The way it was, October 1986.
611 arrives back to Roanoke from a morning turn to Lynchburg. Major track work has been going on here to eliminate at-grade crossings of the Norfolk mainline and the Shenandoah mainline going off to the left. Randolph Tower is still keeping watch of all the train movements in the area. You can still make out the remains of the Roanoke Depot platforms that extended just east of the depot. The NW Roanoke Shops sign stands proudly atop the East End Shops complex. There are no coal bunker extensions on 611's tender. And as it has been for many years, the NS Office Car Fleet is stationed and maintained here in Roanoke, the real heart of the old N&W.
That's the way it was, October 1986.
