Norfolk and Western 1218

Preserved N&W class A locomotive

Norfolk and Western 1218

Norfolk and Western No. 1218 heading towards the wye in Bellevue, Ohio, with an excursion train on August 16, 1987

| Type and origin

Power type| Steam
Designer| John A. Pilcher[1]
Builder| Roanoke Shops (East End Shops)
Serial number| 340
Build date| June 2, 1943
Rebuild date| 1985–1987
| Specifications

Configuration:
| ​
• Whyte| 2-6-6-4
• UIC| (1′C)C2′ h4g
Gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.| 33 in (838 mm)
Driver dia.| 70 in (1,778 mm)[2]
Trailing dia.| 42 in (1,067 mm)
Length| 121 ft 9+1⁄4 in (37.1 m) including tender[2]
Width| 11 ft 2 in (3.4 m)
Height| 16 ft (4.88 m)
Axle load| 72,000 lb (32.7 tonnes)
Adhesive weight| 433,350 lb (196.6 tonnes)
Loco weight| 573,000 lb (259.9 tonnes)
Tender weight| 378,600 lb (171.7 tonnes)
Total weight| 951,600 lb (431.6 tonnes)[2]
Fuel type| Coal
Fuel capacity| 35 t (34.4 long tons; 38.6 short tons)
Water cap.| 22,000 US gal (83,000 L; 18,000 imp gal)
Fuel consumption| 7 short tons (6.4 t) of coal per hour
13,906 US gal (52,640 L; 11,579 imp gal) of water per hour
Firebox:| ​
• Grate area| 122 sq ft (11.3 m2)
Boiler| 106 in (2,692 mm)
Boiler pressure| 300 lbf/in2 (2.07 MPa)
Heating surface:| ​
• Firebox| 587 sq ft (54.5 m2)
• Tubes and flues| 6,052 sq ft (562.2 m2)
Superheater:
| ​
• Type| Type E
• Heating area| 2,703 sq ft (251.1 m2)
Cylinders| Four, simple articulated
Cylinder size| 24 in × 30 in (610 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gear| Baker
Valve type| Piston valves
| Performance figures

Maximum speed| 70+ mph[2]
Power output| 5,400 hp (4,000 kW)
Tractive effort| 114,000 lbf (507.10 kN)[2]
Factor of adh.| 3.8
| Career

Operators| Norfolk and Western Railway→Norfolk Southern Railway
Class| A
Number in class| 19 of 43
Numbers|

* 1218

Nicknames|

* "The Mercede of Steam"

Locale| United States, South and Midwest
Retired| July 1959 (revenue service)
November 1991 (excursion service)
Preserved| 1965
Restored| January 13, 1987
Current owner| Virginia Museum of Transportation
Disposition| On static display

37°16′23″N 79°56′50″W﻿ / ﻿37.272943°N 79.947231°W﻿ / 37.272943; -79.947231 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.

## Historic significance

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No. 1218 is the sole survivor of the Norfolk and Western's class A locomotives and the only surviving 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive in the world. While smaller than Union Pacific's famous and more numerous "Challenger" class of 4-6-6-4 locomotives, Norfolk and Western's design racked up unmatched records of performance in service.

During No. 1218's excursion career, it was the most powerful operational steam locomotive in the world,[3] with a tractive effort of 114,000 pounds-force (507.10 kN), well above Union Pacific 3985, the next-strongest-pulling operational steam locomotive, with a tractive effort of 97,350 lbf [433.0 kN]). Since May 2019, however, No. 1218 became the locomotive with the second highest tractive effort, after Union Pacific 4014, which has a tractive effort of 135,375 lbf (602.18 kN). Unlike diesel-electric locomotives of similar high tractive effort (for starting heavy trains) but typical for a steam locomotive, it could easily run at 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) and more.

