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Norfolk and Western Railway: "Precision Transportation"

Last revised: November 5, 2024

By: Adam Burns

The Norfolk and Western’s merger with the Southern in 1982 was fitting for two railroads which spent most of the 20th century as efficient, profitable operations.  

From a history tracing back to the 1830s the N&W did not blossom into a great American success story until after 1900.

It acted a conveyor belt of coal moving black diamonds from mines located in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia to Norfolk/Newport News.  

Before expanding rapidly after the late 1950's its original network contained only slightly more than 2,000 route miles connecting Norfolk with Cincinnati and Columbus.  

Historically, the railroad is remembered for many things ranging from its staunch support of the steam locomotive to legendary photographer O. Winston Link who captured its final days of steam in stunning black and white photography. 

His work is now considered all but priceless works of art.  Today, the N&W's principal lines remain in use under successor Norfolk Southern.  

Its once lucrative coal business is not the juggernaut of yore but still sustains the "Thoroughbred Route" through modern times.

Photos

Norfolk & Western 2-8-8-2 #2103 (Y-4a) at Roanoke, Virginia, circa 1950. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.

History

The origins of the mighty Norfolk & Western begin quite humbly in far eastern Virginia when the General Assembly chartered the City Point Railroad during early 1836.  The early industry was still learning its trade and steam power was rudimentary.  

However, railroads were proving their worth up and down the east coast from the South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company serving Charleston, South Carolina to the Baltimore & Ohio linking Baltimore, Maryland.  

At A Glance

The City Point opened on September 7, 1838 between its hometown (now known as Hopewell) on the James River to nearby Petersburg, a distance of 9 miles.  

During a period in which efficient transportation was limited primarily to slow-moving waterways the new railroad could move freight and passengers at unheard of speeds.  

In 1847 the City Point was reorganized as the Appomattox Railroad and acquired by the Southside Railroad (SRR) in 1854.  

The latter carrier had been chartered in 1846, initially to build from Petersburg to what is now Blackstone.  

According to C. Nelson Harris’s book, “Norfolk & Western Railway Stations And Depots,” the Southside was given its name because its right-of-way traveled south of the James River.

It began construction in 1849 and by 1852 had reached Burkeville, providing an interchange there with the Richmond & Danville (later, Southern Railway).  

As the Southside continued westward, intent on reaching Lynchburg, it was faced with a choice of grading a southerly route with easier grades or follow a more circuitous and rugged northerly extension.  In another case of money dictating logic the latter corridor was ultimately chosen.  

The reasoning was not entirely without merit; the railroad needed funding and the northerly route was enticing because the town of Farmville offered financial incentives to connect their town (common in those times when communities recognized the economic opportunities a railroad brought).  

The line was forced to cross the wide Appomattox River, which required a massive span.  The High Bridge, completed in 1852, was 2,440 feet in length and rose 125 feet above the water line (today it is part of the High Bridge Trail between Burkeville and Pamplin). The Southside would finish its line to Lynchburg two years later in 1854.

Expansion

Two other noteworthy components included the Norfolk & Petersburg (opened between its namesake cities in 1858) and the Virginia & Tennessee (completed between Lynchburg and Bristol, Virginia in 1856).  

After recovering from damage caused during the "War Between The States" (the South's term for the Civil War) the N&P, V&T, and SRR merged in 1870 to form the 408-mile Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad.  This short-lived company struggled during the financial Panic of 1873 and was forced into bankruptcy.  

It was then reorganized as the Norfolk & Western Railroad during May of 1881.  Another financial panic in 1893 thrust it into bankruptcy once more.  

After a final reorganization the Norfolk & Western Railway was born on September 24, 1896.  Prior to this last reorganization coal was already proving its most valuable commodity.  

Logos

The Norfolk & Western Railway logo. Author's work.

The Norfolk & Western Railway's late era "Hamburger" logo. Author's work.

As Eric Grubb notes in his article, "Coal Supports The Norfolk & Western" from the November, 1947 issue of Trains Magazine, it all began in 1881 when vice-president of a young N&W, F.J. Kimball, firmly believed rich seams of bituminous were located in southwestern Virginia despite geologists proclaiming otherwise.

Kimball went on to discover the rich Pocahontas #3 seam and the railroad quickly pushed into the region. 

According to Jim Cox’s book, “Rails Across Dixie: A History Of Passenger Trains In The American South,” the N&W took ownership of the unfinished New River Railroad and shipped out the first loads of coal from Pocahontas, Virginia on March 12, 1883.  

The line, running via Bluefield, West Virginia and New River, Virginia officially opened a few months later on May 21st.  Its first carloads totaled 54,500 tons that year but by 1887 had blossomed to roughly 1 million.  

In the coming years this number steadily rose as the road expanded.  Throughout the end of the 19th century the N&W continued extending its reach.  

During 1896 it acquired the Lynchburg & Durham running between those two cities while the Roanoke & Southern allowed access to Winston-Salem via Roanoke.  

This latter city became N&W’s headquarters and primary terminal.  Its storied shops here went on to produce some of the finest steam locomotives ever built.   In 1901 the N&W expanded to Cincinnati by purchasing the Cincinnati, Portsmouth & Virginia.  

