Steam Survivors

2-6-6-4 Locomotives

Most if not all locomotive designs with four-wheel trailing trucks were the result of the desire for more power and the need for a bigger firebox. The 2-6-6-4 design was no different. In 1934 Baldwin constructed three of this wheel arrangement for the P&WV (Pittsburgh & West Virginia) who desired to increase the speed of their freight trains. This wheel arrangement was made most famous by the Norfolk & Western who perfected this design. The N&W had the most powerful 2-6-6-4s and used roller bearings on the axles. The last five were also equipped with roller bearings on the side and main rods!

#1218 operated in the Norfolk Southern's steam excursion program from April 1987 to November 1991. Rebuild began in 1992. Norfolk Southern steam program cancelled in December 1994. Now missing several parts and will likely never run again.

SteamLocomotive.com

imple lines, a bullet nose, and a Tuscan red stripe made the Js stand out as one of the most beautiful streamlined steam locomotives ever designed. The Js were the pride of the N&W's crack fleet of home-built steam locomotives. They powered the famous named trains like the Powhatan Arrow, Cavalier, and Pocahontas. The Js along with the Class 'A' and 'Y' freight engines embodied the ingenuity of N&W engineers and represented the pinnacle of steam technology. At a time when other railroads were scrapping their steam locomotives, the N&W was building more. No. 611 rolled out of the Roanoke East End Shops on May 29, 1950 at a cost of $251,344. She shared duties with the other Js pulling the company's premiere passenger trains for the people along the N&W's right-of-way.

Fire Up 611 committee / image RWH

Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia in June of 1906 and run on the Norfolk & Western Railroad as a mixed use engine until 1962, No. 475 is Strasburg Rail Road’s oldest and second largest steam locomotive. No. 475’s unusual 4-8-0 wheel configuration makes her known as an “Mastodon” or “M-Class” locomotive. She is the only 4-8-0 class locomotive currently operating in North America! She is also one of the last surviving examples of a Norfolk & Western Railroad locomotive. No. 475 arrived in Strasburg in 1991 after the railroad purchased the locomotive for a mere $100,000. After an approximate $640,000 extensive overhaul and restoration, she pulled her first passenger train on Strasburg’s line in the fall of 1993. No. 475 was made famous for her role in the movie, Thomas and the Magic Railroad. No. 475’s size and ability to pull nearly any size train makes her a “go-to” locomotive for nearly any need Strasburg may have—passenger, freight, or otherwise.

Strasburg Rail Road

image Strasburg, Pa / Oct 2008 / Adam Christman

Massive freight hauler used until 1960 to haul heavy coal trains through the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia. This compound "articulated" locomotive was among the hardest working steam locomotives ever built. The articulated design allowed the locomotive to operate on tracks with tighter curves by allowing the two sets of drive wheels to split and turn independently. Weighs 961,500 pounds; the engine and tender are 113'1/4" long and have have 58" drivers. Only compound locomotive in Museum's collection. After being loaned out for five years to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the #2156 was returned to The National Museum of Transportation on June 15, 2020.

National Museum of Transportation