Nostalgia & History > mundo: N&W steam in 1957, part 1

Ed Von Nordeck, TO user mundo, joined a Pacific Railroad Society trip as it visited the Norfolk & Western in Roanoke, VA and vicinity in mid-October 1957. He has loaned me the slides he took, I'll be posting scans of them over the coming days.

October 14, 1957

1. The first slides in the set are actually just over the border into West Virginia at Bluefield, where we get a head-on view of Class S1a 0-8-0 #201, the second member of the last class of new steam locomotives built by the Roanoke Shops. The 201 was built in 1951. The truss bridge in the background still exists, carrying Grant St. over the yard.

2. The engine to the right in photo 1 has now moved over to the water column. If I'm interpreting the info on the N&W Historical Society page correctly, tender 220167 belongs to Class J 4-8-4 #613, the last of its class, built at Roanoke in 1950.

3. Train 26, the eastbound Powhatan Arrow, pauses at Bluefield, WV. The coaling tower on the left still exists, but the depot on the right does not.

https://goo.gl/maps/v7vjyMCZ2Pu

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October 15,1957

4-5. Moving on to Roanoke, VA, the main focus of the trip, I'm going to need some help on these. I don't have books on the N&W, and I'm not turning up any online references to an N&W 0-8-0T shop goat numbered 10. I suspect it's a Class W6, formerly numbered in the 800-series, that was rebuilt from a Class W1 2-8-0 in the mid-1940's, but if anyone has the full story on it, I'd appreciate any and all corrections and additions. In any case, it's on the turntable for the locomotive roundhouse at N&W's shops at Roanoke in the late afternoon.

That's it for October 14-15, but there are a lot more images from October 16 that I will be posting in the coming days. Thanks as always to Ed for sharing his slide collection with us.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/17 04:39 by Evan_Werkema.

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All I can say is "WOW"

Great images of a different era.

Dave

Very interesting. To be sure, I will be watching for your future posts. Thanks.

Thank you for these. The N&W steam era has always been dear to my heart, especially with the history it holds with my late grandfather and his famous chase of 611 on its final run in 1959. I'll be sure to be watching in the future.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/17 05:48 by SD80MACfan.

"A+" images made even better by their historical significance. Ed is an extraordinary photographer to have taken these with ASA 10 Kodachrome!
Bob

Why the number 221067 on the back of the tender?

OUTSTANDING!

Wonderful photos. Like having a time machine. Looking forward to seeing the rest.

Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY

thanks for posting and looking forward for more

What a beautiful day it was too!

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

Evan_Werkema Wrote: > ... Thanks as always to Ed for sharing his slide collection ...

Indeed! Big time thanks to Ed for his generosity for these and the many other high quality color steam images he has shared with us all...

Lance/199

Thanks again Ed for some excellent incredible pictures.
Nice and sharp.
Evan continues with beautiful scans.
Gary

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> October 15,1957
>
> I don't have books on the N&W, and I'm not turning up any online references to an N&W 0-8-0T shop
> goat numbered 10. I suspect it's a Class W6, formerly numbered in the 800-series, that was
> rebuilt from a Class W1 2-8-0 in the mid-1940's, but if anyone has the full story on it, I'd
> appreciate any and all corrections and additions.

From Lewis Jeffries' "N&W: Giant of Steam"

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Love the "air conditioning" where Western was:)
Dirty engineer with clean cap:)
And yes, many thanks loaning us your time machine!!
Thank you Evan for the time to do it!

tomstp Wrote:
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> Why the number 221067 on the back of the tender?


That was it's assigned number. N&W numbered it's tenders because they were swapped from engine to engine during shoppings.

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

Santa Fe did also in some time period and class of tender.

johnacraft Wrote:

> From Lewis Jeffries' "N&W: Giant of Steam"

Thanks John!