There were other important interchange points; two most noteworthy include Hagerstown, Maryland and Columbus, Ohio.  The former offered connections with the Western Maryland, Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio while the latter provided a link with the B&O, PRR, Chesapeake & Ohio and New York Central.

Norfolk & Western SD45 #1713 receives attention on March 4, 1977. Location not listed. Vincent Porreca photo. American-Rails.com collection.

At the turn of the 20th century the N&W's modern system, prior to postwar mergers, was essentially in place.  At its peak size it consisted of just over 2,100 route miles, relatively small for a Class I carrier even then.  Its total trackage, as of 1947, consisted of 4,543 miles.  

It stretched from the tidewater port area of Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia to Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, which covered a distance of 663 miles.  While the N&W did move a variety of freight ranging from agriculture to merchandise, black diamonds were its mainstay.  

While it is recognized for moving coal shipments predominantly eastbound from "Tipple to Tidewater" some of this traffic was also handled through its Midwestern gateway at Columbus.  

According to Mike Schafer’s book, “Classic American Railroads – Volume III,” even during the early 1980s, just prior to the merger with the Southern, coal still comprised over 60% of its annual tonnage.  It was so wealthy the company had paid an annual dividend since 1901 and continued to do so for decades.  

Such prosperity was common through the 1920s but rare after the stock market crash in October of 1929.  Many railroads struggled through the 1930s, but not the N&W.

Electrification

When the N&W acquired the Virginian Railway in 1959 it inherited a road that was largely electrified west of Roanoke, Virginia.  However, the Roanoke Road had operated its own section of energized territory for some time.  

In 1913 the railroad embarked upon an electrification program to overcome the stiff grades on Elkhorn Mountain, west of Bluefield, West Virginia.  Moving heavy freight over this stretch required the use of many 2-6-6-2 (Z-1) compound Mallets.  

As Mr. Grubb's article notes the N&W worked with Westinghouse to implement the electrification, eventually opening 36.18 miles from Bluefield to Farm (near Vivian) in 1914.  The system carried 11,000 volts at 25hz with substations located at Bluefield, Vivian, Maybeury, and North Fork.  

Big boxcabs, classed as LC-1 (twelve units) and LC-2 (four additional units picked up in 1925) were tasked with moving the trains.

The primary power plant was situated at Bluestone, West Virginia.  As coal demand spiked during World War I the system was extended 16.23 miles to Iaeger.  Altogether, the main line here was energized across 52.41 miles. 

There were also an additional 17 miles of coal branches electrified.  After World War II the N&W carried out a nearly $12 million capital improvement program to eliminate the grades by constructing a 5-mile, double-tracked bypass.  It opened on June 26, 1950 and the electrics were retired shortly thereafter.

System Map (1955)

An official, 1955 system map of the Norfolk & Western Railway. Author's collection.

The company's exemplary management wisely invested surplus income into the railroad's physical plant.   Mr. Grubb notes that by the late 1940's, 72% of its network had been laid with heavy, 130-pound rail or greater.  

In addition, key corridors were double-tracked, terminals were modernized, classification yards expanded, new steam designs developed, and by 1958 it boasted 46.7% of its network protected by Centralized Traffic Control (CTC).

The rest was guarded with automatic block signals according to Frank Shaffer's article, "Stuart Saunders And His Moneymaking Machine" from the February, 1963 issue of Trans Magazine.  

"Precision Transportation" was not just a slogan, the company lived by this creed on a daily basis.  During 1959 the N&W began the first of several takeovers by acquiring the nearby Virginian Railway.  

This pesky little road was equally wealthy and electrified west of Roanoke.  It competed for the same coal that also shipped eastward to Norfolk.  In the 1960s its portfolio grew three-fold when it picked up the small Atlantic & Danville (1962), much larger Nickel Plate Road (1964) and Wabash (1964).  Finally, former interurban Illinois Terminal was added in 1981. 

O. Winston Link

Ogle Winston Link, more commonly known as O. Winston Link, was a famous professional photographer who eloquently captured the last days of steam on the Norfolk & Western.  He began his career shortly after graduation from Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York.  

Always carrying a great interest in railroads he captured his first night scene of N&W operations near Waynesboro, Virginia on January 21, 1955.  Over the next few years, Link took hundreds of photos featuring N&W's last days of steam.  

While an adept day photographer he became particularly famous for his dramatic night shots, which sometimes required hours of preparation and a single chance to get it right.  

The trains, particularly the locomotives, were usually the focal point but not always.  One of his most famous pieces was entitled "Hotshot Eastbound" as an A Class 2-6-6-4 speeds behind a drive-in theater in Iaeger, West Virginia as folks enjoy the picture.  

This was typical of Link's work which often invoked the human element alongside these great machines of commerce.  

Over the years there have been many books showcasing his photography.  Link passed away on January 30, 2001.  Today, you can also see his work at the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke, Virginia.

Steam Fleet

Within the industry and among historians the N&W is widely recognized for its use of steam power.  The company was arguably better at designing and building the locomotives than even noted manufacturers like Baldwin and the American Locomotive Company (Alco).

