The Norfolk and Western “611” steam engine will return to Manassas for the annual Heritage Railway Festival in 2016.
The 65-year-old Class J steam engine was the centerpiece of the 2015 annual Heritage Railway Festival. The engine was fresh off of a restoration and on a statewide viewing tour when it rolled into Downtown Manassas.
“[The engineers] were just so excited to be here,” said Historic Manassas Inc. Director Debbie Haight. “They loved that everyone came out to see the steam engine.”
The “611” is a rolling museum that serves as a window back in time that showcases the technology that was used to transport people and goods via the railroads. The 611 also gave festival goers an excursion ride from Manassas to Front Royal, and back.
Dates for the 2016 Heritage Railway Festival have yet to be announced.
News of the 611’s imminent return to the city came has Haight, and Historic Manassas Inc. President Charles Patullo told Manassas City Council members that things were looking up in Downtown.
“The total overall occupancy rate is about 99%,” Haight told Councilman Ian Lovejoy.
HMI hosts the farmer’s market in Downtown twice a week and hosts several signature events, from the city’s annual wine and jazz, railway, and bands and brews festivals, as well as the city’s “First Friday” celebrations held on the first Friday of each month.
“First Friday has taken hold,” said Haight. “We’ve heard back from all the merchants, and they’re pleasd with an uptick in sales and additional foot traffic in their stores.”
One of the most successful First Friday events came last winter when each participating merchant passed out cups of soup.
“We were out of soup after an hour and a half.” added Haight.
It’s estimated 180,000 people attended the city’s festivals in the past year. Those visitors shop and dine in the city, and that brings in additional sales tax revenue for city coffers.
Candle and soap maker “Calico Jacks,” one of the vendors at the city’s farmer’s market, has been so successful that they are transitioning from space at the market into a brick and mortar retail location in Downtown, said Haight. HMI staff attended 11 ribbon cuttings in 2015, including the opening of Paradise Donuts where Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe chowed down on some power rings.
HMI will work to rebrand its logo and its mission statement over the winter. A new logo and mission statement could come by April.
“A lot of people don’t know what we do,” said Patullo. “They think we’re a part of the [Manassas] Museum.”
HMI contracts with the city to operate the visitors center inside the train station / Virginia Railway Express station in Downtown. The organization recently turned 30 years old.
Manassas Mayor Hal Parrish, and Councilman Jonathan Way praised HMI for its work.
“It’s very important that the nucleus of the city is a healthy place to be. If the center of the city isn’t doing well, the rest of it isn’t either,” said Parrish.
