, which received extensive repairs after the accident and was returned to revenue service.

On the afternoon of May 18, 1986, at 1:31 P.M., class J 4-8-4 No. 611 departed Norfolk, Virginia, pulling a Norfolk Southern (NS) excursion train to Petersburg, Virginia. The train consisted of 23 passenger cars with Robert B. Claytor at the throttle.

We see N&W J-Class locomotives #605, 600 and 604 in passenger train service, then an M2 class 4-8-0 "Mastodon" and then we see and hear the story of the wreck of the 611 and how that wreck ended up saving her into current times.

Jul 11, 2015 · To the best of my knowledge, there were four wrecks involving the N&W J Class locomotives. These include: 604 derailed pulling the Powhatan Arrow at Powhatan, WV in 1946. 607 also derailed pulling the Powhatan Arrow at Franklin Furnace, Ohio in 1948. 611 derailed pulling the Pocahontas at Tug River near Cedar, WV in 1956.

Jan 23, 2021 · Mark Lac not true. All class J’s had has Class repairs after this accident. The 611 was on the front of the deadline and easiest to get to when the N&W decided to run some farewell to steam excursions.

Mar 9, 2025 · This wreck is in fact why #611 survived. While all the other J class were rounded up, 611 was in the shop / yard at Williamson, and escaped.

The 611 jumped the track, rolled off the right-hand curve, flipped over and plunged head first upside down nearly into the tug fork of the Big Sandy River. Our favorite 484, her 10der and 11 passenger cars were lying on the ground and severely wrinkled.

Nov 25, 2022 · orfolk & Western #611 was one of fourteen Class 'J' passenger locomotives built by the Norfolk & Western Railway between 1941 and 1950 and the only one in existence today. Constructed in Roanoke in 1950 and rebuilt after a wreck in 1956, #611 served in high-speed revenue passenger service until a farewell to steam excursion in 1959.

In 1959, J-class #611 hauled a last special – the remainder of the class were scrapped. N&W #611, however, was lucky, thanks partly to an accident in 1956 when the loco derailed at speed near Cedar, Virginia.