The fabled Roanoke Shops rolled out hundreds over the years with such classic designs as the 4-8-4 "J," 2-6-6-4 "A," and 2-8-8-2 "Y."  

The railroad was relentless in its pursuit of power and efficiency, doing whatever it could to squeeze out further improvements. In the postwar years the Shops were still rolling out new units even as many counterparts retired theirs in favor of diesels.  

As the company perfected the technology new maintenance facilities were constructed to quickly overhaul locomotives (notorious for their maintenance-intensive nature).  

One of the most interesting was the "Lubritorium."  Unique to the N&W these small structures swiftly serviced steamers for their next assignment.  The railroad became so adept at the practice motive power could be turned and ready to go within an hour!

Steam remained in regular service until the mid-1950s, which signaled its technological peak.  No other system operated such advanced designs as the Roanoke Road.  Its locomotives carried such features as roller-bearings on all axles, high capacity boilers, superheaters, and automatic lubricators.  

The big 2-8-8-2 compounds (Y's) handled the heavy drag assignments, muscling over the mountainous territory on the Pocahontas Division while 2-6-6-4's (A's) could speed time freights up to 70 mph on gentler grades.  These latter units could also work duel assignments in passenger service.  

Finally, the powerful 4-8-4's (J) and their smaller counterparts, 4-8-2's (K), generally handled the passenger trains although these locomotives could handle freight work as well.  

The N&W reluctantly began purchasing diesels in 1955 when the first GP9's arrived on the property (ironically, that same year the company unveiled its last new steamers when it outshopped a batch of 0-8-0 switchers).  

Despite president Robert H. Smith's love for the steamer and belief in the motive power it simply could not compete against the diesel's operational efficiency.  In addition, rising labor costs factored in as did the difficulty in locating components and spare parts.  

Final Years

Stuart Saunders, who replaced Smith in 1958, saw no use for the steam locomotive as Rush Loving, Jr. notes in his book, "The Men Who Loved Trains."  

Among his other initiatives he quickly purchased diesels and had completed the switch within a few years.  The N&W's late era steam fleet was memorialized and captured on film prior to its retirement by renowned photographer O. Winston Link.  

There have been many excellent and famous photographers throughout the years although Mr. Link is perhaps the most celebrated due to his subject matter and exquisite work.  

In addition to the mergers mentioned above, the N&W added the Delaware & Hudson and Erie Lackawanna on July 1, 1968 as part of an agreement which included them under the company name Dereco, Inc.  

Passenger Trains

After a quick look at the N&W’s balance sheets it is clear the railroad never derived a large percentage of its revenue from passenger service which made up less than 3% of its total in the postwar period according to David P. Morgan's article, "Fine New Feathers" from the February, 1950 issue of Trains Magazine.  

However, the road operated a fine assortment of long-distance trains spearheaded by the Powhatan Arrow and Pocahontas.  

These trains, adorned in a beautiful maroon and gold livery, were pulled by the famously streamlined 4-8-4, J Class locomotives.  The N&W also participated in through movements with the Southern Railway.

Birmingham Special: Operated between New York and Birmingham, Alabama in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Railroad and Southern Railway with the N&W carrying it between Lynchburg and Bristol.

Cannon Ball: Operated between Norfolk and New York in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac with the N&W carrying it between Norfolk and Petersburg.

Cavalier: (Norfolk - Cincinnati)

Pelican: Operated between New York and New Orleans in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Railroad and Southern Railway with the N&W carrying it between Lynchburg and Bristol.

Pocahontas:  (Norfolk - Cincinnati/Columbus)

Powhatan Arrow:  (Norfolk - Cincinnati)

Tennessean:  Operated between New York and Memphis in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Railroad and Southern Railway with the N&W carrying it between Lynchburg and Bristol.

The paper company was entirely a protective nature carried out by Roanoke to protect itself from the EL's fragile financial state.  In a related corporate move the N&W had recently gained its independence when the Pennsylvania Railroad was forced to divest its holdings due to the impending merger with New York Central.  

Try as it might the EL, headed by N&W management, could not overcome its problems ranging from debt to a crumbling situation in the Northeast as Penn Central fell apart.  

Diesel Roster

American Locomotive Company

Electro-Motive Division

General Electric

Steam Roster

Few other railroads developed steam technology to the extent of the Norfolk & Western Railway. At the turn of the 20th century the system primarily relied on 2-8-0s for general freight service.

Although Consolidations remained a staple of the N&W's fleet, in the modern steam era the railroad primarily relied on large 2-8-8-2s and 2-6-6-4s for freight operations while 4-6-2s and 4-8-4s generally handled passenger assignments.

In many cases, the Roanoke Shops directly produced new steam locomotives, especially after 1930 with modern technologies such as Timken roller bearings, automatic lubricators, and automatic stokers.

During the 1940s the N&W developed what it called the "Lubritorium," a modern, brightly lit engine facility which could fully service a steam locomotive in just 90 minutes or less. These facilities were located at Shaffers Crossing (Roanoke), Bluefield, Williamson, Portsmouth, and Pulaski.

