By Railfan & Railroad Staff

Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 611 will lead a series of excursions on the Virginia Scenic Railway — the excursion arm of the Buckingham Branch Railroad — this fall, the Virginia Museum of Transportation announced Wednesday. 

The locomotive will lead two daily excursions from October 6 to 8, 13 to 15, 20 to 22, 27 to 29, and November 3 to 5. The Shenandoah Valley Limited will run from Goshen, Va., east through the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, before returning back to Goshen behind diesels. 

Tickets are expected to go on sale in the middle of August. Tickets are expected to cost between $99 and $249. 

“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Virginia Scenic Railway. These excursions will have a major tourism impact on the region and showcase Virginia’s Rail Heritage to visitors near and far,” said Mendy Flynn, Executive Director of the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

The museum said the locomotive will receive minor work and a federally-mandated inspection at its home base of Roanoke before heading to the Buckingham Branch. 

“We are delighted to help make this run possible,” said Steve Powell, President of the Virginia Scenic Railway. “We love trains and railroad history, and we look forward to partnering with the Virginia Museum of Transportation to host the legendary 611 and bring the steam engine roaring to life in the Shenandoah Valley. This is one of the prettiest routes around, and we are excited to share it.”