FW: Hydrostatic test is complete!

Thu Feb 26 10:40:33 EST 2015

Good News on the Restoration of N&W 611from VMT.  It looks as if she’ll be running again later this year, possibly Spring.

Best Wishes to all,

George

From: Fire Up 611! and Virginia Museum of Transportation [mailto:fferguson at vmt.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of Fire Up 611! and Virginia Museum of Transportation
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 9:31 AM
To: Weber, George
Subject: Hydrostatic test is complete!

[http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs115/1102633925803/img/320.jpg]

February 26, 2015                                                                                                        ™ Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.

611's Hydrostatic Test Complete!
Superheaters installed and side rods tested, cleaned and polished

[https://files.ctctcdn.com/bac7a1ab001/ef5f0548-74de-49fb-be8e-87d702711ace.png]

Scott Lindsay, chief mechanical officer and president of
Steam Operations Corporation, gives the thumbs-up
after the hydrostatic test was completed.

The Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc., announces that the 611 mechanical crew, led by Scott Lindsay, our chief mechanical officer and president of Steam Operations Corporation, has completed the hydrostatic test of the boiler required by federal regulations.

"The restoration is progressing quickly," said Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr., VMT's executive director. "We expect the Norfolk & Western Class J 611™ to return to her home in Roanoke in mid-2015."

Fitzpatrick said that the 611's Homecoming and excursion schedule is being developed with the help of Norfolk Southern. "We appreciate Norfolk Southern's interest in 611's restoration and all the help they are providing to make her Homecoming a celebration that will be remembered for a long time."

The Virginia Museum of Transportation hopes to announce her Homecoming and early excursion schedule in a few weeks. "But with any restoration as thorough and complex as 611's, it's important to remember that the unexpected is expected," Fitzpatrick said. "The mechanical team in Spencer, North Carolina, is working seven days per week to make this happen safely. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication to this restoration."

Fitzpatrick also credits the team at the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) in Spencer, North Carolina, for the success of the restoration to date. "The team at the NCTM has welcomed the 611 and has been so helpful to us throughout the restoration. We are so thankful for all they have done for us!"

In other restoration news:

 *   The superheaters were installed!
 *   Side rods are being cleaned, tested, repaired and polished to a shine!
 *   Volunteers have donated almost 7,000 hours of work with no safety incidents!
 *   Thank you to the incredible team of dedicated volunteers and the mechanical team for helping our dream come true!

CNN MONEY profiles Scott Lindsay and the 611
CNN Money highlighted the unique talents that Scott Lindsay brings to the restoration of the 611.
Check out Scott Lindsay brings historical steam engines back to life!<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qzJcUQxZFhewPYJk3sTtX1zawu-gYgV822ro5lLKY4Kop37ADzsKq53HZXqzA76sOOuUv73-MfmQLK8GgR1r9bDG_ay0MFuemp_OBKpwLN5mGW2PSJW3xA9gspU7kK5zPRS5g9zXeABinDqak30wx7cH-WMyvYlxQrG2OIpXdCPrMOMYKk9QqJs85eKVZr0ukOk1qrAuLKfIumoXb6RyQYqqfdSaYl2-wHqbhrU5OhtmkkLd_wnJWOYEUsWK4-8ipnNdeesYz0Y0bSn-hh33IzBCj1BoLXQgwid3UhaNOqbdzm4H2Uv6BMDbK6Xj_mniF6F4A8-zkkMqcklS2cDfz0gTSKbWgvGB2MNf8rk88sXgHN5uaGZ9wTxurdKt9RypxBd1Q_8vBxDIY_lwxlwFLh1U-x41-EDILwTAYpyLOSpvWK1BHkBvVa6oNqKKAK0zFPcDB14xkiE=&c=qumMKLGBNSRE1cCI2rxRKAThVQQdaKQ4cX7kjf7pjRPLi5Q_-bAa-g==&ch=8HO3hI1T1DF_Idg2-K5b6wkfy-xtcww87ymmUzPbei5zWB796dp6pA==>

[https://files.ctctcdn.com/bac7a1ab001/4e97b356-aa1d-468a-8d0a-7e9137e96bbd.jpg]

We need your support TODAY for the
Preservation and Education Facility
[https://files.ctctcdn.com/bac7a1ab001/66f7ca7e-a862-4a13-add0-a69fe43836e2.jpg]

The Preservation and Education facility will protect and preserve Norfolk & Western's Big Three: The Class J 611™,
the Class A 1218 and the Class Y6a 2156.

As the date for the 611's Homecoming draws nearer, our need to fully fund the Preservation and Education facility at the Virginia Museum of Transportation becomes more urgent! The three-track facility has been designed as the new home to protect and preserve Norfolk & Western's Big Three: The Class J 611™, the Class A 1218 and the Class Y6a 2156 when she returns to Roanoke.

