Roanoke is an independent city in Virginia. It is located in Southwest Virginia along the Roanoke River, in the Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains. Roanoke's population was 100,011 in 2020, it’s the largest city in Western Virginia and the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

Located in downtown Roanoke’s century-old freight station, The Virginia Museum of Transportation has been collecting and preserving the Commonwealth's transportation history since 1963. It is recognized as The Commonwealth's Official Transportation Museum by the General Assembly and houses a great collection of steam, diesel, and electric locomotives.