Return to Blue Ridge | Norfolk & Western No. 1218 

This out-of-print film from the archives of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society features the work of English documentary filmmaker Nick Lera and his work to document the return of Norfolk & Western steam locomotive No. 1218 in 1987. Highlights include dramatic footage of 1218 and Norfolk & Western No. 611 on the Christiansburg grade in West Virginia. Originally built in 1943, the A-Class locomotive was designed to muscle the railroad's heaviest freight trains at speeds of 60MPH or more. The locomotive was retired in 1959, used in stationary boiler service, acquired for display at Steamtown, USA, and later leased to the Roanoke Transportation Museum. Following the merger of the Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway in the early 1980s, the newly formed Norfolk Southern acquired the 1218 for restoration and moved for restoration in 1985. As a result, 1218 would tour much of the Norfolk Southern system, often appearing in Fort Wayne, Indian, Bellevue, Ohio, and numerous divisions around the railroad until 1991. It is currently on static display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. "Return to Blue Ridge" was originally filmed on Hi-Band PAL U-Matic and published by Locomotion Pictures, Great Ponton House, Grantham, England. Cover photo courtesy of John Craft. For footage of Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 operating with a 1200-class whistle in West Virginia, click here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k5z5Di3Okx4.html

I would love to see the 1218 run again!! Living in Birmingham as a boy, my father use to take me to irondale Ala in the 80’s to see some of his friends that worked in the southern shops, I got to see just about the entire restoration of the 1218 and 611 side by side! I will Never forget that experience

Never knew this program existed, thank you for sharing it with everyone!

Thank you so very much for posting. I remember the 1218 & 611, but mostly 1218 when I was a young child, now I am 72 yrs old and to see one of the engines I loved watching on the rails again. Thank you so very much Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society.

The 1218 is my favorite locomotive.

Sure would like to see her run again. Lots and lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

1218 is my birthday engine. Seeing it run would be end all perfection for me

Railroad history is so festinating! Its amazing how different the rails are today than back in the day.

what an epic event and amazing job capturing the sights and sounds of this likely never repeated event.

This is excellent, with the british narrator too. Reminds me of those 1960s films of the last days of steam on BR.

This was awesome. Watching 1218 is always elegant and eye catching. Also liked hearing a British man narrate this. Long live the N&W

Love that screeching, raspy, steam whistle of 1218, like a hugh wild animal warning anyone to get out of my way,that whistle is ineed uneek

It would be awesome to see 1218 under steam again, but it'll take alot of money and support for it!

The engine everyone would crave to see run again. But it would take a major hail mary to get that thing going again, especially raising the funds to fix it and finding a proper place to run such a massive beast.

I’ve Never Expected Footage from the 1970 NRHS Convention

Beautiful work here; thank you!

Wow, amazing. I used to have it in Vrc

Part of me is thinking if 1218 ever wore another whistle. I know a lot of restored steamies in the US and some I know of occasionally had a different whistle. I could see 1218 having a C&O or Reading 6 chime at least one time. Just a thought.

I have this on VHS tape

Great video. Now we need this in current time

Great documentary! 👏👍

Why is the Fort Wayne Railroad historical society posting about 1218 🤔

Awesome video!

I have this locomotive in HO Scale 1218

I have one of the original n&w railroad spikes

I got to ride it many times when Norfolk southern had its steam program it was very reasonable too unlike the people that run 611 now made it expensive!

Hmmm is there some other reason this got posted…… not just for everyone to see………….

I hope the modern railroad enthusiasts use 3D printing of CAD software to rebuild original parts from the original blueprints of restoring preserved steam locomotives.

1218 needs a wealthy angel or group thereof. Get NS aboard and use her on coal drags.

N&W didn't just build steam locomotives...they wrote the book on it (no disrespect to Lima or operators of a certain excursion race horse managed by arguably the best group in the business). Who's got 100 miles of mainline with zone speed of 55+ mph, 30+ car excursion trains and millions of dollars? there's an engine in Roanoke with your name on it. cheers from the great white north eh.

If only she could run and breathe steam again. Maybe one day. 🤞

This is the demon of steam engines. The good demon.

1218 is a WWII vet

Cool of the operating crew to give a whistle salute to thay retired coal miner