Virginia Museum of Transportation facade 

VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION
June 2010
IN THIS ISSUE
J 611 60th celebration
Star City Motor Madness
Blue Star Museums
"Lost Engine" restored
Ready for Father's Day?
Great events in Virginia's Rail Heritage Region
Mark your calendars!
June 19: Advance Auto Parts' 60th anniversary celebration of the Class J 611. FREE
 
June 25-26: Star City Motor MadnessFREE 
 
June 26: 12th Annual African-American N&W Heritage Celebration 6:30-8:30pm, with R. David Cobbs, Jr., Norfolk Southern AVP for Diversity and Equal Opportunity; music by the Loudon Ave Christian Church Male Chorus. Reservations required. FREE 
Greetings!
 
Fallen Firefighter statueThis Museum is blessed to be the home of a remarkable statue, the Fallen Firefighter by artist Betty Branch. The statue serves as a memorial to the Roanoke firefighters and EMS personnel who have given their lives in service to others.
 
The Fallen Firefighter is located in front of the Museum for everyone to see, whether you are visiting the Museum or just passing by on the Rail Walk.
 
This Memorial Day, I invite you to stop by, or pause wherever you are, and remember those public servants who serve or who have served in our military and as emergency responders, who stand ready to make the ultimate sacrifice at any time.  
 
The Museum is open on Memorial Day. Please join us in saying "Thank you."
 
Virginia Museum of Transportation
Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr.
Executive Director
Class J 611 celebrates its 60th anniversary
Class J 611 Summer 2010
We're celebrating 60 years of 611 with a FREE admission day and special events on June 19!
 
Climb aboard for a fun family day celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the remarkable Norfolk & Western Class J 611 steam locomotive at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Thanks to Advance Auto Parts, Museum admission is FREE on this very special day!
 
The event features two models of the great 611, one 35 feet long and one 15 feet long with live steam. Members of the North American Rail Car Operators Association will offer rail speeder rides and Operation Lifesaver will be on hand with demonstrations.
 
The first 1,500 visitors ages 12 and under will receive a giveaway courtesy of Advance Auto Parts. Q99 FM on-air radio personality Dick Daniels will broadcast live from the Museum from 10 am - 1 pm. The Q99 Radio Diner will be on hand from 10 am - 2 pm, featuring Q-Bear, free drinks, hot dogs, and the prize wheel.  
Star City Motor MadnessStar City Motor Madness roars back into Roanoke!
 
Tens of thousands of car, truck and motorcycle fans will gather in Roanoke on June 25 - 26 for one of the biggest automotive events in Virginia this year, the 9th Annual Advance Auto Parts/WRABA Star City Motor Madness. Star City Motor Madness is a celebration of America's passion for the automobile and the love of cruising. Highlights include a Cruise on Friday night and a Car and Truck Show on Saturday, both of which are FREE to the public. In 2009, over 15,000 cars and 80,000 spectators participated. 
 
Friday, June 25, 6 to 10pm: Cruise on Williamson Road in Roanoke. The city's quintessential cruise route--Williamson Road (U.S. Rt. 11)--will be jammed with thousands of unique automobiles, trucks and motorcycles as spectators line both sides of the road for nearly the entire route. There is music, food, displays and a parking area for the cruisers along the strip.
 
Star City Motor Madness Car ShowSaturday, June 26, 10am to 6pm: Car and Truck Show held in downtown Roanoke. Over 400 cars are expected, and Corvettes will be featured. Music, food and automotive displays will be on hand throughout the day.
 
The Roanoke event will receive national recognition this year as Dennis Gage and his film crew from the popular SPEED Channel TV show "My Classic Car" will be covering the event, to air during the show's 2011 season. 
 
Star City Motor Madness is a 501(c)(3) organization composed entirely of area car clubs which have banded together to raise funds for the Virginia Museum of Transportation and other non-profits. Advance Auto Parts and the Williamson Road Area Business Association (WRABA) are primary sponsors of the event, and are joined by the support of numerous other area businesses. Proceeds from the event go to the Virginia Museum of Transportation and other non-profits.
Proud to support those who serve our country
 
The Virginia Museum of Transportation is honored to be among more than 700 Blue Star Museums across the country to offer free admission to military personnel this summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010.
 
Blue Star MuseumsFree admission is available to active duty military personnel in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and active duty Reserve and active duty National Guard, and their immediate family members. Military personnel or their families must present a CAC Geneva Conventions ID or a DD 1173 active duty military family ID for free admission for up to five family members.

Since World War I, the Blue Star has been used to designate families which have a member who is serving in active duty during a time of combat. Blue Star Families was founded in 2008 with a special focus on the nearly one million children who have had at least one parent deployed during the current combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
Other participating museums in Roanoke include the History Museum of Western Virginia, O Winston Link Museum, Taubman Museum of Art, and the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University. For a full list of participating museums, visit Blue Star Museums.
First of the "Lost Engines" restored, moved to her new home
 
The restoration of the first of the "Lost Engines of Roanoke" has been successfully completed. Read the story of the M2 1134 in The Roanoke Times and watch the video of her arrival in The Virginian-Pilot. We were delighted to find wonderful partners who could help us save these railroad treasures which were entrusted to us. North Fork and the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society deserve a great deal of credit for a job well done! We wish this grand lady 1134 every success in her new home in Portsmouth, VA at the Railroad Museum of Virginia.
New commemorative T-shirt, now in men's and women's sizes
60 years of 611 tshirt design
Find just what dad wants most for Father's Day in Destinations, our Museum Store!
 
All BOOKS 20% off | All HATS 20% off
All DVDs 10% off
 
Visit Destinations, our Museum Store, and check out our great selection of items for rail lovers, plus car, truck, and aviation fans, too!
 
Offer cannot be combined with other discounts. Good while supplies last, through June 20, 2010. Open Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5.
 
Call to order: 540-342-5670.
More great things to do in Virginia's Rail Heritage Region! 
 
The O. Winston Link Museum presents Conversations with Photographers: Alternative Processes with Jennifer Fowler, Sat, June 5, 10am - 12pm. Explore the infinite possibilities that exist in the realm of alternate photographic processes. Processes included: tape transfer, rubbing transfer, and lift transfer; participants need to bring photocopied images. $25. Call 540-982-5465 or visit Link's online Museum Store to register. 
 
The Archives Committee of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society holds its next work session June 10-13. To participate, email NWHS President Ron Davis. The NWHS National Convention will be held June 17-20 in Front Royal, VA featuring VIP tours, special presentations, a modeling competition, banquet, and time to relax with other railfans. Click for full details and on-line reservations.  
 
The Blue Ridge Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is planning Lynchburg Rail Day, August 14. The annual model train show is a Lynchburg tradition.