The most perfect locomotive

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

My father told me that back in the late 40's he and my mother went to a wedding in Richmond.  They took the Powhattan (Powtan) Arrow from Portsmouth, Ohio.  He said that they were rolling along through the eastern Virginia flatlands and the train was really moving.  He was walking past a car attendant and he commented on how fast they seemed to be moving.  He said that the car attendant went and looked at a speedometer and told him that the needle was moving between 108 and 110 mph.

A.J. Gemperline



> Message: 3

> Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 18:19:45 -0400

> From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

> Subject: Re: The most perfect locomotive

> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

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> 

> I can reinforce, but not substantiate, both speed figures that you mention. 

> In fact, both speed figures are the exact values that I have heard before 

> for Class J locomotives.  I heard these speed figures first hand (but not 

> quite from the iron horse's mouth).

> 

> When I worked at the N & W's Shaffers Crossing roundhouse in Roanoke, VA, 

> one of the roundhouse foremen there told me that he was the Motive 

> Department employee who had traveled with the Class J when it was tested on 

> the Pennsylvania Railroad and that it reached a speed of 118 miles per hour 

> across the flat Indiana countryside before a hot bearing caused a slow down 

> or, maybe, a stop.

> 

> When I worked summers in the N & W's  steam locomotive shop at the end of 

> the branch line to Durham, NC, one of the Norfolk Division engineers told me 

> that he had run Class J locomotives at 110 miles per hour on the main line 

> across the relatively flat Atlantic Coastal Plain.

> 

> Unfortunately, at a much younger age I did not realize then the importance 

> of taking notes, so I cannot cite the names of these men who told me of 

> their first-hand experiences.

> 

> Gordon Hamilton

> 

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> To: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 11:42 PM

> Subject: The most perfect locomotive

> 

> 

> >I am a very unfrequent contributor to this respectable list.  I have a 

> >serious admiration to N&W class J for following reasons:

> >

> > * best combination of drawbar and speed

> > * reliability

> > * operational efficiency

> > * very beautiful

> > * I am born in May 1950, the same date 611 came out of Roanoke factory

> >

> > I have heard records of the loco doing 118 mph with a few cars and steady 

> > 110 mph with 15 pasenger cars.  This in unbeliaveble considering the tiny 

> > 70" driving wheel diameter.  Is there anyone alive who can confirm these 

> > feats?

> >

> > Markku Kastinen,

> > Steam Enthusiast, Finland

> >

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