The museum began as the Roanoke Museum of Transportation in 1963 in an old Norfolk
& Southern freight depot at Wasena Park near the Roanoke River. It was flooded out
in 1985, and the collection moved to downtown Roanoke the following year to the site
of the old Norfolk & Western freight station. Designated the official state transportation
museum by Virginia’s General Assembly, it re-
I visited the museum in October 2007 and June 2009. The photographs on this page are from both visits.
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I have three histories of the Norfolk & Western: Richard E. Prince’s Norfolk & Western Railway, published by the author in 1980, Lewis Ingles Jeffries’ N&W: Giant of Steam, published by Pruett in 1980, and E. F. Pat Striplin’s The Norfolk & Western: a history, published by the Norfolk and Western Railway Company in 1981 (click on the cover of each book to search for it on Bookfinder.com).
Eugene Huddelston’s World’s Greatest Steam Locomotives, published by TLC in 2001, includes the N&W A class (click on the cover to search for the book on Bookfinder.com).
After retiring from service in 1957, #4 was gifted to the City of Princeton, WV, where it went on static display. Unfortunately, exposure to the weather and vandalism led to quite rapid deterioration in its condition.
After a disputed trade by N&W and a bout of litigation, #4 finally joined the museum’s collection in 1967, just in time for the museum’s dedication on 17th June.
The ALCO Century 630 (C630) #1135 is a six-axle, 3,000 hp diesel locomotive delivered to N&W in September 1967. It is one of 77 of this type built between 1965 and 1967. A total of 10 were delivered to N&W between 1966 and 1967, the only ones designed with the high short hoods that were mandated by N&W operating policy. Their top running speed was 70 mph. They were used by N&W to haul freight services but, in the 1970s, were converted into “slugs”.
The most distinctive feature of the C630 is its large aftercooler radiator housing above the roofline (the aftercooler radiators boosted performance when the locomotive was operating under a heavy load).
Three intact C630s survive: one at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, one at the Reading Technical & Historical Society, and one owned by Vintage Locomotive, Inc.
The most distinctive feature of the C630 is its large aftercooler radiator housing above the roofline (the aftercooler radiators boosted performance when the locomotive was operating under a heavy load).
Three intact C630s survive: one at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, one at the Reading Technical & Historical Society, and one owned by Vintage Locomotive, Inc.
Class G1 #6 is a Consolidation type locomotive (2-8-0), one of seven of this class built by Baldwin in 1897 as helpers on the Flat Top Mountain-Elkhorn Tunnel grade.
It cost $10,810, operated at a boiler pressure of 180 psi , had 20” x 24” cylinders and a tractive effort of 29,376 lbs. .
Originally, this locomotive was N&W #352 but, in May 1917, it was one of four sold to the Virginia Carolina Railroad (two in 1914 and two in 1917) and renumbered #6. When N&W later acquired the Virginia Carolina in January 1920, it
It cost $10,810, operated at a boiler pressure of 180 psi , had 20” x 24” cylinders and a tractive effort of 29,376 lbs. .
Originally, this locomotive was N&W #352 but, in May 1917, it was one of four sold to the Virginia Carolina Railroad (two in 1914 and two in 1917) and renumbered #6. When N&W later acquired the Virginia Carolina in January 1920, it
#4919 has the original Brunswick Green coloured body, with the PRR standard Clarendon lettering (prior to 1942, the lettering was Futura style).
GG1s were geared to operate at 110 mph hauling PRR’s main line passenger trains between New York, Washington, DC, and Harrisburg, PA, over the 656 miles of the system that had been electrified by 1938. They were also geared for somewhat lower speeds to haul freight on occasion.
The GG1 was the longest operating class of locomotive (including steam and diesel) on front line service in the world: 8 were still hauling daily runs for the NJ Transit System in 1983! They also remained the fastest catenary-supplied electric locomotives operating in the U.S. until 1969 when the Metroliner was introduced.