The N&W was a pioneering force in locomotive technology, especially steam. It engineered some of the most advanced steam locomotives, including the renowned J-class and Y-class, which exemplified power and efficiency.

These iron horses became the backbone of its freight operations, hauling staggering volumes of coal with a distinctive efficiency that the N&W was celebrated for.

World War II bolstered the N&W's significance, as coal demand surged, cementing its status as a logistical powerhouse. Despite the national trend towards dieselization in the post-war years, the N&W held out, committing to steam well into the 1950s, epitomized by their slogan "Precision Transportation." Modernization eventually necessitated change, and by 1960, the N&W completed its shift to diesel.

The pride of Roanoke; Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 #600 (J), 2-6-6-4 #1203 (A), and compound 2-8-8-2 #2133 (Y-6) pose together at Shaffer's Crossing, Virginia (Roanoke) in 1945.

Switchers

Passenger Locomotives

Class J (4-8-4)

One of the most powerful locomotive classes ever built was the Norfolk & Western's fleet of home-built 4-8-4's.  These machines not only carried an elegant, beautiful streamlining but were also very fast, capable of speeds approaching 100 mph! 

The N&W were master steam builders, arguably better than the commercial manufacturers, and outshopped more than a dozen 4-8-4's over a decade's period.  The J's handled all of the railroad's top trains, notably the Powhatan Arrow and Pocahontas, but also occasionally found themselves in freight assignments.  

More than any other railroad the N&W was fiercely dedicated to steam technology and had the secondary steam market not collapsed probably would have continued running the motive power into at least the 1960s.  Today, #611 survives and is operational.

The Norfolk & Western did not boast an expansive passenger fleet, even during the streamliner age.  Interestingly, the railroad worked in conjunction nearly as much with other systems in moving their trains as it did its own.  

The N&W's three top services included the Cavalier, Pocahontas, and Powhatan Arrow (inaugurated after World War II) all of which served Norfolk and Cincinnati/Columbus, the primary end-to-end cities it served.  

A Norfolk & Western publicity photo featuring one of the railroad's beautiful 4-8-4's, #603 (J), on display where she was built, at the Roanoke Shops circa 1940s.

The railroad was also not particularly enamored with the streamliner concept, waiting until after the war to launch its first (the Arrow).  Despite this, the company went on to build arguably the best 4-8-4 design ever put into service, the J Class.

As Thomas Dixon, Jr. notes in his book, "Norfolk & Western Steam:  The Last 30 Years," the N&W did not give names to its steam classes (such as Northern, Pacific, Mountain, etc.).  Instead, it simply referred to them by their class letter; J, Z, A, Y, etc.  

The 4-8-4's were given Class J and built by the master steam builders at N&W's Roanoke, Virginia shops.  These machines could haul the mail, quite literally, and were the most powerful 4-8-4's ever built with tractive efforts reaching 80,000 pounds, boiler pressures of 300 psi, and perfectly couter-balanced to reach unimaginable speeds of 140 mph!  

It is not believed the J's ever reached such speeds, even during testing, but if so would have achieved world records as the fastest steam locomotives ever built. 

The current world record holder (125.88 mph) is the British-built Class A-4 "Mallard," a 4-6-2 Pacific-type (#4468) operated on the London & North Eastern Railway while the Milwaukee Road's Class A Atlantics and Class F-7 Hudsons were the fastest in the States, commonly eclipsing 100 mph ahead of the "Hiawathas" of the 1930s.

The J's predated the Arrow as the first example of streamlining employed by the N&W.  Until they were built the railroad had relied on 4-8-2 Mountains (K Class) to power their premier passenger services while a combination of smaller designs (4-6-2's, 4-4-2's, and 4-6-0's) handled other assignments.  

With surging demand and an aging fleet of locomotives the N&W needed something more powerful.  Typical of company practice the N&W went its own way, designing a custom 4-8-4 "Northern" type after studying those in service on nearby Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac and Chesapeake & Ohio. 

With the rise of streamliners just prior to World War II the company elected to shroud its new 4-8-4's.  In the process it took delivery of some streamlined coaches, intended to be used throughout the N&W system in conjunction with modernized heavyweight diners and lounges.

The first five J's were numbered 600-604, carried 70-inch drivers, and offered 73,500 pounds of tractive effort (boiler pressure reached 275 psi).  

As a late-era design they sported some of the best technology of the times such as a feedwater heater (Worthington Type G5-A) for higher water temperatures and an automatic stoker (Standard Type HT). 

In addition the J's were equipped with more Timken roller bearings (greatly reducing wear on moving parts) than any other locomotive; they were added to all axles, main and side rods, valve gear, and wrist pins.  

Finally, there was the streamlining.  Some railroads worked with manufacturers or hired industrial designers to provide the locomotive with an eye-catching look and invoke the appearance of speed, even while stationary.  

However, again going its own way, the N&W kept this work in-house turning to its own Frank C. Noel of the railroad's passenger car department.  He came up with a design that was somewhat similar to the Milwaukee Road's streamlined Atlantics and Hudsons in that the shrouding generally followed the natural lines of the locomotive.  

