The Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc. (VMT) and the Virginia Scenic Railway (VSR) are excited to jointly announce that the Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 steam passenger locomotive will be operating a series of specially scheduled passenger excursions later this fall within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The sleek and powerful Class J locomotives, designed and built in Roanoke by the Norfolk & Western  Railway, were widely hailed as the finest steam passenger locomotives in the world. The 1950 Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 is the sole surviving member of fourteen Class J locomotives produced and is owned and operated by VMT as a traveling exhibit, showcasing the legacy and craftmanship of Virginia’s railroad workers.

The 611 will remain in Roanoke for preparation and maintenance and its annual Federal Railway Administration inspections. Following that work, public excursions behind 611 on the VSR track will begin.

The VSR is delighted to host these 611 excursions, which will be operating twice daily as the Shenandoah Valley Limited throughout October and November 2023. Upon boarding the train in Goshen, Virginia, guests will travel eastward through the fall foliage of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, into the rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley where the train will pause without disembarking, to be joined by a pair of diesel locomotives for the return trip back to Goshen.

Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public in mid-August via Virginia Scenic Railway’s website (virginiascenicrailway.com). Seating options will include Coach, Premium Coach, First Class, and Dome Classes, ranging from $99.00 to $249.00 per seat. Sign up on VSR’s or VMT’s (vmt.org) website to be among the first to know when tickets are available.

611’s Excursion Schedule –
The Shenandoah Valley Limited will depart at 9:00 AM and 2:30 PM on the following dates:
▪ October 6 – 8
▪ October 13 – 15
▪ October 20 – 22
▪ October 27 – 2 9
▪ November 3 – 5

-via Press Release