#4919 operated under Pennsy, Penn Central, Conrail and Amtrak until retiring in 1979. It's purchase from Amtrak was made possible by a gift from Lillian B. Keely in memory of her father, D. Allcott Kelly, and was facilitated with the help of Timothy A. Kelly, son on Mrs. Kelly.
GG1s were geared to operate at 110 mph hauling PRR’s main line passenger trains between New York, Washington, DC, and Harrisburg, PA, over the 656 miles of the system that had been electrified by 1938. They were also geared for somewhat lower speeds to haul freight on occasion.
The GG1 was the longest operating class of locomotive (including steam and diesel) on front line service in the world: 8 were still hauling daily runs for the NJ Transit System in 1983! They also remained the fastest catenary-
#4919 operated under Pennsy, Penn Central, Conrail and Amtrak until retiring in 1979. It's purchase from Amtrak was made possible by a gift from Lillian B. Keely in memory of her father, D. Allcott Kelly, and was facilitated with the help of Timothy A. Kelly, son on Mrs. Kelly.
#1776 is a 3,600 hp, 205 ton EMD SD-45 six axled diesel built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. 1,260 were built for U.S. railroads between 1965 and 1971, including the Santa Fe, Great Northern, Northern Pacific and N&W, which owned 115.
Part of an order of 25 numbered #1765-#1789, #1776 was delivered in February 1970. It was repainted red, white and blue in May 1974 in celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial, one of many locomotives that featured Bicentennial themes at about this time. N&W also painted the coal hopper and piggyback trailer in similar colours. Like the nearby Alco C630 #1135, it has the N&W high hood unit, with the long hood designated the locomotive’s front end.
Part of an order of 25 numbered #1765-
#135 was one of 12 C-C 3,300 hp EL-C class Ignitron rectifiers built by General Electric for the Virginian Railway between 1956 and 1957 (numbered 130-141). They were the most advanced electric motive power owned by the railway and were designed to haul coal trains over the southern part of its West Virginia system. They were sometimes double and even triple headed to tackle very heavy consists.
The Virginian merged with N&W in 1959 and, three years later, the electrification was discontinued. All 12 EL-Cs were purchased by New York, New Haven & Hartford Railway in 1963 and reclassified as EF-4s. They joined the Penn Central roster when the New Haven was rolled into that company, and survived to run for Conrail. #135 was the only EL-C to wear the livery of all four companies.
The Virginian merged with N&W in 1959 and, three years later, the electrification was discontinued. All 12 EL-
The Whitcomb Locomotive Works was founded as the George D. Whitcomb Co. in 1892. In 1907, it moved to Rochelle, IL, where it produced mining equipment, gas and electric locomotives. In 1931, bankruptcy forced it into the arms of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, which continued to operate the company as a separate entity until 1940. Baldwin then took over the company completely and operated it as a division of Baldwin. In 1952, the "Whitcomb" name was dropped.
The Robert B. Claytor & W. Graham Claytor Jr. Pavilion houses the two largest exhibits
at the museum, Norfolk & Western Railway’s Northern type (4-
The shed was named after Robert Buckner Claytor, who became President of the N&W in 1981. He pushed for the merger of the N&W with the Southern Railway and became President of the new company, Norfolk Southern, in 1982 (although the N&W continued to exist on paper until 1997). William Graham Claytor was his brother, who served as an officer on the Southern Railway from 1967 to 1977 when he retired. He returned to railroad administration in 1982 as CEO of Southern, as well as heading up Amtrak from 1982 to 1993.
There is a quite busy Norfolk Southern line running beside the museum on the right of this photograph.
The characteristic nose of #611 shines in the sunlight. It is one of 14 J class Northern type locomotives (4-8-4) designed and built by the Norfolk & Western Railway in Roanoke, VA, for increasing passenger services during WWII.