## History

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### Revenue service and preservation

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A drawing design of the N&W class A locomotive

No. 1218 was the ninth member of the second batch of fifteen class A locomotives (Nos. 1210–1224) built in June 1943 at the East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W).[1] It was first assigned to haul troop trains, during World War II.[4] After the war ended, No. 1218 was reassigned to haul fast freight trains, heavy coal trains, and heavy passenger trains on the N&W's Scioto Division, between Williamson, West Virginia, Portsmouth, Ohio, and Columbus, Ohio, and it made some occasional side trips to Cincinnati.[1] In the late 1950s, No. 1218 was reassigned to the Norfolk Division, running between Roanoke and Norfolk, Virginia.[1][a]

In July 1959, No. 1218 was retired from revenue service, and it was purchased by the Union Carbide Company of Charleston, West Virginia, where it was used alongside fellow A class locomotives Nos. 1202 and 1230 as stationary boilers at a chemical plant in South Charleston.[5][6] In 1964, the Union Carbide Company sold Nos. 1202 and 1230 for scrap, but the following year, No. 1218 was rescued by New England millionaire F. Nelson Blount, who added it to his private collection of steam locomotives at Steamtown, U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont.[6][7] Additionally, many parts from Nos. 1202 and 1230, including the air pump, the crosshead guide yokes, the front side rods, and the gauges, were cannibalized for the No. 1218 locomotive.[8]

In 1967, Blount died in an airplane crash, resulting in the Steamtown foundation running into some financial trouble.[9] As part of their effort to recoup their financial losses, the foundation put No. 1218 on a long-term lease to the Roanoke Transportation Museum, and the locomotive was cosmetically restored at the East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, the same place where the locomotive was built.[6] Afterwards, it was put on display as a temporary exhibit at the Roanoke Transportation Museum, in 1971.[6]

### Excursion service

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No. 1218 leads an excursion train in Brocton, New York on August 6, 1988

In 1982, the N&W and Southern (SOU) railways were both merged to form the new Norfolk Southern Railway (NS).[10] 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.[11] By the end of 1984, the NS steam program want to lease No. 1218 to pull the longer and heavier excursion trains along with assisting No. 611.[6] 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.[12]

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.[6][7] No. 1218 presently received a replacement pump from one of the B&O Railroad Museum's steam locomotives.[6] On January 15, 1987, No. 1218 underwent a stationary test fire.[13][14] Two months later, on March 26, No. 1218 moved under its power for the first time in 28 years; it performed a break-in run between Irondale and Wilton, Alabama.[13][15] On April 25, No. 1218 pulled its first public excursion for the NS steam program between Roanoke and Bluefield, West Virginia, but some heavy rain and flooding that day caused some mudslides and fallen trees to delay the trip's completion.[16][17] The following day, No. 1218 pulled two more excursions between Roanoke, Lynchburg and Walton, without incident.[17]

On May 4, No. 1218 pulled an empty 100-hopper car train to Crewe, unassisted.[17] In August, during the 1987 National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) convention in Roanoke, No. 1218 pulled an empty 50-hopper car train, where it ran side by side with No. 611, who pulled a passenger excursion train from Roanoke to Radford, Virginia, in which the former was double-headed with the latter for the return trip later on.[13][18] 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.[19][20] 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.[21]

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.[22] At Ooltewah, Tennessee, No. 4501 took a few coaches for a complete round trip, turning around at Cleveland, Tennessee.[22] Afterwards, No. 611 and No. 1218 completed the rest of the trip to Atlanta.[22]

### Current disposition

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No. 1218 on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in October 2016

At the end of the 1991 excursion season, after completing a round-trip excursion from Huntsville, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee,[20] No. 1218 returned to Irondale, Alabama for an extensive overhaul, where its flues need to be replaced and the portions of the firebox need to be repaired.[22] There were originally plans to have the No. 1218 locomotive running again for the beginning of the 1996 excursion season,[22] but NS chairman David R. Goode cancelled the steam program in 1994 due to serious safety concerns, rising insurance costs, the expense of maintaining steam locomotives, a yard switching accident involving nine passenger cars in Lynchburg, Virginia, and decreasing rail network availability.[23][24][25]

> "I was joined in line by Roanoke Chapter member Lawanda Ely. I commented that it was too bad Mr. O. Winston Link did not live to see this day. I said likewise for the Claytor brothers. Lawanda quickly corrected me on the second statement. If Robert Claytor were still alive, 1218 would be out on the high iron and the rest of us along with her. I couldn't agree more."