We plan to break ground as soon as site details are finalized, but we need your help to put us over the top to complete the campaign and this important building!
Any donation to the Fire Up 611! Capital Campaign places your name on the Wall of Honor in the preservation and education facility. A donation of $611 and above will allow you to purchase advance tickets. Click here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qzJcUQxZFhewPYJk3sTtX1zawu-gYgV822ro5lLKY4Kop37ADzsKq43CZCAGhvnB0z9wtWmhYKFY5L1PLpv2ZXy3LQEO0UpY__C481P9z9Iem3LitzfCQ_FlqZh8Ia5od1Casbn39tGz6E8qgiVoVW-IL5LKu__zBB4E6KMPaqKXRYYZqY_5MHupBRiXH18AxsOEB2GNIFQtx44iNZxh9vR4NFXdUXD5ear537iS8ZQ9KYghbn3mcnaXnjg9q7TJA0Zv-5Q8_vshGEGQ0RPyxZwrKi68fQXauk5seTmm1GLRBWKFMK54Kr7HPPsOn3pnufLBdd9_9WXX-p1FVQoGqKF96H1yUIjd&c=qumMKLGBNSRE1cCI2rxRKAThVQQdaKQ4cX7kjf7pjRPLi5Q_-bAa-g==&ch=8HO3hI1T1DF_Idg2-K5b6wkfy-xtcww87ymmUzPbei5zWB796dp6pA==> for a complete list of donor benefits.
Donate securely online<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qzJcUQxZFhewPYJk3sTtX1zawu-gYgV822ro5lLKY4Kop37ADzsKq43CZCAGhvnB0z9wtWmhYKFY5L1PLpv2ZXy3LQEO0UpY__C481P9z9Iem3LitzfCQ_FlqZh8Ia5od1Casbn39tGz6E8qgiVoVW-IL5LKu__zBB4E6KMPaqKXRYYZqY_5MHupBRiXH18AxsOEB2GNIFQtx44iNZxh9vR4NFXdUXD5ear537iS8ZQ9KYghbn3mcnaXnjg9q7TJA0Zv-5Q8_vshGEGQ0RPyxZwrKi68fQXauk5seTmm1GLRBWKFMK54Kr7HPPsOn3pnufLBdd9_9WXX-p1FVQoGqKF96H1yUIjd&c=qumMKLGBNSRE1cCI2rxRKAThVQQdaKQ4cX7kjf7pjRPLi5Q_-bAa-g==&ch=8HO3hI1T1DF_Idg2-K5b6wkfy-xtcww87ymmUzPbei5zWB796dp6pA==>, or mail your donation to:
Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.
Fire Up 611!
303 Norfolk Avenue SW
Roanoke, VA 24016
Thank you for your support!

Protect. Preserve. Sustain.
Join the 611 Society

Help us protect, preserve and sustain the Class J 611 for future generations!

[https://files.ctctcdn.com/bac7a1ab001/466a7881-eb69-41d5-a281-25fe1b6a6bd1.jpg]

The winter edition of the
611 Magazine

The Spring issue of the 611 Magazine is in the works! The new edition will include:

 *   Details about the Homecoming celebration the VMT is planning
 *   Details about upcoming excursions and ticket sales
 *   An amazing find that may just put to rest the "What shade is Tuscan Red" debate!
 *   Profiles of 611's three homes: the shops in Roanoke, Birmingham and Spencer
 *   Why do we love the 611 so much? Fans will share their stories, experiences and precious photos
 *   A Fire Up 611! Capital Campaign progress report
 *   Restoration photos, activities for the kids, historical articles provided by the Norfolk & Western Historical Society and more!
The 611 Magazine is for members of the 611 Society and top 611 donors!
Join now!

The 611 Society is an annual membership program. By joining, you help to ensure that the Virginia Museum of Transportation keeps the 611 in top condition so that future generations can experience the beauty and power of the last J-Class locomotive in the world

Members of the 611 Society will receive the 611 Magazine,  a celebration of the history, design, power and beauty of the Class J 611 Steam Passenger Locomotive.

Every issue blends rich articles and amazing photography with the expertise of the historians of the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the Norfolk & Western Historical Society and the National Railway Historical Society. The 611 Magazine will be published four times per year.

An important note to our anonymous online donors
We are not notified of the identities of individuals who make anonymous gifts online through the Fire Up 611 website and the [https://files.ctctcdn.com/bac7a1ab001/98cb3967-76ee-4bc5-847a-bb3a58f79bdb.jpg] Razoo Foundation, making it impossible for us to offer you donor benefits, or contact you in any way.