The first five, numbered 600 to 604, were built in 1941-42 and delivered with streamlining. They were maintained at Shaffers Crossing Roundhouse in Roanoke, VA, out of which they initially operated to Norfolk, VA, and Williamson, WV. However, in 1943, N&W decided to extend their run west as far as Cincinnatti, a total of 424 miles and, as a result, the second six Js were constructed. Numbered 605 to 610, they were outshopped without the streamlining because of restrictions on the use of materials during the war. Initially classified as J-1, they were subsequently retro-fitted with the streamlining in 1944 and reclassified as J class. All 11 operated at 275 psi and exerted 73,300 lbs tractive effort.
#611 was one of the last three of the class. It began service on 29th May 1950, having cost $251,544 to build.
Js were designed to haul passenger trains at high speed, although the 70" drivers were small for a locomotive that could reach a speed of 100 mph. As a consequence, the wheelbase was made extremely rigid, lightweight rods were used, all wheels and rods had roller bearings and the counterbalancing was very carefully set.
The first five, numbered 600 to 604, were built in 1941-
#611 was one of the last three of the class. It began service on 29th May 1950, having cost $251,544 to build.
Js were designed to haul passenger trains at high speed, although the 70" drivers were small for a locomotive that could reach a speed of 100 mph. As a consequence, the wheelbase was made extremely rigid, lightweight rods were used, all wheels and rods had roller bearings and the counterbalancing was very carefully set.
I am not, personally, a great fan of streamlining on steam locomotives (I think it disguises the inherent power of steam), but the torpedo-nosed J class with its Tuscan Red skirting, gold leaf trim and lettering conveys a clean, authoritative power that I cannot help admiring.
Similarly, streamlining on the bull nosed C&O L1 “Yellow Belly” has my vote (see L1 #490 on the B&O Museum Yard page of this website).
Similarly, streamlining on the bull nosed C&O L1 “Yellow Belly” has my vote (see L1 #490 on the B&O Museum Yard page of this website).
In the late 1950s, N&W began investing in dieselisation, which proved cheaper to run and maintain, but the Js continued in mainline passenger service until 1958, after which they served briefly on some freight services until 1959.
In 1958 and 1959, N&W also ran several farewell to steam excursions, with #611 pulling the last on 24th October 1959, a return trip from Roanoke, VA, to Bluefield, WV, after which it was retired. Then, through the efforts of enthusiasts, including the photographer O. Winston Link (there is a page on this website on the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke, VA), N&W were persuaded to donate #611 to the museum in 1960, where it sat for more than two decades on static display.
In 1981, the then president of the N&W, Robert B. Claytor, leased #611 from the museum and sent it to Southern Railway’s Norris Yard Steam Shop in Birmingham, AL, for overhaul to join a proposed N&W steam programme (ironically, this was during the last few months of N&W’s existence before merging with the Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern).
The following year, #611 began 12 years of excursion services on the Norfolk Southern system, the last of which ran on 3rd December 1994, from Birmingham, AL, to Chattanooga, TN, and back. #611 then ran under steam to Roanoke and returned to the museum where, except for running cold with #1218 to Norfolk Southern’s old Roanoke Shops in 2007 to celebrate the shops’ 125th anniversary, it has remained on static display ever since.
In 1958 and 1959, N&W also ran several farewell to steam excursions, with #611 pulling the last on 24th October 1959, a return trip from Roanoke, VA, to Bluefield, WV, after which it was retired. Then, through the efforts of enthusiasts, including the photographer O. Winston Link (there is a page on this website on the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke, VA), N&W were persuaded to donate #611 to the museum in 1960, where it sat for more than two decades on static display.
In 1981, the then president of the N&W, Robert B. Claytor, leased #611 from the museum and sent it to Southern Railway’s Norris Yard Steam Shop in Birmingham, AL, for overhaul to join a proposed N&W steam programme (ironically, this was during the last few months of N&W’s existence before merging with the Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern).
