RE Scrap Metal Value of N&W Big Steam (NW Mailing List)

[NW Mailing List]

Has anyone ever considered why the 604 was the first J to be retired?
Lois J.Ponton



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-------- Original message --------
From: NW Mailing List
Date:06/06/2017 5:08 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: RE Scrap Metal Value of N&W Big Steam (NW Mailing List)

Kevin

There were a number of factors why more locomotives were not saved. There was no Transportation Museum in Roanoke, there was no organized group in Roanoke.  In those days, if an NRHS Chapter had $1,000 in the bank, it was unusual. There were no real champions to step up with money and a home for saved locomotives either. In addition, there was a recession on in 1959. With no leader with a vision, the local groups just sort of splintered to nothing. There was also the edict from Saunders to make sure none of that stuff is able to be made to run.

For the story of how 611 was saved though the efforts of Graham Claytor (and Bob behind the scenes) you can read that in "Three Times A Lady" or a condensed version in my book on the Class J. Graham in the person who deserves the credit for saving 611, Bob could only do so much within N&W, he was a young executive, with a career to keep in mind. He did however, make sure that nothing happened to 611 to prevent her later operation.

The 604 was the first to be retired at Shaffers Crossing on October 24, 1958. The other 13 were still power for secondary trains and several served in time freight service on the Scioto Division, there was a uptick in use with heavy mail and express traffic for the holiday season, but by January 1959, a group was stored at Bluefield, some at Portsmouth and a few at Roanoke. Several were in use in local service on the Norfolk Division out of Crewe and Lamberts Point.

The 602 was second to be retired at Bluefield on January 8, 1959.
607 followed on February 22, 1959.
601 and 613 were both retired on Mach 27, 1959
The 603 was next on April 24, 1959
606, 608 and 609 were all retired on May 22, 1959 at Bluefield
605 retired on June 15, 1959, 600 was retired the next day
610 and 612 both were retired on August 21, 1959.

Without any kind of documentation, but based on observation of photos, I suspect the last Js under steam were the ones used in local freight on the Norfolk Division and they were stored sometime in late April 1959. If someone has some good details, I'd love to see it.

I'd guess the last one cut up might have been in early 1960.

Now I found it interesting that not one of the 14 was scrapped in Roanoke, even though Virginia Scrap Iron and Metal and United Iron and Metal both scrapped a variety of steam late, with United scrapping their last in the mid 1970s.

Ken Miller

On Jun 6, 2017, at 11:52 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:

> Thanks to all for the insight. For a mere 5K (though a fair amount of money in 1959) I am surprised other loco's weren't saved/bought out from under the scrapper.
>
> To Ken MIller;
>
> Yes my mention of the Lost Engines of Roanoke may not have quite fit my narrative of those locos that could have been saved but weren't. But, I thought I recall several individuals and groups tried to acquire them many years ago but were always rebuffed until they were "saved" several years ago. So I brought them up in passing. I am sure there are better examples but not sure of that.
>
> To Jack:
> Prince's book "Norfolk & Western Railway‑‑Pocahontas Coal Carrier" has a list of every N&W steam locomotive with info such as builder, build date, construction no., disposition, etc." From page 147 I found the following
>
> 600   Scrapped   June 1959
> 613   Scrapped   March 1959
>
> In fact all J's appear to have been scrapped/sold in 1959. Of course with the exception of 611.
>
> Kevin Byrd
> Chesterfield, VA
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