Class J Shoppings after Jan 1956

[NW Mailing List]

Jeff

The last shopped, and last in service are often two different things.

To quote from my book on the Class J, page 113:

"The first Class J to go off the books was 604, featured in the tests of 1945 and 1948. It was retired at Shaffers Crossing on October 24, 1958. The other thirteen J’s continued to soldier on, but by January most were stored awaiting assignments that would never come. The retirements commenced in earnest in 1959, with 602 retired at Bluefield on January 8. The 607 was next to go (on February 25 at Shaffers Crossing) followed by 601 at Portsmouth on March 27. The newest J, 613 was retired on March 27 at Portsmouth. The 603 would follow suit on April 24, at Bluefield, followed a month later by the 606, 608 and 609 on May 22, all at Bluefield. Well over half the fleet was gone by June 1. Only a year before, all N&W passenger service had been steam powered.

The 605 was the next to go on June 15 at Williamson, followed by the very first J, 600, the next day at Lambert’s Point. July was quiet, but on August 21, 610 was retired at Crewe and 612 at Lamberts Point."

So, 604 which received class 3 repairs in March of 1958 was first to be retired seven months later. What is likely to have happened, and of course, this is totally speculation, is generally some problem developed that was not considered a running repair, so off it went. Of course, leased units were already on the property by mid July, so the Class Js were somewhat surplus material by late fall. We know that they did run in local service on the Norfolk Division as well as the Scioto Division, in addition to some time freight service there. As well, with heavy holiday mail and express traffic, the Js were pressed back into passenger service, but at the beginning of 1959, that traffic was gone and passenger GP9s had been arriving for about a month. So, anything that failed made for quick storage and/or retirement. 

As far as classified repairs go:

The definition of classified repairs from an N&W document, I do not have any newer version, so I don't know if any of this changed later in the steam era or not, I sort of doubt it.

N&W Railway Company
Classification of Locomotive Repairs
Revised: January 1, 1935

Class No. 1
New boiler or new back end. Flues new or reset. Tires turned or new. 
*General Repairs to machinery or tender.

Class No. 2
New firebox, or one of more shell courses, or roof sheet. 
Flues new or reset
Tires turned or new.
*General Repairs to machinery or tender.

Class No. 3
Flues all new or reset. (Superheater flues may be excepted).
Necessary repairs to firebox and boiler. Tires turned or new. 
*General Repairs to machinery or tender.

Class No. 4
Flues full or part set. 
Light repairs to boiler or firebox.
Necessary repairs to machinery and tender.

Class No. 5
Light repairs, such as taking up lost motion, dropping wheels, etc., or any other repairs which would not properly be classified under any of the above.

* General repairs to machinery will include driving wheels removed, tires turned or changed, journals turned, if necessary, and rods overhauled and bearings refitted and other repairs necessary for a full term of service.

Locomotives receiving Classes 1, 2, 3 or 4 repairs must be put in condition to perform a full term or service in the district and class of service in which they are to be used.

Locomotives receiving Class 5 repairs must be put in condition to perform not less than one-fourth term or service in the district and class of service in which they are to be used.

Suffix “A”
Indicates that repairs are required on account of accident.

Suffix “C”
Indicates the renewal of cylinders, the number of cylinders renewed to be shown directly following the suffix; e.g. C1 would indicate the renewal of one cylinder, C2 two, C3 three and C4, four cylinders. This suffix to be used with Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 repairs.

Suffix “F”
Indicates full set renewal of flues, including superheater flues. When a part set of flues are renewed, they are to be shown as follows: F100-10 would indicate that 100 small fire flues and 10 superheater flues had been renewed.
F0-10 would indicate that no small fire flues, but 10 superheater flues had been renewed. This suffix to be used with Classes 4, 5 and 6 repairs.

Suffix “S”
Indicates the renewal of firebox sheets, the number of sheets renewed to be show directly followng the suffix; e.g., S1 would indicate the renewal of one sheet, S2 two, S3 three, S4 four sheets, etc. (To be counted as a sheet the piece must extend the full lenght or width. This suffix to be used with Classes 3, 4, 5 and 6 repairs.

Best
Ken Miller

On Aug 5, 2015, at 6:21 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:

> Bud,
> 
> Excellent information! Thank you. 
> 
> I'm assuming the lower the Class number- the heavier the repair?
> 
> Looking at the list of J's, it is plausible then to speculate that nos. 612 and 604 may have been the most recently heavy shopped J's in April of 1958. 
> 
> Jeff Lisowski
> 
> -- 
> "Sic Semper Tyrannis!"
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