Steam & Excursion > Request for N&W Audio

=12ptGreetings all,=12pt =12ptI am halfway through the Southern Saga of my Revival Steam Podcast. The next saga will involve the Norfolk and Western Railway. I already have a collection ready to use in this saga. However, there is one group of sound recordings that I am interested in using—the Audio Tapes of the Norfolk and Western done by Bud Swearer. I am not able to find them anywhere to buy them. If anyone has a collection of his sounds, I would like to borrow and digitize them to use in my podcast. I will give credit to those willing to share them with me.=12ptI am also open to other N&W audio from different sources. I look forward to your response.=12pt =12ptAlec B 

I have a very nice unreleased recording made by William Steventon of Railroad Record Club fame. It is of N&W  2-6-6-4 No. 1221 on a long coal train with  
Y-6 No. 2144  helper on rear. The recording was made during a thunderstorm and clocks in at just over 6 minutes.
I also have a Steventon recording of Norfolk & Western steam-turbine-electric No. 2300, but I don't think you could use it for the podcast since the locomotive was scrapped in 1958.
Steventon also recorded about a half hour of "on train" sounds while riding a steam powered N&W train. The recording is good but he did not identify the train or locomotive. The only info I have is a spoken comment "from Salem" and "N&W" written on the tape box. 
That's all N&W I have except for the released RR Record Club LP of N&W sounds (N&W is only on side one, ICRR on side two.)
You are welcome to any or all of it.
-Ken Gear

Those sounds might be good for the podcast, Ken. I thought about the sounds of 2300, but I have decided not to use it anyway. I am okay with the rest of them.

Thanks

Alec Butler

If I remember correctly, I read somewhere that the Bud Swearer audio collection is now in the hands of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society. 
You may want to check with them.
-Ken Gear

Also, If this helps, Aaron Heverin did an episode of his podcast LIVING WITH STEAM that featured some of John Prophet's N&W steam recordings.
From the website:
"we follow John Prophet on a trip he took in 1953 to several small towns outside of Roanoke, Virginia where he was very fortunate to record many Norfolk & Western steam engines. John caught multiple Y6 and J-class engines and much more."
You may want to consider contacting Aaron, his contact info is on the podcast's website.