1958 - Steam Era Moves Closer to Oblivion

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OK Jimmy, here is an article from the Hagerstown end.  I would like to know if this was reported in Roanoke.


>From the Hagerstown Daily Mail, Wednesday February 20, 1957.


I have added items in parenthesis to clarify things after 50 years.

     Three railroad officials, a couple of photographers, and a handful of workmen watched the end of the era of the steam driven iron horse in Hagerstown yesterday. (Feb. 19)

     The Norfolk and Western's afternoon passenger train from the south--which now contains more freight cars than passenger     cars--arrived about 4:15 p.m.  It was the last train regularly scheduled to utilize a steam engine here, as far as could be determined. (Mixed train No. 14 from Shenandoah, VA.)

     An official of the railroad said that the steam locomotive, No. 129, will be kept in operating condition.  However, it will not be in regular use, and will be reserved for emergency situations.

     Actually, the real end of the steam locomotive era in Hagerstown occured early this morning (Feb. 20) when No. 129 pulled its last train out of this city.  (Train No. 1 arriving on PRR from NY and Harrisburg to Roanoke.)

     The Pennsylvania Railroad discontinued use of the choo-chooing machines about three weeks ago in Hagerstown.

     F. H. Holden was at the throttle of the locomotive yesterday. His fireman was G.I. Sandbridge, while M.A. Young was the conductor.  Brakemen were O.E. Conner, J.P. Henry and Tom Owens.

     Actually the locomotive which used steam for the last time here yesterday looks almost as much like the diesels that have supplanted steam engines as the traditional idea of the steam locomotive with its streamlined contours and concealed smokestack.


(Although Feb. 19, 1957 is the date for the last steam on the Shenandoah Division, my guess is that the crew for No. 1 was called before midnight, even though the train departed Hagerstown after 12 a.m. Feb. 20.  I remember seeing the last Y powered northbound time freight the afternoon of the 19th.  I think that locomotive went south on No. 51 that night.  According to Mason Cooper's Shenandoah Valley book, K-1 No. 115 arrived that night on a local freight.  It was later towed dead to Roanoke.  The PRR's Hagerstown dispatcher also told me about this in later years.  He said the engine could have been run south under its own power, but N&W posted a notice to the effect "We have no steam facilitites on this division.")

Rick Morrison




  Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 3:52 AM
  Subject: Re: 1958 - Steam Era Moves Closer to Oblivion


  "Steam Era Moves Closer to Oblivion
  Bristol-Roanoke Run Dieselized"

  Ron,
      Now find me one like this for the Shenandoah Div.
  Jimmy Lisle
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