N&W 611

The Norfolk & Western is the only fully-streamlined (USA built) 4-8-4 preserved.

About
The engine was built in 1950 as part of the successful J class. It had a strange career; full of accidents and work. The engine was retired in 1960 as the last steam locomotive on a Class I railroad in the US to be retired.

In 1981, the engine started to be restored, and in 1982, the engine was finished. It had an excursion career with N&W #1218 (a 2-6-6-4) held by the Norfolk Southern Steam Program. For thirteen years it operated, until being finally retired in 1995 once again. It is currently on static display in Roanoke, Virginia.

Accidents
The J had a few accidents in it's career:


 * January 23rd, 1956: 611 derailed at a curve and crashed into a river. Luckily, it was repaired within a month.


 * May 18th, 1986: 30 years after the accident, the 611's excursion train derailed, leaving some hospitalized. No fatalities.


 * September 1994: The engine's coaches used for the excursion were damaged in a switiching accident. No one was hurt.