Overall, the J's carried a bullet-like appearance with skirting along the running-board which was painted Tuscan Red adorned in gold-leaf pinstriping and lettering.  The rest of the locomotive was standard black.  It was a rather simple, yet very elegant, look. 

The company wasted no time in featuring its new 4-8-4's in promotional material and advertisements (especially after the war), drawing wide acclaim and celebrity for the J's, which carries through to this day.  While the J's have been revered for their good looks their mechanical might has made them just as legendary.

Aside from their power the N&W went far beyond the major manufacturers, and various railroads' own custom-built designs, to produce a state-of-the-art locomotive.  

Mr. Dixon notes the J's were equipped with  Nathan engine oil lubricators, which automatically lubricated 208 points on the locomotive as well as a valve lubricator to automatically grease valves, pistons, and other important components.  There were also pressure grease fittings offering yet another means of lubrication for vital parts.  

Such details not only decreased wear but also increased their service periods, allowing the J's to go 15,000 miles, or about 18 months, between major overhauls. The initial J's entered service between October of 1941 and January of 1942, assigned to the Cavalier and Pocahontas.  

They were joined by six others in 1943, listed as Class J-1 and numbered 605-610.  The N&W was not allowed to build these variants to the same high standards (including streamlining and lighter components) because of wartime restrictions.  

As a result, they were largely used for freight service, a task at which they were also quite capable thanks to their smaller drivers and high tractive effort.  In 1946 the N&W launched the first postwar streamliner when it debuted the all-coach Powhatan Arrow between Norfolk and Cincinnati.  

The J's were normal power this train.  At this time the railroad also overhauled #605-610 with streamlining and upgrades to match #600-604. With demand still high in the postwar years the N&W elected to build three more 4-8-4's, #611-613, which proved the most powerful of the fourteen offering 80,000 pounds of tractive effort and boiler pressures of 300 psi.  

At around the same time the railroad upgraded the other eleven to similar specifications.  For the next eight years the J's continued handling N&W's top trains, and also powered a number of Southern's trains between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee (including the Tennessean, Pelican, and Birmingham Special).  Alas, their fall from grace was swift.  

When the N&W gave up on steam in 1958 they were quickly pulled from the roster while a few carried on in local freight service.  All but one of the fourteen J's were retired and scrapped between October of 1958 and August of 1959.

Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 #611 (J) drifts downgrade from Montgomery, Virginia with the "Pelican" on the late afternoon of May 8, 2016. Jon Wright photo.

Thankfully, #611 was saved and donated to the city of Roanoke where it was put on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.  It found new life in 1981 after restoration saw the unit pulling excursions on Norfolk Southern's steam program for more than a decade.  

It was then retired again in 1994, making its last run on December 7th, following the end of the steam program.  In 2011 NS brought back its program and whispering soon began regarding the possible restoration of #611.  

That dream came closer on February 22, 2013 when the Virginia Museum of Transportation announced it had created the Fire Up 611 Committee to launch a feasibility study looking at potentially operating the locomotive once more.  

The ultimate decision was a resounding "yes!" and #611 was rebuilt and returned to service in 2015.  Soon after this occurred Norfolk Southern ended their steam program for a second time.  However, the big 4-8-4 continues to host excursions at various venues each year.

Norfolk & Western 4-8-2 #111 (K1), one of the road's early Mountains built by the Roanoke Shops in 1917, is seen here in service at Petersburg, Virginia, circa 1950. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Freight Locomotives

Class K (4-8-2)

Norfolk & Western's 4-8-2's were some of the last locomotives it put into service which were either not built to "Super Power" specifications or non-articulated.  The Mountains performed duel roles on the railroad, utilized in both freight and passenger assignments. 

The first examples hit the road around World War I while the last entered service during the mid-1920s.  Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, following the new 4-8-4 J's the N&W began streamlining some of its 4-8-2's with very similar shrouding making it near impossible to tell the two apart unless one counted the axles.  

Many Mountains remained on the roster until the railroad reluctantly gave up on steam in the late 1950's.  Despite the late date of the fleet's retirement not many of N&W's famous designs met the scrapper's torch.  A few like, including a few of its 2-8-8-2's, 4-8-4 #611, and others were spared.  However, no 4-8-2's remain preserved.

Norfolk & Western 4-8-2 #126 (K-2a) is seen here at Norfolk, Virginia on June 13, 1957. Manufactured by Baldwin in 1923, the K-2's were rebuilt by the railroad during 1945-1946. A handful, like #126, were streamlined; the shrouding closely mimicked the much more famous J's (4-8-4).

By the turn of the 20th century trains were becoming longer and heavier due to demand as well as the widespread use of steel in car construction (both as a measure of safety and increased freight tonnage).  As a result, larger and more powerful locomotives were needed.  

In 1911, N&W neighbor Chesapeake & Ohio began testing the 4-8-2 wheel arrangement, dubbed "Mountains," for passenger service.  The design was based upon recommendations from the American Locomotive Company (Alco).  

