June 1st and 2nd, 2023.
Footage from two days along Norfolk Southern's H-line in the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia; during the N&W 611 ferry move between Front Royal and Roanoke, VA.
After running excursions out of Strasburg, PA, the famous Norfolk & Western "J class" No. 611 deadheaded back to the Virginia Museum of Transportation. On June 1st and 2nd, the 611 ferry move made its way south through the scenic Shenandoah Valley on home rails of the former Norfolk & Western. They spent the night in Shenandoah, then continued south to Roanoke on June 2nd.
Several N&W control position light signals, structures, and other trackside artifacts still stand along the H-line through the Shenandoah Valley, which provided unique opportunities to photograph an N&W steam locomotive with N&W steam era signals and trestles. The N&W CPL signals are gradually being replaced, so the CPLs featured in this video are on borrowed time.
This video starts between Shenandoah and Front Royal on the morning of June 1st. A few NS mainline freights are seen before and after the 611 ferry move, including a Herzog ballast train with a Union Pacific leader. The next day (June 2nd) I followed the 611 ferry move south from Shenandoah towards Roanoke. After the 611 arrived in Roanoke, NS local V81 came north with two SD60Es and several N&W covered limestone hoppers heading to Buchanan.
Train symbols and locations in this video:
6/1 - north of Shenandoah:
NS M2Z - northbound manifest (UP trailing)
- 00:01 - Compton (trestle)
- 03:40 - Limeton
NS 11Z - southbound manifest (S&A heritage unit)
- 08:12 - Compton (trestle)
- 22:03 - Lynnwood (later that evening)
NS 91X - northbound Herzog ballast train (UP leader)
- 10:42 - Overall (trestle)
NS 958 - southbound N&W 611 ferry move
- 12:26 - Limeton
- 13:35 - Vaughn
- 15:02 - North of Shenandoah (trestle)
- 15:50 - Shenandoah yard
NS 51K - northbound grain empties
- 18:38 - North of Shenandoah
- 19:10 - Stanley
6/2 - south of Shenandoah:
NS 958 - southbound N&W 611 ferry move
- 26:19 - Elkton (CP Stonewall)
- 27:31 - Waynesboro
- 29:12 - Vesuvius
- 30:18 - South River (trestle)
- 31:22 - Buena Vista
- 32:09 - Arcadia
- 33:35 - Lithia
- 35:12 - Troutville
NS V81 - northbound local (unique P5 horn)
- 36:17 - Lithia (Ellis Run)