The Norfolk And Western was the final major American railroad to dieselize, retiring its last steam locomotives in April, 1960. Renowned for having designed and built, in its own shops in Roanoke, Virginia, some of the finest and most advanced steam engines in the world, the N & W restored two of them to operating status in the 1980s. J-class 4-8-4 No. 611, built at Roanoke in 1950, is shown climbing Blue Ridge Summit on September 4, 1982, the year of her twelve-year return to active service. In 1994, the N & W management terminated the immensely popular steam excursion program, sending the 611 into a second retirement.