The first two examples had issues although there was no denying their power, easily outperforming C&O's stable of 4-6-2's in moving heavy trains over the stiff grades of the Allegheny and Mountain Subdivisions.  The C&O never followed up for more based from this design but did roster updated versions some years later.

The Norfolk & Western took notice of C&O's new wheel arrangement and built its own between 1916 an 1917.  Intended for similar assignments moving passenger trains they were given Class K-1 and numbered 100-115.  

The N&W experienced similar satisfactory results with these initial 4-8-2's; the K-1's provided nearly twice as much tractive effort (about 57,200 pounds) as its E Class 4-6-2's and larger tenders capable of holding 6,000 more gallons of water and 10 extra tons of coal meant they could operate further between stops.  

The N&W probably realized the drawbacks of C&O's first Mountains where small drivers and long rods made the locomotives very hard on the track.  The K-1's sported 70-inch drivers and carried no such issues.  While they were designated for passenger service they occasionally found work in freight assignments as well, a common trait of Mountains in general and on the N&W in particular.

A Norfolk & Western publicity photo featuring 4-8-2 #129 (K-2a) with train #4, the eastbound "Pocahontas," near Shawsville, Virginia in 1942. Its consist here included an RPO, baggage, combine, two air-conditioned coaches, diner, and sleepers.

Only a few years after these entered service more were purchased in 1919 via the United States Railroad Administration (USRA), which had taken over the nation's railroads during World War I.  

These 4-8-2's were built to USRA's heavy Mountain standards; the batch of ten was numbered 116-125 and listed as Class K-2, manufactured by Alco's Brooks Works.  

They were somewhat larger than their predecessors weighing around 359,500 pounds, offering tractive efforts of nearly 63,000 pounds, and carried a larger tender (22,000 gallons; 30 tons).  

Additionally, a subclass of K-2a's arrived from the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923.  Numbered 126-137 they were very similar to the original K-2's and also based from the USRA design.  The N&W's final batch of Mountains were, again, manufactured at its legendary shops in Roanoke.  

Outshopped during 1926 these ten locomotives were listed as Class K-3 and the only ones assigned specifically to freight service; they carried much smaller drivers (63 inches) and a smaller tender but boasted the highest tractive effort of any N&W 4-8-2 at nearly 70,000 pounds. 

While designed for high speed service on lower grades the smaller drivers resulted in the same track-pounding issues (a condition known as "dynamic augment" whereby the heavy rods would slightly pull each driving axle completely off the rail and then slam it back down during each rotation) C&O suffered with its original Mountains forcing and the N&W operated them at speeds under 35 mph.  

They remained on the roster for less than 20 years when six where sold to the Richmond, Fredricksburg & Potomac in 1944 and the other four went off to the Rio Grande a year later in 1945.  

By then the K-3's had been downgraded to other assignments after the powerful and fast Class A 2-6-6-4's began arriving in the late 1930s although they were pressed back into the spotlight during World War II until being sold to the aforementioned railroads.  

During 1945-1946 the remaining K-2's and K-2a's were significantly overhauled by the N&W.  They had always been the workhorses on the railroad until the newer power appeared in the 1930s (Class Y's, Class A's, and the Class J's of the 1940s) working heavy freights all over the system, including the Shenandoah Valley route to reaching Hagerstown, Maryland.  

During the rebuild N&W fitted them with roller bearings everywhere except the drivers along with upgraded stokers, fireboxes, and cylinders.

Norfolk & Western 4-8-2 #122, shrouded in streamlining similar to the 4-8-4 J's, arrives at Richmond's Broad Street Station during the 1950's. Photographer unknown. Author's collection.

However, most notable was the elegant streamlining, which almost exactly matched the famous J Class 4-8-4's.   These locomotives had been shrouding by the N&W's own Frank C. Noel who worked in the passenger car department.  

He came up with a design that was somewhat similar to the Milwaukee Road's streamlined Atlantics and Hudsons in that the shrouding generally followed the natural lines of the locomotive.  The J's carried a bullet-like appearance with skirting along the running-board which was painted Tuscan Red adorned in gold-leaf pinstriping and lettering.  

The rest of the locomotive was standard black.  Except for the shorter wheelbase and single trailing axle the rebuilt K-2's and K-2a's were very hard to differentiate from the J's.   The K-1's never received this treatment but remained on the roster until 1957-1959 when all were retired, a fate which befell the K-2's/K-2a's at the same time.

Articulated Designs

Class A (2-6-6-4)

The 2-6-6-4 wheel arrangement found a home only on a few lines outside of the Norfolk & Western including the Pittsburgh & West Virginia and the Seaboard Air Line (later sold to the Baltimore & Ohio).  

But it was the N&W which made them famous, manufacturing more than 40 of its own design during the mid-1930s.  

They were fabulous machines which carried practically every known late-era advancement of the day and were as much at home handling fast passenger trains as they were in heavy freight service.   

The A's were the only articulated locomotive N&W built exclusively as simple-expansion designs and remained in service until the last days of steam during the late 1950s.  

During the 1980's the last surviving example, #1218, was returned to operation as part of Norfolk Southern's original steam program.  It witnessed a great deal of fanfare during its time leading excursions. 

