The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the “Fire Up 611!” Committee have announced that their capital campaign has raised the funds to mechanically restore the Norfolk & Western Class J 611 steam passenger locomotive.
Close to 2000 donations have poured in from across the United States and 15 foreign countries, demonstrating worldwide appreciation for the Roanoke-designed and built locomotive. With the current funding in place for restoration of the mechanical components for the steam engine, the campaign will turn its focus toward raising funds to provide the maintenance facility that will keep the locomotive running for decades.
“We have achieved a significant milestone, but there is still much work to be done,” explains Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr., executive director of the Virginia Museum of Transportation. “Our goal from the beginning has been not only to get the 611 up and running, but to also keep it operational for decades.”
The fundraising campaign will continue until additional funds are raised to build a maintenance facility. Until those funds are raised, the Class J 611 will remain at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.
The Virginia Museum of Transportation launched the Fire Up 611! campaign on June 28, 2013 with a goal of raising $3.5 million by October 31, 2013, in order to restore the 611 in time for excursions in Spring 2014. “We knew going in that we were operating on a very ambitious timetable to be able to begin excursions in the spring,” adds Fitzpatrick. “Good things have happened and are continuing to happen. This is not a matter of ‘if’ she’ll run again; it’s a matter of ‘when.’”
The committee is now seeking the next milestone to be met which is even bigger than the first. For the Class J 611 to successfully operate excursions, the locomotive will need a dedicated maintenance facility costing somewhere between 2 and 2.5 Million Dollars. “The 611 was conceived, designed, engineered and built in Roanoke,” says Fitzpatrick. “She is known worldwide for her technology, mechanical perfection, streamlined design and low baritone whistle. It’s important that we keep this Roanoke icon in Roanoke as much as possible.”
The facility will house maintenance equipment for the Class J 611, an exhibit gallery and an educational center so students of all ages can learn about steam technology, science, engineering, math, social sciences and history. All donors to the project will be listed on a permanent wall of honor. The facility will also keep the 611 accessible to the public during maintenance periods.
“We believe that the facility will protect our donors’ investment in the Class J 611,” Fitzpatrick says. “We want future generations to enjoy the power and elegance of the Class J 611.”
In 2012, visitors from every corner of the United States and 49 foreign countries visited Roanoke and the Virginia Museum of Transportation to see the Class J 611 in person.
“Roanokers should feel proud that their city built such a beautiful locomotive,” Fitzpatrick says. “She was designed and built by the craftsmen of the Roanoke Valley. She’s a symbol of our past and a signal of what we, as a community, can do in the future.”
While the Fire Up 611! Committee continues to meet with interested investors, the Virginia Museum of Transportation is working to finalize agreements with the North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation and Steam Operations Corporation. The 611 will be restored at the roundhouse at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina – just a few hours from Roanoke, The facility hosts one of the last surviving roundhouses equipped with the tools necessary to restore the massive locomotive.
The team of industry leaders at Steam Operations Corporation will provide the expertise to allow the Class J 611 to meet current safety and Federal Railroad Administration regulations. Steam Operations Corporation was responsible for shutting down the Class J 611 after its last excursion run in 1994 and has first-hand knowledge of what is required for restoration.
“It will take approximately nine months to restore the Class J 611,” says Scott Lindsay, president of Steam Operations Corporation, a member of the Fire Up 611! committee who also worked on the 611 during its last excursion runs. “The team is assembled and ready to go.”
The Virginia Museum of Transportation gratefully accepts donations to the Fire Up 611! campaign. Donors may visit fireup611.org to download pledge or donation forms or to make a gift securely online. For stock gifts, wire transfers or questions about giving to Fire Up 611!, please call 540.342.5670 ext. 105 or email [email protected]. The Virginia Museum of Transportation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, so donations from US donors are deductible as allowed by law. Interested investors and fans of the Class J 611 are invited to visit fireup611.org for more information.