—Robin R. Shavers during 1218's move to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in 2003[26]

In January 1996, the No. 1218 locomotive was partially reassembled and towed back to Roanoke to be stored at the East End Shops.[23][27] In 2000, the locomotive was moved out of the East End Shops and put on the turntable for a nighttime photoshoot, hosted by photographer O. Winston Link.[28] Link wanted No. 1218 to be exhibited near the former N&W passenger station in downtown Roanoke, which was planned to be converted into a museum that displayed Link's N&W photographs.[29][30]

Link died on January 30, 2001, but plans for the museum were still carried on, and in June, Norfolk Southern agreed to donate No. 1218 to the City of Roanoke to honor Link's wishes.[29][31][32] Preparations were subsequently made—including a cosmetic restoration by Norfolk Southern—to put the locomotive on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT), formerly known as the Roanoke Transportation Museum.[31][26][33] On June 11, 2003, during the 60th anniversary of No. 1218's 1943 construction date, No. 1218 was pushed into place at the VMT's Robert B. Claytor and W. Graham Claytor Jr. Pavilion shed next to No. 611.[26][33]

In 2007, Nos. 1218 and 611 were both temporarily put on display at the East End Shops to commemorate its 125th anniversary.[34] On April 2, 2012, the City of Roanoke officially donated both Nos. 1218 and 611 to the VMT.[35] The No. 1218 locomotive continues to sit on display at the VMT, next to another former N&W steam locomotive, G-1 class No. 6, with the No. 611 locomotive restored to operating condition.

## See also

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* Birmingham District
* Norfolk and Western 433
* Norfolk and Western 475
* Norfolk and Western 2156
* Texas and Pacific 610
* Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1309

Portals:

* Trains
* Virginia

## Notes

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1. ^ At that time, the N&W planned to donate at least five steam locomotives for preservation, but with no plans to spare a class A locomotive from the scrap line.[5]

## References

[edit]

