The most perfect locomotive

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Gordon -

The man at Shaffers was Ed Payne, who was a night foreman there when I was 
working at the Car Shop.

EdKing
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: The most perfect locomotive



>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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