On the drive to and from Staunton, we paused in the classic Norfolk & Western railroad town of Shenandoah, nestled in its namesake Virginia valley.
On the southbound trip, I made a couple of photographs of the old station using my Lumix LX7. On the return journey, I photographed the station again, this time with my Nikon Z6 III.
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Comfortably ensconced in our elevated seats; D3A and D3B, I looked forward to my journey behind Norfolk & Western 611.
Eleven years ago, I held a ticket for a similar trip, but opted to chase the train instead of traveling. While lasting images resulted from that adventure, since that time I’ve wanted to travel behind the magnificent N&W J-class 4-8-4.
This time, I was rewarded with views of 611 from Budd Vista Dome Shenandoah as operated by Virginia Scenic Railway on the old Chesapeake & Ohio over Viginia’s Blue Ridge.
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I grew up with my dad’s photographs of the Norfolk & Western’s streamlined steam, both J’s and K’s.
Although No. 611 was first restored to service while I was in high school, it wasn’t until the summer of 1994 that I finally saw it in action. John Gruber and I drove to northern Indiana, where we intercepted the locomotive charging along the former Nickel Plate Road at speed.
In 2002, I visited 611 at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. Having seen the locomotive under steam, it was strange to encounter it as a cold museum exhibit.
A dozen years later, I caught up with the engine again at North Carolina Transportation Museum during the Streamliners at Spencer event. Then, in 2015, Pat Yough and I made the trek to Manassas to photograph 611 on mainline excursions.
When Kris and I moved to Pennsylvania in 2023, 611 was on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Later, it operated excursion trains on the Strasburg Rail Road, where we made action photographs—albeit at relatively slow speeds.
Last week, we had tickets to travel on a Virginia Scenic Railway’s Summer of Steam excursion from Staunton. We drove to Virginia the day before and enjoyed a quiet interlude along Goose Creek Road as 611 worked an eastbound excursion over the former Chesapeake and Ohio.
It was a pleasure to have the locomotive all to ourselves.
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Times have changed since Norfolk & Western Train No. 4 The Pocahontas paused at Roanoke for passengers. My 1946 Norfolk and Western Railway timetable lists a 20-minute station stop, departing east for Norfolk at 10:55 a.m.
On our visit to Roanoke in March, we watched as an Amtrak Siemens Charger reversed its Amfleet consist into the comparatively new station platform. While a far cry from a streamliner hauled by an Norfolk and Western Railway J Class 4-8-4, at least Amtrak now serves Roanoke, following decades without a scheduled passenger train.
This consist departed as Train 66 bound for Washington D.C. and running overnight to Boston.
I made these photos using my Nikon Z6 with a 24–70mm lens.
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Not all railroad buildings feature trains.
In March, courtesy of my old pal TSH, Kris and I visited the iconic Hotel Roanoke for lunch. I had the Reuben.
The majestic Tudor-style hotel is a relic of railroading’s golden age.
Roanoke was at the very heart of the Norfolk & Western, and for many years this grand hotel was owned and operated by the railroad. It is conveniently situated just a short walk from the former N&W station—now the O. Winston Link Museum (featured in my earlier post).
My father stayed here on one of his visits to Roanoke in the 1950s.
Today, while trains still pass along the main line just a short distance from the grand structure, the Hotel Roanoke is no longer owned or operated by the railroad.
Photosexposed with my Nikon Z6 III with 24-70mm Nikkor lens.
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My favorite Strasburg Railroad steam locomotive is former Norfolk & Western 475.
I like its classic appearance and long boiler, but I’m also drawn to the relatively unusual wheel arrangement; 4-8-0.
Historically, this type was sometimes described as a ‘Mastodon’, perhaps because of its proportions. Another name for the 4-8-0 is ‘Twelve Wheeler,’ and this, while descriptive, doesn’t invoke romantic or alusive connotations.
Sunday, Kris and I caught old 475 coming and going at Blackhorse Road. I made these photos with my Nikon Z-series digital cameras. I thought back to November 1996, when I made photos of this same engine here on Kodachrome film. A differnt media for a different time.
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Working with my Nikon Z7-II, I made these close-up views of Norfolk & Western J-Class number 611 at Strasburg.
This is a very popular locomotive!
I opted for some low-angle views in part for dramatic effect, but also to stay below the army of cell-photo photographers captivated by the J-class under steam.
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The first time I witnessed Norfolk & Western 611 on the move was on a trip with John Gruber nearly 29 years ago. We’d traveled from Wisconsin to northern Indiana to catch the BIG streamlined 4-8-4 working west on the old Nickel Plate Road near Valparaiso.
In May 2015, Pat Yough, Vic & Becky Stone and I photographed 611 working out of Manassas, Virginia on the old Southern Railway.
Yesterday, Sunday May 21, 2023, Kris and I watched 611 work Pennsylvania’s Strasburg Rail Road. It was a beautiful Spring day, and we made some lovely images of the engine crossing the fields in Pennsylvania Dutch country.
I made these views with my Nikon Z-series digital cameras.
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It was frosty on Monday morning when Kris & I visited the Strasburg Rail Road. Among the equipment we photographed was the famous Norfolk & Western J-Class 4-8-4 number 611.
In recent years this magnificent late-era steam locomotive has made guest appearances on the Strasburg Rail Road.
The enormous streamliner seems a bit out of place on the rural branchline, but it was great to see and photograph this machine again.
The big locomotive was cold. We were not so fortunate to catch it in action, although over the years, I have photographed 611 on various occasions under steam.
All photos were made with a Nikon Z7-II with Nikkor Z-series 24-70mm zoom lens.
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