
Norfolk and Western Railway
18 products

Later, the company made a determined effort to improve its locomotives in an effort to make them compete with the new diesels. In its own design offices and own locomotive works at Roanoke, the line produced three new locomotives. The J class 4-8-4, first built in 1941, was designed to haul the prestige passenger services at 100mph or more, while the A class 2-6-6-4 and Y class 2-8-8-2 articulated types were used for freight work. The major benefit of these new engines was a streamlined maintenance regime between runs, which allowed inspection, refueling and lubrication to occur in less than hour. This drove down maintenance costs by an estimated 37%. Eventually though, the Norfolk & Western succumbed to the benefits of the diesel, placing orders for 75 units in 1957. Later, there was a sustained push for the consolidation of numerous lines. In the fall of 1959, the Norfolk and Western, and the Virginian merged. It was during this time, that nation saw a marked decline in total track mileage. At its peak the line operated some 8,000 miles of track, 1,300 locomotives and 86,000 freight cars.
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