Norfolk and Western Railway class J was a class of 4-8-4 streamlined steam locomotives built by the railway's own Roanoke Shops between 1941-1950 for the Norfolk and Western railroad.
The first batch, numbered 600 to 604, were built and delivered between October 1941 and January 1942. The 1942 unit had a booster on the trailing truck and the 1943 unit 605-610 were delivered without shrouding and lightweight side rods, due to the limitations on the use of certain materials during the war; they were classified J1. The last batch, 611-613, were all rolled out between May and July 1950, marking the last steam passenger locomotives built in the United States.
The class Js pulled the network's prominent passenger trains, such as The Powhatan Arrow, The Pocahontas, and The Cavalier between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as ferrying Southern Railway's Tennessean, Birmingham Special and The Pelican between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Virginia.
In the late 1950s, N&W began purchasing first generation diesel locomotives, experimenting with fuel and maintenance cost. They leased several sets of EMD E6s, E7s, E8s from the Atlantic Coast Line and Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroads.
In the end, with steam parts suppliers closing because of other railroads switching to diesels, diesels prevailed and the clock began to tick until steam was retired. In 1958 and 1959, the railroad ran several Farewell To Steam excursions, with 611 pulling the last one in October 1959. While many of the locomotives went to the scrap lines, 611 was the only Class J preserved today.
Trivia[]
- When 611 was saved it was in part due to its superb condition after its 1956 derailment and subsequent repair, and also in part to the efforts of Washington, D.C., lawyer W. Graham Claytor Jr., who convinced N&W to have No. 611 salvaged from the scrap line.
- There is one notable accident in the J class's service history, when on January 23, 1956, No. 611 derailed along the Tug River near Cedar, West Virginia while pulling The Pocahontas.
- No J class locomotive on the Norfolk & Western railroad were ever assigned the number 746 (as shown on a Lionel toy).
- On October 30, 1957, in Bristol, Virginia, No. 613 rear-ended a timed freight, injuring 56 people. The accident was blamed on the fast passenger train for failing to heed warning signals.
- The train from Curious George (2006) S14E14 "The Great Train Birthday" was Based on a N&W J Class but Tenderless, and painted in the same colors as the Southern Pacific GS-4 which were painted red, orange, and black.
- A train appeared in Murderous Maths that is heavily based on either this class or the streamlined K2, but numbered 120 and with a slightly different wheel arrangement. As that book had been printed in black and white, the train’s true colours were never shown.
Locomotives[]
- Norfolk and Western No. 600
- Norfolk and Western No. 601
- Norfolk and Western No. 602
- Norfolk and Western No. 603
- Norfolk And Western No. 604
- Norfolk and Western No. 605
- Norfolk and Western No. 606
- Norfolk and Western No. 607
- Norfolk and Western No. 608
- Norfolk and Western No. 609
- Norfolk and Western No. 610
- Norfolk and Western No. 611
- Norfolk and Western No. 612
- Norfolk and Western No. 613
