We were at the restored Southern station in Altimont as 611 ran by After noon on Saturday. My guesstimate of speed was in the neighborhood of 40 mph. A largely local crowd of several hundred waited patiently several hours for 611 to pass . The police did a great job in keeping people safe allowing them to position themselves along the right of way as long as the stayed a good distance back from the tracks. They even passed out free water to those that needed it!. We had plenty of time to drive back to Roanoke to wait for 611's arrival there.
Thanks to my wife we brought folding chairs and sat in the shade of a giant magnolia tree on the grounds of the Hotel Roanoke to see 611 enter town. The 17 car train ran west past the station through a crossover so it could back onto the track nearest the station discharge passengers and set up for the speeches. The J sounded great and looked even better.
We had 34 people from the Ford's Colony Williamsburg Model Railroad Club on the trip to share the weekend's events. With an art show in Market Square for the wives, a guided tour of the O Winston Link Museum, Virginia Museum of Transportation's reunion of the J, A, and Y6a, Hotel Roanoke rooms facing the tracks, and good weather we couldn't have had a better time. The crowds were large, well behaved, and very friendly.
Thank you Roanoke, Fireup 611, VMT, and NS for a memorable time.
Ed Rappe