If you made an anonymous contribution online, please contact Fran Ferguson, Director of Development, at 540-342-5670 ext 105, or by email fferguson at vmt.org<mailto:fferguson at vmt.org>. She will need to know the date, time, and amount of your contribution, which is included on the receipt you received from Razoo. The Museum is happy to offer you appropriate donor benefits, but honor your request to not publish or make your name public in any way.

About the Norfolk & Western Class J 611™
Steam Passenger Locomotive

[http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs115/1102633925803/img/439.jpg]

Norfolk & Western Class J 611™ is the finest American locomotive ever made. She is a marriage of beauty and power. Simple lines, a bullet nose, a midnight black façade, a Tuscan stripe and a baritone whistle makes her the most distinguished steam locomotive left in the world. She's an engineering powerhouse of steam, technology and near mechanical perfection. The Class J Locomotives were built using American ingenuity, design and engineering. Even today, she is the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology known to man.

The Norfolk & Western Class J Locomotives were designed, constructed and maintained in Roanoke, Virginia. These streamlined locomotives have captivated the hearts of rail fans worldwide since they first rolled out of the N&W Roanoke Shops, beginning in 1941.

The Class J 611 Steam Locomotive was built in May of 1950.  The 611 Locomotive pulled the Powhatan Arrow, the famed passenger train, from Norfolk to Cincinnati. The Class J 611 retired from passenger rail service in 1959. In 1962, she was moved to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia.

In 1981, Norfolk Southern pulled her out of retirement and restored her to her original glory. Once again, she blew her whistle to sleepy towns and thundered across the landscape. She was retired from excursions in 1994 and moved back into the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Since her retirement, rail fans have clamored, hoped and dreamed that she return to the rails, to blow her whistle and steam over the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains once again.

In 2015, barring the unforeseen, the dream of 611 returning to steam will become a reality.  Thanks Norfolk Southern, friends of 611 and the Virginia Museum of Transportation, and Rail Fans all across the USA and from around the world for your support!  The "Queen of Steam" RETURNS SOON!

[http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs115/1102633925803/img/316.jpg]

© Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.
vmt.org | fireup611.org<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001qzJcUQxZFhewPYJk3sTtX1zawu-gYgV822ro5lLKY4Kop37ADzsKq3KVTafAwaY2tK3WW-c5euQkABR5NHbnz24HdWPOzhoy8-IwneCOoANjQEtGHRL1JMO-luN15YDogpybjNdpCTJIofXhuGm7uW_WMBAJLmzXR6f6X8uU3yAaLEDMfDI7c7FDdVkfqVJMrmNzg26wNvTCkvhZFNxwHlseydlE3wclTPlrZ2osHP51s_kGVJ1Q7HSay4a6T9SsOTfZjMr8rrOsanyGq6EO8vrS_SjMaQQ6rIwUUwfr2cdsaSdDQjzWB_W6AAdYzqJVVRXX6Yf5nDI=&c=qumMKLGBNSRE1cCI2rxRKAThVQQdaKQ4cX7kjf7pjRPLi5Q_-bAa-g==&ch=8HO3hI1T1DF_Idg2-K5b6wkfy-xtcww87ymmUzPbei5zWB796dp6pA==>
The Norfolk & Western Class J 611 is trademark of the Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.

Forward this email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=lf4ub6cab&m=1102633925803&ea=gweber%40lexington.com&a=1120148288158>

[http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/SafeUnsubscribe_Footer_Logo_New.png]<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001p4BOC8hQUQIcAnswPCUNaw%3D%3D&ch=2518a350-4c16-11e3-9be2-d4ae5275b1a5&ca=ecf8ac51-18c8-4f14-9615-bc3a113b4835>
This email was sent to gweber at lexington.com<mailto:gweber at lexington.com> by pmcguire at vmt.org<mailto:pmcguire at vmt.org> |
Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001p4BOC8hQUQIcAnswPCUNaw%3D%3D&ch=2518a350-4c16-11e3-9be2-d4ae5275b1a5&ca=ecf8ac51-18c8-4f14-9615-bc3a113b4835> | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001p4BOC8hQUQIcAnswPCUNaw%3D%3D&ch=2518a350-4c16-11e3-9be2-d4ae5275b1a5&ca=ecf8ac51-18c8-4f14-9615-bc3a113b4835>™ | Privacy Policy<http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>.

[http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/CC_Footer_Logo_New.png]<http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_BusLet_003>

Virginia Museum of Transportation | 303 Norfolk Ave | Roanoke | VA | 24016

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20150226/9eccd9e4/attachment-0001.html>