The following year, #611 began 12 years of excursion services on the Norfolk Southern system, the last of which ran on 3rd December 1994, from Birmingham, AL, to Chattanooga, TN, and back. #611 then ran under steam to Roanoke and returned to the museum where, except for running cold with #1218 to Norfolk Southern’s old Roanoke Shops in 2007 to celebrate the shops’ 125th anniversary, it has remained on static display ever since.
You can access the cab of #611 from the platform of the old freight office loading bay although, inside, the controls are behind plexi-glass panels.
#1218 is a four-cylinder, A class, simple articulated locomotive with a 2-6-6-4 wheel arrangement. 43 were constructed by N&W, introducing an era of high speed, high power articulateds to the U.S. The first two were outshopped from N&W’s Roanoke shops in May 1936. Eight more were then built between 1936 and 1937.
One of the most distinctive features is the ball jointed steam distribution pipe on the outside of the smokebox just above the front cylinders. These large, insulated cylinders had internal spherical connections to allow lateral motion.
The angled distribution pipe to the front cylinders and link from the Baker valve gear gave the front end of A class a leaping thrust.
#1218 was retired in 1959, after which Union Carbide used it as a backup boiler in one of its industrial plants. In 1965, the steam preservationist, F. Nelson Blount, bought it for his Steamtown collection but then sent it back to Roanoke, VA, where it went on display and eventually became the property of the city.
In 1985, Robert B. Claytor, then president of the Norfolk Southern, arranged for #1218 to be restored for the company’s steam programme and, on 16th January 1987, it was fired up for the first time in nearly thirty years. It then hauled many excursion trains until the end of the 1991 season, when it went for overhaul. This was still in progress when Norfolk Southern cancelled its steam programme in late 1994. As a consequence, #1218 was placed in storage, reappearing for a feature in Vanity Fair Magazine with the photographer O. Winston Link in 2001 and then returning to the Virginia Museum of Transportation on 14th June 2003 where it resides with its boiler gutted, and flue sheets and tubes removed as a result of the interrupted restoration.
#1218 is the only remaining A class, and the only surviving 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive in the world. During its excursion career, it was the most powerful operational steam locomotive in the world, with a tractive effort of 114,000 lbs, far in excess of the next most powerful steam locomotive, Union Pacific’s #3985, which has a tractive effort of 97,350 lbs.
#1218 was retired in 1959, after which Union Carbide used it as a backup boiler in one of its industrial plants. In 1965, the steam preservationist, F. Nelson Blount, bought it for his Steamtown collection but then sent it back to Roanoke, VA, where it went on display and eventually became the property of the city.
In 1985, Robert B. Claytor, then president of the Norfolk Southern, arranged for #1218 to be restored for the company’s steam programme and, on 16th January 1987, it was fired up for the first time in nearly thirty years. It then hauled many excursion trains until the end of the 1991 season, when it went for overhaul. This was still in progress when Norfolk Southern cancelled its steam programme in late 1994. As a consequence, #1218 was placed in storage, reappearing for a feature in Vanity Fair Magazine with the photographer O. Winston Link in 2001 and then returning to the Virginia Museum of Transportation on 14th June 2003 where it resides with its boiler gutted, and flue sheets and tubes removed as a result of the interrupted restoration.
#1218 is the only remaining A class, and the only surviving 2-
remained #6, and operated on the Clinch Valley line out of Bluefield with its twin #7. It retired from active service in January 1955 and was subsequently donated to the museum.
#7 is on display at Bluefield City Park, Bluefield, WV. You can see some photographs of it on the N&W G-1 #7 page of this website.
#7 is on display at Bluefield City Park, Bluefield, WV. You can see some photographs of it on the N&W G-
SA class #4 (“Four Spot”) is an 0-
#4 has a grate area of 32 sq ft and operated at a boiler pressure of 200 psi. The cylinders are 22” x 28”, and its small, 51" drivers are typical of this type of heavy switcher, thousands of which were built during the first part of the 20th century.