Sadly, the locomotive was hastily reassembled after NS canceled steam operations without warning in 1994.  Today, #1218 remains partially reassembled (internally) and on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.

Norfolk & Western 2-6-6-4 #1239 (Class A) works a westbound freight over the stiff, 1.3% Blue Ridge Grade east of Roanoke, Virginia, circa 1957. American-Rails.com collection.

The 2-6-6-4 was first put into service by the P&WV in 1934 when Baldwin built three for the small road that served the Steel City.  It ultimately wound up with seven examples (some of which were originally destined for the Erie), equipped with low drivers to handle heavy coal and coke trains.  

Just  a year later the Seaboard acquired five examples (also from Baldwin) with an additional five in 1937, largely intended for high-speed freight service.  They performed well on the SAL but were sold to the Baltimore & Ohio in 1947 to fulfill a power shortage.  

There, they again found work on relatively light grades where the big articulateds could stretch their legs.   In general, most railroads shied away from the 2-6-6-4 wheel arrangement believing the lead truck, with its single axle, did not provide enough stability on such a large frame.

Purpose

Thomas Dixon, Jr. notes in his book, "Norfolk & Western Steam:  The Last 30 Years," it's not entirely clear why the N&W elected to go with 2-6-6-4 arrangement.  

However, their purpose was quite clear; during the late steam era the N&W was looking for wheel arrangements to fulfill a specific role; its 2-6-6-2's and 2-8-8-2's performed exemplary in heavy drag service while the J's, first outshopped in 1940, could handle heavy passenger trains at high speed.  

The 2-6-6-4 would be used in high-speed freight service and the railroad built its first 2-6-6-4's in 1936.  By that time the road was well-known for its ability to produce fine steam locomotives.  Prior to the Class A's introduction the railroad had always utilized compound technology for its articulated designs although the N&W proved just as able to produce high-quality simple expansion locomotives.  

Data Sheet and Specifications

Until the Class A's introduction the railroad had utilized 4-8-2 Mountains for duel-service assignments although as traffic surged they were simply not powerful enough to move the larger and heavier trains.  The first two Class A's (#1200-1201) left Roanoke in May and June of 1936.  

During testing N&W officials were very impressed with their performance as the A's were capable of handling 4,800 tons at 25 mph on a 0.5% grade and 7,500 tons at 64 mph on level track while exerting between 6,000-6,300 horsepower.  

Their tractive effort rating was also quite high at 104,500 pounds while 70-inch drivers enabled them to reach speeds of 70 mph.  The 2-6-6-4's were designed with the Lima's "Super Power" concept in mind, which utilized a very large firebox to produce near infinite and sustainable volumes of steam to the cylinders while in service.

During the rest of 1936 N&W tested the new locomotives and was satisfied to the point it added eight more in 1937.  To meet the World War II flood of traffic N&W hurriedly continued expanding the fleet by outshopping 15 in 1943 and 10 others in 1944. 

Interestingly, while these 25 examples were somewhat more powerful than the original 10 (weighing 573,000 pounds instead of 570,000 pounds with tractive efforts of 114,000 pounds) and sported larger fuel tenders (holding 30 tons of coal as opposed to 26 tons although they held 2,000 less gallons of water) the railroad would never subclass its 2-6-6-4's; all were simply referred to as Class A. 

One notable feature all A's had in common was N&W's prolific use of Timken roller bearings.  Virtually all of their late-era locomotives featured these cost-saving devices on all axles and the A's were no different, greatly reducing wear and maintenance.

Mr. Dixon notes during the war 2-6-6-4's were commonly assigned to freights west of Williamson, West Virginia where it worked manifests and other movements to Columbus and Cincinnati, then N&W's furthest western connections.

However, while often thought of as freight haulers their power and speed made them just as adept in passenger service where they were used as needed (during the war A's often moved heavy troop trains).  They were so versatile a reasonable argument could be made the A's could have been assigned specifically to passenger service.  

Between 1948 and 1950 the N&W added eight more 2-6-6-4's to its fleet, citing demand for their need.  In all, the company wound up with 43 Class A's, numbered 1200-1242.  They hold the distinction of being some of the last main line steam locomotives ever put into service.

Class Z (2-6-6-2)

The Norfolk & Western's introduction to high horsepower steam designs began with its fleet of 2-6-6-2's, listed under the heading of Class Z.  

The locomotive was in need of larger, more powerful locomotives to handle the heavy tonnage passing over the stiff Appalachian grades found in southern West Virginia.  

After experimenting with a number of wheel arrangements the N&W chose the new Mallet type sporting a 2-6-6-2 layout.  

The railroad was ultimately quite happy with its compounds and wound up rostering well over 100 examples built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) and Baldwin Locomotive Works.  

Some remained in service until the N&W discontinued steam operations in the late 1950s. The origins of N&W's 2-6-6-2's began in 1904 when the Baltimore & Ohio tested the first articulated steam locomotive in the United States, 0-6-6-0 #2400, otherwise known as "Old Maude."  

