By Railfan & Railroad Staff

Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 611 will return to Virginia this year following a “farewell tour” at the Strasburg Rail Road in May, the locomotive’s owner announced this weekend. 

N&W 611 has run at Strasburg since 2019 and recently underwent a federally mandated annual inspection at the railroad’s shops. The locomotive will lead excursions on May 20-21 and May 27-29. There will also be “in-cab experiences,” including the opportunity to run the big J Class, on May 19 and 26. The locomotive’s owner, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, said the events in May will be the only time the locomotive runs in Pennsylvania this year. It did not provide details on when and where the locomotive might run again upon its return to Virginia. 

The 4-8-4 was built in 1950 for the N&W and has returned to service twice in the excursion era, once in the 1980s and again in the 2010s. 

Visit Strasburg’s website for more information.