Their 122 sq ft firebox sat entirely behind the 70” drivers. The boiler operated at 275 psi, and the cylinders were 24” x 30”. Multiple bearing light weight crossheads were fitted and the large rods all carried roller bearings. Mechanical lubrication was applied to 238 parts, with pressure lubrication to 98 locations. The locomotive had a tractive effort of 104,500 lbs.
The A class primarily hauled fast freight trains at sustained speeds of over 70 mph, but also hauled slower, heavy coal trains on flatter parts of the N&W system. During WWII, they regularly handled extra passenger services and the increasing traffic convinced N&W to build 25 more of the class, including #1218, which were delivered between 1943 and 1944. They operated at a boiler pressure of 300 psi, and developed a tractive effort of 114,000 lbs, more even than the C&O Allegheny class 2-6-6-6 articulateds (110,200 lbs).
The last nine A class locomotives were built in 1949-50, the final five equipped with Timkin light weight reciprocating parts.
The A class primarily hauled fast freight trains at sustained speeds of over 70 mph, but also hauled slower, heavy coal trains on flatter parts of the N&W system. During WWII, they regularly handled extra passenger services and the increasing traffic convinced N&W to build 25 more of the class, including #1218, which were delivered between 1943 and 1944. They operated at a boiler pressure of 300 psi, and developed a tractive effort of 114,000 lbs, more even than the C&O Allegheny class 2-
The last nine A class locomotives were built in 1949-
GG1 #4919 originally bore #4917 when delivered from PRR’s Juniata Shops in Altoona, PA, in June 1942. A general renumbering of GG1s by Penn Central in June 1973 then made it #4934, and it was later renumbered #4919.
Wheeling and Lake Eire D-3 is an EMD NW2 1,000 hp switcher. Distinguishing features of the NW2 are the half-height radiator grille at the front of the locomotive and two stacks in the middle of the hood (not visible in these photgraphs).
1,145 of this type were manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in La Grange, IL, between 1939 and 1949 (1,121 for U.S. railroads and 24 for Canada). Four were supplied to the Wheeling and Lake Eire Railroad, a Class 1 railroad operating mainly in Ohio. It had started operation in 1871 as a 3' gauge railroad but converted to standard gauge in 1880. It was eventually leased to the Nickel Plate Road in 1949, and then merged into the N&W in 1988.
Twenty-two NW2s have survived.
1,145 of this type were manufactured by General Motors Electro-
Twenty-
The T-6 is a 1,000 hp diesel-electric switcher built by ALCO. 57 were built between 1958 and 1969, 40 of which were delivered to N&W. #10 was originally NW #40 but was renumbered when transferred to the Chesapeake Western Railway, along with two other T-6s in 1964. It was retired in 1985.
Construction began on the Chesapeake Western in 1895 at Harrisonburg, VA. The line was bought by the General Manager, Don Thomas, in 1938 with N&W's help, and the N&W took control in 1954. The line operates to this day as the Chesapeake Western Branch of Norfolk Southern.
Construction began on the Chesapeake Western in 1895 at Harrisonburg, VA. The line was bought by the General Manager, Don Thomas, in 1938 with N&W's help, and the N&W took control in 1954. The line operates to this day as the Chesapeake Western Branch of Norfolk Southern.
1,265 RS-3s were produced for U.S. railroads, 98 for Canada and 7 for Mexico. 5 also found their way to Algerian Railways.
#300 is one of 1,370 RS-3 1,600 hp switchers built by Alco between 1950 and 1956. As well as switching, RS-3s hauled local freight and commuter passenger trains.
#300 was built in 1955. It was one of four delivered to the N&W that year. Another four were delivered in 1956.
#300 was built in 1955. It was one of four delivered to the N&W that year. Another four were delivered in 1956.
A number of RS-3s have survived. RS-3 #109 still operates on the Northern Nevada Railway. It can be rented as part of the railroad’s Engine Rental Programme.
