PETERSBURG, Va. -- History came steaming into Petersburg Saturday afternoon and thousands were on hand to watch.
The steam engine J-611 came rolling in around 1 p.m. like it did back in the 1950s.
This time the historic engine and train car were carrying 850 passengers from Lynchburg. Those folks spent about two hours shopping and eating in Old Towne.
For some riding the train was a chance to step back in time and relive family history.
“It is important. It’s the only one there is,” said Tom Whitmore, whose father was an engineer on the 611. "It’s beautiful in a museum, but it’s much more beautiful with the sound and the smoke and the sun and the blue sky behind it.”
The Norfolk & Western steam engine was built in Roanoke, Virginia between 1941 and 1950. It was retired in 1959 when the first diesel locomotives went into service.
The 611 was restored and put back into service in the 1980s. When not rolling down the tracks for special excursions, it can be seen at the Virginian Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.
The train will be making another trip to Petersburg Sunday. It will arrive around 12:30 p.m. and depart around 2:30 p.m.
