William L. "Bill" Withuhn named to the
Fire Up 611! Committee
The Curator Emeritus from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History will bring his expertise to the Fire Up 611! Campaign
The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the Fire Up 611! Committee are pleased to announce that William L. "Bill" Withuhn has joined the team to help the Norfolk & Western Class J 611 Locomotive steam once again.
 Mr. Withuhn served the Smithsonian Institution for 30 years, retiring in 2010 as Curator Emeritus from the National Museum of American History.
"Bill brings a depth of knowledge, project management and fundraising skills to the Committee," said Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr., executive director of the Virginia Museum of Transportation. "His expertise will help us tell the rich story of the Class J 611."
During his illustrious tenure, he assisted with the planning of 20 exhibitions and raised more than $31 million from corporations, trade groups, and foundations. Bill also published two books and more than 50 articles, including the September 1987 Trains magazine article "Home to Roanoke." He has consulted for museums throughout the U.S. and overseas, as well as the Federal Railroad Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and Class-1 railroads.
Bill co-founded and chaired the Engineering Standards Committee for Steam Locomotives for 20 years. (Please see Trains magazine, May 2000, including the editor's page, "Steam Rules are a Safety Landmark"). Bill also co-wrote the present Federal inspection and repair standards for steam locomotives from 1995 to 1999.
Since 1963, Bill has fired and run as a regularly assigned engineer for thirteen different steam locomotives. For 15 years, he was an engineer and FRA-Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers (DSLE) at Steamtown National Historic Site.
Bill was recently honored as Emeritus, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies for his 20 years' service on TRB's Transportation History Committee. He is also President Emeritus of the Washington, D.C., Region Chapter of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
"We look forward to working with Bill, especially in the area of project management and fundraising," said J. Preston Claytor, chairman of the Fire Up 611! Committee.
Celebrated author Louis M. Newton of Roanoke appointed Fire Up 611! Historian
The Fire Up 611 Committee is pleased to announce that Louis M. Newton of Roanoke, Virginia is the official Norfolk & Western Class J 611 Historian.
 Raised in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area, Mr. Newton was a rail enthusiast from a very early age, studying railroads of the south during his childhood. Mr. Newton served in the US Army in Europe after WWII, and later obtained a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Tennessee in 1949. On May 1, 1950, he began a 37-year career with Norfolk & Western Railway (later Norfolk Southern) as an apprentice in the Mechanical Department. His early duties included hands-on experience servicing and maintaining N&W's fleet of modern coal-burning steam locomotives.
Louis is the author of "Rails Remembered," a 5-volume book series detailing his fascinating career. The books share his passion for railroading, and steam locomotives in particular. In Volume 3, Chapter 34, pages 505 and 506, he describes working at Shaffer's Crossing on the daylight shift on May 29, 1950, servicing the brand new 611 in preparation for its first day of service.
The Fire Up 611 Committee is honored to have Louis as our Historian. His dedication to the N&W and its motive power, forged through a life of hands on experience, makes him an expert on N&W locomotives and 611 in particular. Welcome, Mr. Newton!
Fire Up 611! Committee looking for tools!
Do you have tools or equipment that you would like to donate to the project? We are looking for the following items (in all sizes, very small to very large).
- Pipe Wrenches
- Hammers
- Screwdrivers
- Crescent wrenches
- Monkey wrenches
- Chisels
- Punches
- Open-ended wrenches
- Sockets - (no metric please!)
- Pry-bars
- Welders
- Torches/hoses & trollies
- Hydraulic presses & jacking tools
- Drill Press
- Sand blaster
- Air compressor
- Machine shop equipment (lathe, milling machine, etc.)
Additionally, the project is in need of a ½ ton or larger pick-up truck. A well-used, but well-maintained truck would be appreciated.
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