#521 was one of 416 G-P 9s ordered by N&W. 3,444 EMD GP-9s were built between 1954 and 1963 for the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. U.S. production ended in 1959, but 13 more were built in Canada up until 1963.
Power was provided by an EMD 567C sixteen-cylinder engine generating 1,750 hp. The type was offered both with and without control cabs (locomotives without control cabs were designated GP-9B, but only the Union Pacific and and Pennsy took delivery of any of these). Fully loaded, a GP-9 weighed over 250,000 lbs.
Power was provided by an EMD 567C sixteen-
The N&W GP-9s were given the nickname "Redbird" because of their distinctive livery, and #521 was one of only 21 that N&W equiped with steam generators so that they could haul haul passenger services. It was delivered in 1958.
A number of GP-9s still operate, mainly on shortline railroads. Several GP-9s have also been preserved. The North Carolina Museum of Transportation has NW #620, which it occasionally uses to haul passenger excursions on the museum grounds (you can see photos of it on the North Carolina Museum of Transportation Museum page of this website).
A number of GP-
180 GP-7swere built for the C&O between 1950 and 1953. #5828 was one of 17 delivered in 1952.
A total of 2,729 GP-7s were built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between 1949 and 1954. 2,615 were for U.S. railroads, 112 were for Canadian railroads, and 2 were for Mexican railroads. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated 1,500 hp. The GP7 was also offered without a control cab. These units were called GP-7Bs (only 5 were built in 1953, all for ATSF). It was a versatile switcher and operated in many different types of work environment.
A number of GP-7s still operate on shortlines. Many have also been preserved in museums, both on static display and operationally. A few GP-7s can be hired to engineer for an hour at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN.
107 GP-9s were built for the Nickel Plate between 1955 and 1959. #532 was one of the last batch of 5 delivered in 1959. (You can read more about GP-9s by looking at the description of NW #521 on this page).
In 1966 it joined the N&W fleet and was renumbered #2532, subsequently becoming NS #1462 when Norfolk Southern was formed. It was retired in 1984 and, later that year, was donated to the museum.
In 1966 it joined the N&W fleet and was renumbered #2532, subsequently becoming NS #1462 when Norfolk Southern was formed. It was retired in 1984 and, later that year, was donated to the museum.
This is the "B" Unit of EMD's FT Demonstrator A-B set #103, built to promote the locomotive as a freight-hauling diesel-electric. #103 toured 35 states over an 11 month period in 1939, covering 20 Class 1 railroads, and showed itself superior in versatility, operation and running costs to existing steam freight locomotives.
1,096 units were built between 1939 and 1945 (555 A units and 541 B units), all of which were sold to U.S. railroads. A single unit mustered 1,350 hp, but they were generally marketed as semi-permanently coupled A-B sets making a single locomotive of 2,700 hp,. Many railroads also paired sets to make a four-unit A-B-B-A locomotive of 5,400 hp.
#103 was eventually sold to the Southern Railway and came to the museum in 1985. The lead "A" unit #103 is on display at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO, along with another "B" unit.
1,096 units were built between 1939 and 1945 (555 A units and 541 B units), all of which were sold to U.S. railroads. A single unit mustered 1,350 hp, but they were generally marketed as semi-
#103 was eventually sold to the Southern Railway and came to the museum in 1985. The lead "A" unit #103 is on display at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO, along with another "B" unit.
In 1971, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the successor to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, purchased the remainder of the L&N shares it did not already own, and the company became a subsidiary. The Seaboard System Railroad, successor to Seaboard Coast Line, then absorbed the Louisville & Nashville entirely (some time during that process, #2289 was repainted in the SBD livery). Finally, in 1986, Seaboard System Railroad was absorbed into the newly named CSX Transportation system.
