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Post by human on May 21, 2015 13:29:10 GMT -6
Today as I was leaving campus after my classes were over, I saw a truly awe inspiring sight. There's a stretch of Norfolk & Southern railroad track that runs through campus and I saw a huge plume of blackish gray smoke coming down the track. It turned out to be the 611, a gorgeous Norfolk & Western streamline locomotive that has recently been restored to operating condition. I saw it on static display two years ago at the Virginia Transportation Museum in Roanoke, a couple of hours north of here, and they had a campaign under way to "Fire up 611". The locomotive had been parked for almost 20 years and they were raising money to conduct a feasibility study to see what it would take to restore it and whether it was worthwhile to do so. Apparently, it needed a fairly minimal amount of work and that was begun last year at the N.C. Transportation Museum, which is the former Southern Railroad maintenance facility at Spencer, N.C. She ran under her own steam for the first time since 1994 on March 31 of this year. When I saw her today, she was heading back to Spencer for a weekend event.
This is an absolutely beautiful locomotive that is considered by many to be the pinnacle of steam technology. Seeing her barreling down the track under her own steam was an absolute thrill. To see pictures and learn more about 611, check out fireup611.org.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora
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XJSman89
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Posts: 6,309
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Post by XJSman89 on May 21, 2015 18:47:36 GMT -6
That's pretty neat! I've always liked trains. Thanks for sharing!
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Post by human on May 22, 2015 9:14:57 GMT -6
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