The historic 611 steam engine pulls into Victoria Station Sunday afternoon prior to its final run of the second season of train excursions based in Goshen. The last day of the five weekends of excursions didn’t go as planned when a minor mechanical issue with the 75-year-old steam engine’s stoker forced the train to return to the station after starting its morning run. Those passengers were then taken on a west-bound excursion by a diesel engine, while repairs were made to the steam locomotive. Although about two hours late, the afternoon excursion was made with the 611 back at the front. The 611 was scheduled to return to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke yesterday. (all photos by Mary Woodson)
A long line of passengers board the passenger cars, provided this year by the Steam Railroading Institute in Michigan, for the afternoon run.
The 611 steams up North Mountain along Va. 42 north of Craigsville during the Sunday afternoon run. Local residents and photographers from multiple states had waited, sometimes for hours, along railroad crossings to catch a glimpse of, and photograph, the engine and train.
