Fwd: [RoanokeRailfan] Norfolk & Western steam to return to Roanoke Shops

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TRAINS NEWS WIRE

September 4, 2007

ROANOKE, Va. - This Saturday, Sept. 8, marks the 125th anniversary of
the Roanoke Shops, and to mark the occasion, Norfolk Southern is
moving two steam locomotives to the shops for display: N&W J Class
4-8-4 No. 611 and Class A 2-6-6-4 No. 1218. Both were stars of Norfolk
Southern's steam program and were constructed at the shops in 1950 and
1943, respectively. Following the end of the NS steam program in 1994,
the 611 was returned to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in
Roanoke, followed a few years later by No. 1218.

According to Bev Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Virginia
Museum of Transportation, NS is moving both locomotives out of the
museum as early as today. NS plans on putting No. 611 on the turntable
for display Saturday with No. 1218 nearby. Bringing the two steam
locomotives to the shops represents yet another move by the company to
embrace its history since the naming of Charles (Wick) Moorman as NS
President, Chairman, and CEO. Moorman addressed the National
Convention of the National Railway Historical Society last month.
Earlier this year the railroad acquired a set of streamlined F units
to pull the NS business train and painted them in a scheme similar to
that of NS predecessor Southern Railway.