This 30 ton switcher was built by the Whitcomb Locomotive Works in 1941 for Houston Shipbuilding. At some point, it was purchased by the Blue Ridge Stone Company and then worked as a switcher at the company's complex in Roanoke until donated to the museum in 1985.
This unit was one of 40 built by General Electric in 1914 for the Panama Canal Company. It ran along rails parallel to the canal, pulling ships through the Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks at the west end of the canal.
Mules were actually used for side-to-side and braking control in the narrow locks, with forward motion provided by the ships' engines. Each mule had a winch, operated by the driver, which was played in or out to keep the ship centred in the lock while moving from chamber to chamber. The mules run on rack tracks, to which they are geared.
It was retired in 1962 and was donated to the museum by General Electric in 1972. Only 3 or 4 of this type are known to have survived.
Mules were actually used for side-
It was retired in 1962 and was donated to the museum by General Electric in 1972. Only 3 or 4 of this type are known to have survived.
#3 is a 50 ton diesel-electric switcher built by H. K. Porter for the Virginia Central, the ex-narrow gauge (3') Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railroad, which originally operated 38 miles of track between Fredericksburg, VA, and Orange, VA.
In 1926, the line was converted to standard gauge and the name changed to the Virginia Central Railway. In 1938, the entire line was abandoned except for a one mile segment in Fredericksburg which lasted until 1983. This diesel-electric appears to have been donated to the museum some time after that.
In 1926, the line was converted to standard gauge and the name changed to the Virginia Central Railway. In 1938, the entire line was abandoned except for a one mile segment in Fredericksburg which lasted until 1983. This diesel-
#1 is a fireless 0-4-0F built by H. K. Porter in 1943. It weighs 70,000 lbs, operated at a boiler pressure of 150 psi and had a tractive effort of 12,700 lbs. The drivers are 31" in diameter and the cylinders are 20" x 18".
The locomotive last worked for a branch of the Celanese Fiber Company at Amcelle, MD (near Cumberland). Although B&O transported freight and workers to and from the plant, there was also a sizeable network of rail lines on the property. Celanese was a major employer and most families in Amcelle had relatives working for the company (at one point, 13,000 people worked at the plant). The plant was closed in the 1960s and then torn down to provide space for a new Federal Prison.
Celanese Fiber started out as "Cellonit Gesellschaft Dreyfus and Co" in Basle, Switzerland, in 1912. In 1916, operations were extended to Britain and, two years later, to the U.S. That year, the British business changed its name to "British Celanese Limited", and the U.S. business adopted the name "Celanese Corporation of America" in 1927. The company specialised in plastics and chemicals, particularly fabrics and yarns.
#1 is in rather poor shape, with holes in the boiler and some missing connecting rods.
The locomotive last worked for a branch of the Celanese Fiber Company at Amcelle, MD (near Cumberland). Although B&O transported freight and workers to and from the plant, there was also a sizeable network of rail lines on the property. Celanese was a major employer and most families in Amcelle had relatives working for the company (at one point, 13,000 people worked at the plant). The plant was closed in the 1960s and then torn down to provide space for a new Federal Prison.
Celanese Fiber started out as "Cellonit Gesellschaft Dreyfus and Co" in Basle, Switzerland, in 1912. In 1916, operations were extended to Britain and, two years later, to the U.S. That year, the British business changed its name to "British Celanese Limited", and the U.S. business adopted the name "Celanese Corporation of America" in 1927. The company specialised in plastics and chemicals, particularly fabrics and yarns.
#1 is in rather poor shape, with holes in the boiler and some missing connecting rods.
#1218 was built in 1943 at the cost of $163,872, emerging from N&W’s Roanoke Shops on 2nd June that year.
#2289 is one of 20 EMD SW-9 switchers delivered to the Louisville & Nashville Railraod between 1950 and 1953. Power was provided to the unti by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing 1,200 hp. Between 1950 and 1953, 786 SW-9s were built for U.S. railroads and 29 were built by GMD for Canadian railroads.
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