| Norfolk and Western A class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Norfolk & Western No. 1206 at the New York World's Fair on June 17, 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Norfolk and Western A was a class of 43 2-6-6-4 simple articulated steam locomotives built by the railroad's own Roanoke Shops between 1936 and 1950 and operated until the late 1950s. The locomotives hauled fast and heavy freight trains for the railroad and only one has been preserved, No. 1218.
Upon delivery on the class starting in 1936, starting with 1200 and 1201, they were tested and proved successful. The railroad was satisfied with the class and bought eight more the following year. During testing, N&W officials were very impressed with their performance, as they were capable of pulling 4,800 tons at 25 mph on a 0.5% grade and 7,500 tons at 64 mph on level track. During World War II, the railroad built 25 more "A"s between 1943 and 1944 and finally eight more between 1949 and 1950. They were some of the last mainline steam locomotives to be put into service. [2]
The locomotives had a cast-steel frame and Timken roller bearings on nearly every surface. The last five had McGill MultiRol roller bearings in the side and main rods, making them the only articulateds to take such friction-reducing measures. They were assigned to freight service and have pulled slower heavy freight trains as well as fast time freight. They were rated at 13,000 tons of drag freight between Williamson, West Virginia and Portsmouth, Ohio, and could reach speeds up to 42 mph pulling such a load. Between Portsmouth and Columbus, Ohio, they were rated at 5,200 tons of fast freight and could reach 65 mph. On passenger runs, they could reach 70 mph. Over the Kenova District, the railroad increased the "A"'s slow freight tonnage ratings from 13,000 to 14,500 tons. To reduce the amount of stops for water, they ran with auxiliary tenders with capacities of up to 20,800 gallons of water. This also increased gross ton-miles per train hour (GTM) 31% on the 112-mile Kenova District between Williamson and Portsmouth, Ohio.
In 1952, the N&W tested one of the "A"s and Y6b-class locomotives against a four-unit Electro-Motive Division (at that time, of General Motors) F7 diesel set. The tests indicated that fuel costs and similar items were roughly the same, and the test was considered a tie. However, diesels eventually won out for lower maintenance and other operational costs. As successful as the class was, diesels eventually replaced them. Retirement started in 1958 and by 1959, all of the "A"s had been retired. [3]
Only one "A" class has been preserved, No. 1218. It was retired in 1959 and on the same year, it was purchased by the Union Carbide Co. in Charleston, West Virginia, where it was used as a stationary boiler at a chemical plant. [4] In 1965, it was repurchased by New England millionaire F. Nelson Blount for his locomotive collection at Steamtown, U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont. [4] Three years later, its former owner Norfolk & Western did a cosmetic restoration on 1218 at their East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia (the same place where it was built). [4] After that, it was put on display at the Roanoke Transportation Museum in 1971. [4] It was restored and operated in excursion service for the Norfolk Southern steam program between 1987 and 1991 and went for an overhaul. The program was then canceled in 1994 and the locomotive was eventually put back on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia. It is the only surviving 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive in the world.
| Year built | Quantity | Serial nos. | N&W no. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 2 | 266–267 | 1200–1201 | Scrapped May 1958. |
| 1937 | 8 | 273–280 | 1202-1209 | Scrapped June 1958. |
| 1943 | 15 | 332–346 | 1210–1224 | No. 1218 preserved, ran excursions between 1987 and 1991, sole remaining 2-6-6-4. Remainder scrapped October 1958-December 1959. |
| 1944 | 10 | 353–362 | 1225–1234 | Scrapped July 1959. |
| 1949–1950 | 8 | 380–387 | 1235–1242 | Scrapped August to September 1959. Nos. 1238-1242 equipped with Timken Roller Bearing Rods. |
The Union Pacific Big Boy is a type of simple articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) between 1941 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in revenue service until 1962.
The Norfolk and Western Railway, commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precision Transportation"; it had a variety of nicknames, including "King Coal" and "British Railway of America". In 1986, N&W merged with Southern Railway to form today's Norfolk Southern Railway.
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The Roanoke Shops is a railroad workshop and maintenance facility in Roanoke, Virginia. Between 1884 and 1953, the shops produced 447 steam locomotives, all for the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). The Roanoke Shops built the N&W's famous Big Three class steam locomotives; the 4-8-4 class J, the 2-6-6-4 class A, and the 2-8-8-2 class Y6. In late 1953, the Shops built their final steam locomotive, making it last standard gauge steam locomotive built for revenue service in the United States. In 2020, N&W's successor, Norfolk Southern abandoned the Shops and Genesis Rail Services acquired the property in July 2023.
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Southern Railway 4501 is a preserved Ms class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive built in October 1911 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the first of its wheel arrangement type for the Southern Railway (SOU). In 1948, the locomotive was retired from the Southern Railway in favor of dieselization and was subsequently sold to the shortline Kentucky and Tennessee Railway (K&T) in Stearns, Kentucky, to haul coal trains.
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