J611 in THIRD LIFE

The Tuscan red, gold, and locomotives were powerful, developing more than 5,100 hp, and they could sprint at speeds up to 110 mph. Sadly, the coming of diesel locomotives in the late 1950s meant the end for N&W steam and the Class J locomotives. The railroad retired No. 611 in 1959 and donated it to a city park in 1963. J611 is the only survior of this class locomotive. Several of the J Class completed more than 3 million miles in service. J611 achieved speeds of more than 177km/h whilst towing 15 passenger coaches already in the 1940’s. J611 was out of service for 23 years before the first restoration was started in 1982. This second life ended in 1994 when the firebox went cold for another 20 years. The last restoration (2013-2015) gave her her current third life and since then she impresses young and old!

Norfolk and Western 611, also known as the "Spirit of Roanoke" and the "Queen of Steam", is a Norfolk and Western (N&W) class J 4-8-4 "Northern" streamlined steam locomotive built in May 1950 by the N&W's East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia. It was one of the last mainline passenger steam locomotives built in the United States and represents the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology. No. 611 was assigned to haul the N&W's premier passenger trains between Norfolk, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio; and to ferry the Southern Railway's (SOU) passenger trains between Lynchburg, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee.

In 1956, it was involved in an accident and was subsequently repaired until it was retired from revenue service and served as a steam generator at the East End Shops in 1959. Due to its excellent condition, the No. 611 locomotive was donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT), where it sat on display as the sole survivor of the class J locomotives.

In 1982, No. 611 was restored to operation by the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), N&W's successor. It became the main line star of the NS steam program, pulling excursion trains throughout the eastern United States. Former N&W president and NS chairman Robert B. Claytor, who was responsible for the restoration of No. 611, signifies the locomotive as Roanoke Born, Roanoke Bred, and Roanoke Proud and the finest steam passenger engine ever built. In 1984, No. 611 was dedicated as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). It was often invoked as an icon of Roanoke and its railroading history. In late 1994, when liability insurance costs led NS to end its steam program, the locomotive was again retired and moved back to the VMT.

In early 2013, the VMT helped raise $3.5 million to restore No. 611 to operating condition once again. After a year of restoration work at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina, the locomotive returned to excursion service in mid-2015. In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly designated the 611 as the official state steam locomotive of Virginia. In 2019, 2021, and 2022, No. 611 visited the Strasburg Rail Road (SRC) in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, running short tourist excursion trains in the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside.

It’s been roughly 40 years since cabooses were a regular occurrence on the end of any mainline train. Cabooses were a critical part of railroad operations, coordination, and logistics. What you might not realize however, is the significance of this small car and how technology has replaced the need for it over the years. Since the beginning of railroads in the 1830s, train crews would routinely work from one end of the train to another via roof walks and ladders. The caboose was always at the end. It was a sheltered area that allowed the crew to stay out of the elements when not immediately tending to their jobs on the train. As needs evolved and the design was refined, the caboose became the rolling office for the train conductor.

Union Pacific local LIC55 has a former Southern Pacific bay window caboose for use as a “switching platform” for a 3-mile backward move at Centralia, Wash. The caboose is used as a stable and safe platform for the crew to ride while the train backs up, as shown July 14, 2020 at Winlock, Wash.

5 Reasons Cabooses were revered:

1. Rolling office and dorm

Each caboose provided not only shelter for the crews but a place for documentation and paperwork to be completed by a trainman or conductor. A caboose carried marker lights that would show it as the end of a train while alerting other trains of its location. Some cabooses were adorned with bunks, a stove, and in some cases, a small bathroom.

2. Specifically assigned

Some railroads assigned cabooses to specific conductors and crews. Assigned crews would sometimes use the caboose to lay over between runs, as it would be set out and reserved for the crew to take back on a returning train. Those assigned to a particular crew would occasionally be personalized with pictures, posters, or cartoons on the wall, essentially making the caboose a “rolling” home away from home for these individuals.

3. Used as a toolbox

Each caboose was outfitted with various tools and equipment for use while on the line. This was in case of a mechanical breakdown or other issues while en route. A collection of basic tools and wrenches would be located inside a supply cabinet, as well as fuses, air hoses, and coupler knuckles. A red flag was always present to be used by a crewman of a stopped train. It was used to alert an approaching, unaware train that another train was stopped ahead.

4. Designed based on railroad

Cabooses were built and painted with different designs dictated by the purchasing railroad. Some chose a caboose with a high cupola that allowed the crews to be seated in the upper region of the caboose. This gave them good visibility when inspecting the train from the rear. Some railroads chose bay windowstyle cabooses with no upper-level area, while others chose “transfer” cabooses that provided more protection to the crew during movements between yards, rather than over-the-road trains.

5. More of a novelty

The main use for the caboose started to wane in the 1980s. Most mainline cabooses were not in use by the 1990s because of new technology and crew reductions. In some rare cases, a caboose will still be used as a “switching platform” that allows a safe place for crew members to ride while switching or riding cars for a long distance. However, their distribution across the U.S. and Canada is very limited, with some short lines or specialized work equipment still utilizing them.

If the plural of “goose” is “geese”, then is the plural of “caboose,” “cabeese?” Cabooses and brake vans come in all shapes and colors. No matter what era you model, they are sure to add color and interest to your layout. When next time you’re at an operating session and use the term “cabooses” instead of “cabeese,” you can say it with confidence, because Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Trains.com said so.

Make

As freight cars grew taller and wider in the 1960s, many roads purchased these modern cabooses featuring a cupola the same width as the roof for better forward visibility. Today, you'll still find them in work train service and as "shoving platforms" where frequent reverse movements are needed. Nicely detailed, each features the correct cupola with one of two window styles, underbody tool box as appropriate, thin profile, see-through running boards, finely molded end ladders, scale thickness end railings, Barber Swingmaster roller bearing trucks and more. Factory-finished in colorful BN, GN, NS, NP, IC and N&W schemes, each is available with two different numbers, and there's an Undecorated version for customizing. For the finishing touch, molded drill-starter points on the body make it easy to add grab irons from the Caboose Detail Kit (#910-201, available separately).