The compound Mallet's purpose was fairly straight-forward; the B&O was looking for a more powerful locomotive under one platform offering awesome tractive effort thus enabling the movement of heavy coal drags over the railroad's stiff grades along its "West End" main line. 

The B&O's variant offered twice the tractive effort of anything it had then had in service. 

Some railroads, though, came to love compounds because of their ability to pull extremely heavy trains over stiff grades and the Norfolk & Western was one such system (not mentioned were the many lumber companies that adapted smaller Mallet variants, usually tank designs such as the 2-6-6-2T, for logging operations).  

Through the early 20th century the N&W had relied on 2-8-0 Consolidations, 4-6-0 Ten-Wheelers, the interesting 4-8-0 Twelve-Wheeler, and similar small designs for freight service.  Once the B&O had proven the Mallet's abilities other railroads took notice and began operating their own variants.  

According to Thomas Dixon, Jr.'s book, "Norfolk  & Western Steam:  The Last 30 Years," the N&W began testing five examples each of articulated compounds in 1910; the Class X-1 0-8-8-0 and Class Y-1 2-8-8-2.

These locomotives were built by Baldwin and both had their inherent drawbacks; the N&W quickly discovered that a lack of lead and trailing trucks made the X-1's unsuitable in road service and the Y-1's had a number of mechanical issues (the Y-1's problems were resolved and the N&W went on to operate an impressive fleet of 2-8-8-2's). 

Not satisfied, it turned to the Chesapeake & Ohio and tested its Class H-1 2-6-6-2, #773.  Extremely impressed with the locomotive's ability the N&W ordered virtual duplicates of the C&O's design purchasing its first in 1912 from Alco; listed as Class Z-1 they were numbered 1300-1314.  

Over the next six years nearly 200 more arrived from Alco and Baldwin (which built only 1380-1419) through 1918; all listed as Class Z-1a they were numbered 1315-1489.

Both the Z-1's and Z-1a's were comparable although the latter were somewhat powerful; with low, 56.5/57-inch drivers coupled with a larger boiler (exerting 225 psi ) and superheaters they could generate around 75,00 pounds of tractive effort. 

By the 1930s the N&W had upgraded a number of its Z-1a's, which it reclassified as Z-1b's (some of these improvements included larger tenders, Worthington BL feedwater heaters, and an updated pilot/headlight assembly).  The original Z-1's were never overhauled and ultimately scrapped in 1934.  

By that time it was operating a wide array of powerful other designs such as the upgraded 2-8-8-2 Class Y's and the successful 2-6-6-4 Class A's entered the roster in 1936.  

While the newer power bumped the 2-6-6-2's into secondary roles they still found assignments ahead of coal drags, usually working east of Roanoke, while occasionally doing more diminutive yard duties.

Even during the rebuilds  the industry was already moving to simple expansion as they were simply easier to maintain with sufficient tractive effort.  At around the same time the "Super Power" design debuted in 1925 by the Lima Locomotive Works. 

In conjunction with the Boston & Albany/New York Central their 2-8-4 "Berkshire," equipped with a large boiler and firebox, became the most powerful non-articulated steam locomotive then in service (the N&W would later go on to build the most powerful 4-8-4's ever built, the famed J's).  

For this reason the railroad experimented with the idea by rebuilding one its 2-6-6-2's into simple expansion in 1928, #1399.  

Given Class Z-2 the locomotive did not prove particularly successful since the boiler was not powerful enough to provide sufficient steam to the cylinders and was scrapped in 1934.

As Mr. Dixon notes, however, the experience did provide the N&W with valuable information, which it used in producing the very successful Class A's a few years later.  

While railroad continued adding new steam power to its roster, or upgrading its current fleet, into the early 1950s more than fifty examples of the 2-6-6-2's still found assignments until the final days of steam later that decade.  

All were subsequently retired in 1958 after enough new diesels had arrived to boot them from the roster.  

Unfortunately, no examples of the 2-6-6-2's were ever preserved although one example of the Class A's did survive, #1218, currently housed at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

One of the Norfolk & Western's big 0-8-0 switchers, #218, is seen here at work in Roanoke, Virginia, circa 1950. Fred Byerly photo. American-Rails.com collection.

Norfolk Southern

After Hurricane Agnes dealt heavy flooding to the region and forced EL into bankruptcy N&W sold off its interests in the railroad.  For the Norfolk & Western its end began in 1980 when merger proceedings began with the nearby Southern Railway.  

They had been taken aback by the new CSX Corporation (of which the railroad arm became CSX Transportation) formed that year between Chessie System, Seaboard Coast Line, and several smaller carriers.  Now dwarfed by the new conglomerate the two carriers realized their best chance for survival was through merger.  

The union was approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1982.  The newly created Norfolk Southern Corporation today carries on the fine traditions set forth by its predecessors.  The company is still renowned for its sound management and business practices.  

It continually ranks at the top of the industry in annual revenue and a low operating ratio.  During the 1990s another fight broke out between NS and CSX, this time for control of Conrail.  In the end the two agreed to split Big Blue with NS gaining a 58% stake in the company.

Public Timetables (August, 1952)