60 Years ago today, May 7, 1960, was the last day of steam for the Norfolk & Western Railway [View all]

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Last edited Thu May 7, 2020, 12:06 PM - Edit history (2)

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Steam & Excursion > 60 Years ago today, May 7, 1960...
Date: 05/07/20 06:26
60 Years ago today, May 7, 1960...
Author: Panamerican99

...was the last day of steam for Norfolk & Western. Y6b 2190, only 9 1/2 years old, was assigned to one of the mine runs out of Williamson, WV, the last place where steam was rostered on N&W. When she returned that day, diesels were waiting to replace her. Also, S1a class 0-8-0 291 worked one of the yard jobs that day. When her shift was over, the hostler dropped her fire and set her over on the scrap track behind the 2190.

I wasn't there that day but I had been to Williamson three weeks earlier. Only 18 years old, it was the first trip I made on my own. To get there, I rode L&N's Pan American to Cincinnati and caught the N&W Pocahontas to Williamson. I had no car so I walked to the N&W roundhouse, introduced myself myself to the foreman and was treated very nicely. For three days, I hung around the roundhouse and surrounding area. A Hostler took a liking to me and let me join him as he moved engines, filled them with water or coal and other tasks he had to perform. He let me pull the throttle on a Y6 (I think it was 2154) as the engine had to move to the coal dock for re-filling. I rode around the yard on one fo the S1a's.
Needless to say but it was an experience I've always remembered and could not repeat today (or anytime after that trip).

I didn't know that 2190 would become the last one to run when I shot the pictures below but I'm glad I did. 2190 had had a flash of fame when it pulled one of the 1957 NRHS Convention trains that interchanged with the Virginian. Back then, it was shined up for it's role but actually only moved the train a short distance on the interchange from N&W to Virginian. At Williamson in April, 1960, there were a few sister Y's still running- 2118-2136-2154 and a few others, all used on mine runs and only when there weren't enough diesels on hand. But all were kept hot in case they were needed.

I shot several S1a's but somehow missed the 291. But I did get the 290 working in downtown Williamson so I'm enclosing it below, too.

JH

{snip the pictures, which are thumbnails}

Date: 05/07/20 07:30
Re: 60 Years ago today, May 7, 1960...
Author: LTCerny

Thanks for sharing your N&W trip experience and photos. I guess the next landmark date for the end of steam will be July 5, when the last DM&IR ore train behind a 2-8-8-4 ran in 1960. This can be thought of as the end of steam in big-time class 1 revenue freight service in the U.S.

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