* Trains portal
* Virginia portal

1. ^ a b c d King Jr., E.W. (September 1987). "A locomotive that seduced an entire railway". Trains. Vol. 47, no. 11\. Kalmbach Publishing. p. 25.
2. ^ a b c d e "All Aboard – Steam locomotive to power day-long excursions from Greenville". Gaffney Leader. Gaffney, SC. March 20, 1987. p. 7 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Mighty locomotive will steam to Fort Wayne". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, MI. June 24, 1990. p. 20 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ Jeffries (1980), p. 195.
5. ^ a b Huddleston (2001), p. 131.
6. ^ a b c d e f g Wrinn (2000), pp. 73–74.
7. ^ a b Huddleston (2001), p. 105.
8. ^ Huddleston (2001), p. 132.
9. ^ Lowther, Kevin (July 19, 2010). "SOME THINGS STAY SAME". The Keene Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
10. ^ Wrinn (2000), p. 61.
11. ^ Wrinn (2000), pp. 63–65.
12. ^ Chappell, Gordon (1991). Steam Over Scranton: The Locomotives of SteamTown. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. p. 291.
13. ^ a b c Wrinn (2000), pp. 79–83.
14. ^ "Railroad News Photos - In Steam". Trains. Vol. 47, no. 6\. Kalmbach Publishing. April 1987. p. 13. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
15. ^ "Railroad News Photos - The A Under Way". Trains. Vol. 47, no. 8\. Kalmbach Publishing. June 1987. p. 12. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
16. ^ "Railroad News Photos". Trains. Vol. 47, no. 9\. Kalmbach Publishing. July 1987. p. 14. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
17. ^ a b c "Railroad News Photos". Trains. Vol. 47, no. 10\. Kalmbach Publishing. August 1987. pp. 12–13. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
18. ^ Wrinn (2000), p. 117.
19. ^ Wrinn (2000), p. 85.
20. ^ a b Wrinn (2000), p. 118.
21. ^ "National Railway Historical Society 1990 Annual Convention" (PDF). St. Louis Chapter, NRHS. June 14–17, 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
22. ^ a b c d e Wrinn (2000), pp. 90–91.
23. ^ a b Wrinn (2000), pp. 102–109.
24. ^ Phillips, Don (November 6, 1994). "Rail Service – Popular steam engines will take last journeys". Indianapolis Star (first ed.). Indianapolis, IN. p. 192 - via Newspapers.com.
25. ^ "Norfolk Southern ends excursions". Daily Press (main ed.). Newport News, VA. Associated Press. October 30, 1994. p. 22 - via Newspapers.com.
26. ^ a b c Kirkman, Kenney (July–August 2003). "Memories of 1218" (PDF). Turntable Times. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
27. ^ Edwards, Greg. "Engine 1218 Comes Home - January 25, 1996 | Historical Society of Western Virginia". hswv.pastperfectonline.com. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
28. ^ Helmer, David (September 2000). "1218 Rolls Again - be it a short distance" (PDF). Turntable Times. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. pp. 5–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
29. ^ a b McGonigal, Robert (April 2001). "Railroad News - O. Winston Link, 1914-2001". Trains. Vol. 61, no. 4\. Kalmbach Publishing. p. 20. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
30. ^ Gruber, John (April 2001). "Preservation Points - Link wanted N&W 1218 for proposed museum". Trains. Vol. 61, no. 4\. Kalmbach Publishing. p. 80. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
31. ^ a b Stephens, Bill (September 2001). "Railroad News - New Roanoke museum to center on Link and 1218". Trains. Vol. 61, no. 9\. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 17–18. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
32. ^ "Roanoke chugs away on museum honoring locomotive photographer". Daily Press (main ed.). Newport News, VA. Associated Press. August 18, 2001. p. 24 - via Newspapers.com.
33. ^ a b "Preservation - N&W 1218 bound for Roanoke museum". Trains. Vol. 63, no. 5\. Kalmbach Publishing. May 2003. p. 77. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
34. ^ McKinney (2014), p. 116.
35. ^ "N&W 611 and 1218" (PDF). Turntable Times. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. April 2012. p. 5\. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.

## Bibliography

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* Jeffries, Lewis (1980). N&W: Giant of Steam (1st ed.). Pruett Publishing. ISBN 0-87108-547-X.
* Huddleston, Eugene L. (2001). World's Greatest Steam Locomotives: C&O 2-6-6-6, Virginian 2-6-6-6, N&W 2-6-6-4, UP 4-8-8-4 (1st ed.). TLC Publishing. ISBN 1-883089-60-3.
* McKinney, Wayne (2014). Roanoke Locomotive Shops and the Norfolk & Western Railroad. Images of Rails (1st ed.). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-2111-8.
* Wrinn, Jim (2000). Steam's Camelot: Southern and Norfolk Southern Excursions in Color (1st ed.). TLC Publishing. ISBN 1-883089-56-5.

## Further reading

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* King, Ed (2009). The A: Norfolk and Western's Mercedes of Steam (2nd ed.). N&W Historical Society. ISBN 978-0970479464.
* Rosenburg, Ron; Archer, Eric H. (1973). Norfolk & Western Steam (The Last 25 Years) (1st ed.). Quadrant Press Inc. ISBN 0-915276-00-3.
* Withuhn, Bill (September 1987). "1218: Home to Roanoke". Trains. Vol. 47, no. 11\. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 26–33.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norfolk and Western Railway 1218.

* Norfolk and Western Class A #1218 \- Virginia Museum of Transportation
* Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. AL-39, "Norfolk & Southern Steam Locomotive No. 1218, Norris Yards, Irondale, Jefferson County, AL", 5 photos, 1 photo caption page