The Virginia Museum of Transportation
and the Fire Up 611! Committee  
to release the findings of the
Fire Up 611!
Feasibility Study
on Friday, June 28
 
The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the Fire Up 611! Committee will announce the findings of the Norfolk & Western Class J 611 Feasibility Study on Friday, June 28 at a press conference at 11 am. The public is invited to attend.
 
"The Fire Up 611! Committee has almost completed their research and finished crunching the numbers," said Preston Claytor, chairman of the Fire Up 611! Committee.  "We hope fans of the 611 will understand that this effort has taken a lot of time and expertise to research thoroughly."
 
The study - called Fire Up 611! - took an in-depth look at the costs and feasibility of restoring, maintaining and operating the iconic locomotive.  The Fire Up 611! Committee has been working with specialists in steam locomotive operations and restoration, engineers, and experts on Federal Railroad Administration requirements and safety.   
 
"We appreciate the thousands of railfans and others who have contacted us over the study period," Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr., executive director of the Virginia Museum of Transportation, says. "They have really come to our aid as we did our work." 

The Virginia Museum of Transportation will post the Fire Up 611! Committee's recommendation to fireup611.org by 5 pm on June 28.  

For more information about Fire Up 611!, please visit fireup611.org. For more information about the Virginia Museum of Transportation, please visit vmt.org.  

 

 

The Fire Up 611! Committee

 

Preston Claytor: Chairman of the Fire Up 611 Committee and Safety consultant.

Mr. Claytor was also on the 611 locomotive crew during its last excursion runs. Boynton Beach, Florida.   

 

Cheri George: Owner of a software consulting company. Ms. George was also a volunteer fireman for the 611 and was part of the crew during its last excursion runs. Atlanta, Georgia

.  

Ron Davis: President of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society. Roanoke, Virginia.  

 

Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr.: Executive Director, Virginia Museum of Transportation. Roanoke, Virginia. 

 

Will Harris: A board member of the Virginia Museum of Transportation and president of North Fork Lumber Company. Goshen, Virginia.

 

Bill Honeycutt: Consultant, President of the Historical Society of Western Virginia, representing the O Winston Link Museum. Roanoke, Virginia.  

 

Ken Lanford:  President, Board of Directors of the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Roanoke, Virginia.    

 

Scott Lindsay: President, Steam Operations Corporation.  Steam Operations Corporation specializes in the restoration of historic rail equipment. Mr. Lindsay was also on the 611 locomotive crew during its last excursion runs. Birmingham, Alabama.

 

Jeff Sanders: President of the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Roanoke, Virginia. 

 

Jim Stump: An executive search consultant, a Roanoke native and railroad enthusiast. Charlotte, North Carolina.  

 

Jim Wrinn: Editor of Kalmbachs Publishing's TRAINS Magazine. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.