N&W Articulate Steam Excursion Stars

Hello Hello! Welcome back to another Upload from The Huber Show! I am your HOOOST Mark Huber and today we are going to discuss the Norfolk And Western. No no, not the railroad, the articulated steam locomotives that have pulled excursions! Yes, 1218 is involved in this catogory! before we begin, I would like to thank my Loyalists, My Iowa and Ramble Critics, and of course my NT&V Engineers, you are the reason why this content REMANNNNNS! Famous from the past. Now lets take a look at these great locomotives. This is the story of the Norfolk and Western Articulated Steam Excursion Stars.

Norfolk and Western 1218 is a preserved four-cylinder simple articulated 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive, built in June 1943 by the Norfolk and Western’s (N&W) Roanoke (East End) Shops in Roanoke, Virginia as part of the N&W’s class "A" fleet of fast freight locomotives. It was retired from regular revenue service in July 1959, and was later restored by Norfolk Southern for excursion service for their steam program, pulling excursions throughout the eastern United States from 1987 to 1991. It is currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia.

In 1982, the N&W and Southern (SOU) railways were both merged to form the new Norfolk Southern Railway (NS).[9] Additionally, No. 1218’s feedwater pump was removed to replace the damaged one on ex-N&W J Class No. 611, which was restored to operating condition for excursion service on the NS steam program, which started in 1966 by the SOU.[10] By the end of 1984, the NS steam program, needed a more stronger and powerful steam locomotive to pull the longer and heavier excursion trains along with assisting No. 611.[5] After some subsequent disputes took place, NS and the Steamtown foundation settled on a trade where the former acquired No. 1218, and the latter received two EMD diesel locomotives in return.[11]

On May 10, 1985, the No. 1218 locomotive was towed out of the museum and moved to the Norris Yard Steam Shop in Irondale, Alabama, where it would be restored to operating condition at a cost of roughly $500,000.[5][6] No. 1218 presently received a replacement pump from one of the B&O Railroad Museum’s steam locomotives.[5] On January 13, 1987, No. 1218 moved under its power for the first time in 28 years and was ready for main line excursion service for the NS steam program.[12] During the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) convention in August 1987, No. 1218 pulled an empty 50-hopper car train, where it ran side by side with No. 611, who pulled an excursion passenger train from Roanoke to Radford, Virginia in which the former was double-headed with the latter for the return trip later on.[12][13]

In July 1989, it performed a rare doubleheader excursion with Nickel Plate Road 587 from Salisbury to Asheville, North Carolina for the Asheville Chapter of the NRHS convention.[14][15] In June 1990, No. 1218 traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, where it met up with locomotives Cotton Belt 4-8-4 No. 819, Frisco 4-8-2 No. 1522, and Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 to participate in another rare NRHS convention, which took place at the former Union Station.[16]

On November 3, 1991, during Norfolk Southern’s 25th Anniversary of their Steam Program, No. 1218 joined Southern Railway 4501 and N&W 611 to triple head a 28-car passenger excursion train from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Atlanta, Georgia.[17] At Ooltewah, Tennessee, No. 4501 took a few coaches for a complete round trip, turning around at Cleveland, Tennessee.[17] Afterwards, No. 611 and No. 1218 completed the rest of the trip to Atlanta.

1218 Resides to this day at the Vriginia Transportation Museum in Roanoke, VA next to 611.

N&W 1240 is a 2-6-6-4 Simple Articulate steam locomotive built in 1950. The locomotive ran regular service untill 1959 when it pulled the N&W Farewell to Steam excursion with Y6b 2174, The train ran from Roanoke, VA to Spencer, NC. sadly, 1240 was scrapped shortly after, leaving 1218 all alone.

The Norfolk and Western Y6b class were a class of 30 2-8-8-2 articulated steam locomotives built at the N&W’s Roanoke Shops between 1948 and 1952, numbered 2171-2200.
They were used generally for freight service on the N&W, even on timed freights (which is unusual work for a Mallet). They were eventually replaced by the EMD GP7s and GP9s thro and t the late 50’ throughout the late 50’s. In 1959, No. 2174 hauled a "Farewell to Steam" excursion. Having survived longer than many of its other counterparts and into the early 1960s in revenue service on the N&W, it ended up being sold to the United Scrap Iron & Metal Company (USI&MC).

The original owner of the USI&MC kept No. 2174 and similar mallet No. 2143 aside until a group could come forward with the money to purchase the pair. By the 1970s, attention was being given to the pair of old Mallets languishing in the scrapyard. As such, the Roanoke Chapter of the NRHS attempted to raise the funds to save the Mallets, but with the owner of the company asking for around $50,000 for just No. 2174, the efforts were slow.

Even worse luck for the NRHS came when the owner of the USI&MC passed away in the middle of the fundraising campaign, and in 1974 and 1975, the USI&MC was purchased by a British organization. Immediately after the purchase, the new owners wanted to clear out the lot of all scrap on the site, and that included the pair of Mallets.

After giving the Roanoke Chapter of the NRHS only 30 more days to raise the funds, the efforts soon fell through to save the engines. Only a few days later on February 16, 1976, both Norfolk and Western Nos. 2174 and 2143 were both cut up for scrap.

Although No. 2174 was gone, two other Y-Class 2-8-8-2s have survived into preservation, those being No. 2050, a Y3a class, and No. 2156, a Y6a class.

Thanks to CygnusOX for making this pack possible.

And with that, a special thank you to all my NT&V Engineers: The Pennsylvania Railfan, Orange Glass, Royal Hudson 2860, The Backster, Ohio Trucker 1, JoshJohnsonKnownForLifeGuy, Radio, Pyro Tank, CBug519, The Espee Fan, Catoctin Works, Jeranios63, Cerberus, Planes, Chef_Squid, and ArticTheFox.

Untill next time, This is Mark Huber and I fie you all a FOOOOOOOND Farewell.