Y6 allocations, Shenandoah line locos etc.

[nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org]

Ed (King)
 
Many thanks for the information you provided on the allocation of Y6s.
 
Some further queries arise about this.
 
In Jim Nichols' book "Norfolk and Western in Color", on p.38, is a
photo with the following comments "Y6 #2121...probably returning from
pusher service on the Shenandoah Valley line...Take note of the ATC
shoes suspended from the rear of the tender, a good indication that
the engine is assigned to the Shenandoah..."
 
The tenor of the comments suggests to me (perhaps wrongly) that not
all Roanoke assigned locos received ATC equipment. Is that the case?
 
I gather from the DVD "Pocahontas Glory - Volume 2" that Roanoke was
HQ for both the Radford and Shenandoah divisions of the N&W. Were
locos specifically assigned to the different divisions? If so, perhaps
only the Shenandoah assigned locos were ATC fitted?
 
Jim Nichols' comments continue by pointing out that it was only the
107 mile stretch between Shenandoah and Hagerstown which had ATC
installed.
 
Volume 3 of "Pocahontas Glory" is specifically about the Shenandoah
division, and in it there is the following comment: "Shenandoah
Virginia was division point of the line where a roundhouse and
turntable were maintained. Y class engines are in abundance, waiting
to relieve their brothers heading north or south".
 
Putting these together, it would seem that non-ATC equipped locos
would be able to work from Roanoke to and from Shenandoah but not
beyond. If not all Roanoke assigned Ys were ATC equipped, perhaps
Shenandoah was "division point" in that sense as well.
 
A related point concerns the fact that classes J and A were apparently
not used in the Shenandoah division. Was this because they were not
ATC equipped? Or was it basically for other reasons (track curvature?
axle-loading?) - hence there would be no point in equipping these
classes with ATC?
 
I would be grateful for enlightenment on these matters from anyone who
knows, as I've probably reached a number of wrong conclusions.
 
Regards to all,
 
Frank Hung
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