Last steam runs

[NW Mailing List]

Bob,

You are correct that N&W had steam in service (all passenger service)  between Roanoke and Monroe until on or about Jan 1, 1958.

  Ray Smoot

From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:42 PM
To: nw-mailing-list <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Last steam runs

The last steam run on a particular railroad or specific branch are often times elusive as all get out. The N&W was fortunate as it kept steam and mainline steam longer than just about any other Class 1 back in the 1950s and because of that, much more has survived regarding "lasts" of all sorts than many other roads.

Ditto for leasing of units whatever they might have been. Pennsy was notorious or was it more noted for power shortages I presume it was, for borrowing and leasing various units which were stored serviceable. Among its most noteworthy leased units were a bunch of ATSF 2-10-4's in 1956. RF&P Generals and Governors around 1951 and as noted herein, some N&W Y-3's, 5's and Y-6B's.

Finding the last steam run before full dieselization is another fun fiasco, chasing down some really empty rabbit holes for some roads. Some, Like Southern made a big play for an official "last", but then there are also some so-called "Flying Dutchmen" type stories of later steam ops as well. Some lines had lots of documentation, (e.g Shenandoah Division) which Mason Cooper has delineated in his fine work on that branch/division, but often times others aren't quite so definitive.

I've been trying to get the last steam runs for Southern out of DC for many years and while I have a pretty good idea of around when, getting the exact date and engine number is elusive. Ditto for C&O out of DC, although an excursion in June 1953 is well-documented, but I'l more like to get an in service type event. The Manassas Branch I have tried to get a "last" date but thus far, no luck.

I have been told the N&W still had steam service on the Southern to Monroe, just north of Lynchburg, until the end of REGULARLY scheduled steam (December 31,1957), but I'd sure like to find something definitive for that also.

And the list can go, as mentioned previously, the Abingdon Branch, even the Huckleberry and so many more.

If anyone has some specific lasts, I would be delighted to see such info.

Bob Cohen
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20191212/4c0117f9/attachment-0001.html>