J-611 Restoration in Spencer

Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 J-611 is the most famous steam locomotive built in Virginia, but it had to be taken out of Roanoke to be restored to operating condition.  This weekend, I visited the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, and saw J-611 being restored in the old Southern Railway roundhouse.  The external cladding has been removed, exposing the boiler, and the boiler tubes have also been removed.  Meanwhile, the tender has been parked outside the roundhouse, awaiting reunion with the locomotive.  Hopefully it will not take too long before N&W J-611 is running again.