Virginia Museum of Transportation has made the decision to temporarily delay N&W 4-8-4 611’s arrival to Strasburg Rail Road.   As the crew worked to make the engine ready for the move, a malfunction was discovered with the locomotive’s stoker, preventing the stoker from advancing coal forward into the firebox.  VMT mechanical personnel are actively working on diagnosing and repairing the stoker. The 611 visit to the Strasburg Railroad was to commence with excursions during Memorial Day weekend. It is unclear if these first weekend of excursions will be postponed. The 611 is scheduled to pull Strasburg trains on selected weekends through September.  Currently, an exact date for the 611 to depart its current residence at the North Carolina Museum of Transportation in Spencer, North Carolina is unknown. When it does departs, it will be towed by a Norfolk Southern diesel locomotive to the Strasburg Railroad.

-via Railpace Newsmagazine