Last Day of Revenue N&W Steam?

[NW Mailing List]

Eli

This was covered in an extensive article in the Arrow, issue two for 2020, which was the 60th Anniversary by Tim Hensley.

to quote the end of the article:

"And, there has been much conjecture as to what locomotive made the actual last run. Lloyd Lewis mistakenly wrote in an August, 1964 Railroad Magazine story that it was the 2191. This could not have been, as that engine was retired at Bluefield on Feb. 29, 1959! Others among the last road engines used at Williamson were 2123, 2136 and 2154. 

On the morning of May 6, 1960, Y6b 2190 trundled the Pigeon Creek Shifter as far west as Kermit on the last main line run; later that afternoon S1a 291 (her original number of 215 vacated for a diesel) was called to work a second-trick yard job. Crewed by engineer E.H. Richardson and fireman B. J. Wallace, it was in the wee hours of May 7 when they sadly and lovingly eased the little 291 to a coupling with the cooling 2190 in the dead line. There – with a death-rattling hiss and an occasional sigh – N&W steam died softly in the night.”

Best
Ken Miller

> On Apr 13, 2023, at 4:08 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Is there a written record of the very last day a steam locomotive ran on the N&W in regular service? Which locomotives ran to where on that day?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Eli Santin
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