Norfolk and Western Operation Fast Freight

Follow a N&W freight eastward on the Norfolk & Western from Columbus, OH to Norfolk,VA as they make up time freight 86 in the heyday of steam on the N&W

[@SteamKing2160]

22:58 The only time a N&W Y2 1700 class locomotive has been caught on film.

[@bluecomet390]

Wow. Hand written records, ice blocks for refrigeration, Telegraph keys. And a 1952(?) Chevy. Love this video.

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

And Boxcars. No intermodals here AT ALL. And N&W commitments to steam engineerings. to the point of using heaviest rails and even upgrading their bridges and cutting larger tunnels to fit with Y-6B Supermallets, and even with entirely doubletracked mainlines. The Y6-B had put a shame on GM because it turned out to be more efficient than EMD Diesels of that time. N&W Had resisted dieselizations for so many years. the video also cited the very reasons they opted not to dieselize by that point, deposits of bituminious coal right within N&W Domain.

[@b3j8]

N&W built it's last Y6(b), #2200, in 1952. One wonders why this Y6 was not saved rather than the 2156.

[@itmcbhpbgf.6374]

there was a group that was hoping to save N&W Y6b 2174, but it was in a scrapyard in Roanoke that just so happened to be owned by a British firm, who had no interest in big, American steam engines, so it, along with another N&W A class was cut up. =____=

[@timsricochet]

The caboose's had a big sign by the toilet "do not use in the station" because it dropped out on the track. lol like they needed to be reminded.

[@b3j8]

So did many older style passenger cars from not that many yrs back!

[@pauljw7697]

I rode the Amtrak Broadway Limited back in 1981 from Greensburg, Pa to Philadelphia for a wedding. It surprised the hell out of me when I flushed the toilet & saw the blur of the railbed flashing by in the bottom of the toilet. From that day on, I looked closely at the ground when I walked along the tracks picking black raspberries. I rode passenger trains short distances occasionally in my daily commute, but never used the restrooms. I thought they would have a holding tank like a motorhome or travel trailer, but they didn't.

[@vector6977]

The guy on the roof of the boxcar= not one fuck given.

[@NS2589]

dude I am really digging these old RR promo videos you are putting up! keep them coming! i know you like this one cause the N&W was still using steam ;)

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

N&W Already invested so much upgrading their systems to support Y6b (and maybe even bigger Mallets if bests of steam engineering guilds did successfully capped EMD Diesel hypes of the 40s-50s). Also their steam engineering was at zenith, the other good reasons N&W resisted dieselizations is that it served bituminious coal deposits, an easy access fuel source. Many of N&W Steamers outperformed EMD Engines of that time.

[@thomasavensjr.2790]

Very impressive and enjoyable documentary about the tasks of freight shipment operations involving the N&W railroad, this documentary was also impressive for displaying the variety of steam power operating on the N&W railroad system, including the various articulated locomotive classes.

[@routeman680]

Not the clearest video but fascinating. Thanks for uploading. Great to see steam giants moving long freights, and the huge team of employees supporting the operation in pre-IT days. Also, I don't think I saw a single obese person in this film!

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

This was the world before intermodals came to exists. And boxcars aren't really die out so easily. quite an amazing to me even with intermodals had prove themselves.

[@cheekymonkey444]

Now it's: Uphill slow, Downhill fast, Tonnage first, Safety last!

[@Prolificposter]

Interesting to see how they tracked cars before computers, RFID, and GPS (at 13:05).

[@byates59]

I love these old train video's Heath!!! Thanks for sharing. Bill

[@hartmutlorentzen9659]

A wonderful video, great information, Thanks, from Germany

[@gregrowe1168]

30 minutes downtime in the yard changing crews and inspecting cars, that wouldn't happen today. Just can't operate by that kind of schedule anymore.

[@25mfd]

@Micah the Nerd Saxophonist a schedule where trains simply by-pass the yard altogether... precision scheduled railroading does just that

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

Stackable dieselizations ruined every good things American RR once capable of. So when did they set a norm to stack 4-6 Diesel Locomotives with one or two kilometers long freighttrains rathern than maintaining timed freights like they once capable of?

[@aocruiser]

Awesome video Heath! Keep them coming!

[@205stacy]

Heath, I love it! Love the N&W.

[@chiconian49]

Great film!

[@cva6238]

Wow!! Efficiency, hard work, dedication to one's job. What happened America?

[@wiestbound]

@Heath Nicks, Really? "Oh, life was so much simpler back then without all of the technology I use everyday that makes nearly everything in my life a hundred times easier."

[@gibiliz]

FANTÁSTICO

[@billyjoebobway]

Life was so much easier then....now we have a corrupted govt and a world gone greedy...I didnt think I could sit through 26 minutes....but it went by fast watching this great video....thanks for posting it....

[@williammoxon4104]

Are there any videos of the N&W's boxcab electrics (like the LC-1) in operation? I see the cantenary at 15:58, but I never see the locomotives.

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

AFAIK N&W Did use electric locomotives particularly for mountainious sections and for pusher engines particularly.

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

Tell me about this bridge at 15:31 and a giant tunnel at 15:51 . Where exactly are these two things located along N&W (and later NS) domain>? Did the Bridge and Tunnel also named? if so what are these names? and did NS still use these bridges and tunnels they built in 40-50s?

[@KLTrainz]

What is the location at 19:07? I've seen this location before in photos, but can't find a name.

[@SteamKing2160]

I think that was shot between Roanoke and Bluefield but I am not 100% sure. It wouldn't be between Lynchburg and Norfolk since all that land was mostly flat.

[@j.christopherlindsey8933]

K&L Trainz Things have changed, but I'm thinking that's somewhere near the Radford area.

[@rhettrobinson1361]

3:00 what is the signal the conductor gave with his lantern

[@Isochest]

Great to see morse telegraphy was still in use as well as steam traction. We need a slower pace of change of technology but perhaps the human awakening to the world's Psychopaths will propel us to enlightenment.

[@NW-gi1cp]

Yup

[@mbart5113]

According to the North American Norfolk and Western steamer freight trains, what does “Every engine has to pull its own freight train,” mean?

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

AFAIK It means in the Steam Era, N&W runs superpower engines. with heavy tracks, strong bridges and large tunnels to support ones.

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

22:49 So in American English. Durham is prounounced 'Derrlam' and not 'Daarlaam'?

[@timsricochet]

HAhaa TSHTF, I mean the rails not the fan and I hope you were not too close.

[@daylightbigboy]

LionelKid18, you are so right. In my opinion, UP or BNSF should try a N&W class J on their railroads because it was little maintenance compared to other steam locos. Or maybe try a geared logging loco because they can go up steeper grades than diesels. Steam is more powerful than diesel. GO STEAM!!!!!!!!!!

[@mikeytrains1]

Peter Ronney Ding dong, your opinion’s wrong. Shays are extremely slow, and on s massive system like UP’s and BNSF, speed is indeed key to get goods from one spot to another. Also, there’s only one left of the J class, and buildinf a steam locomotive takes time and money, look at how long 60163 “Tornado” took to be built ENTIRELY from scratch! Also, steam locomotives aren’t as economical.

[@commonman10]

Steam is only efficient at high speeds, and other than the Ohio-Virginia spine of the N&W, there were few places where steam was efficient. Steam lasted as long as it did on the N&W simply because fuel was cheap. The N&Ws first priority was always efficiency, once they saw how cheap diesels were the fire went out.

[@fallenangel4052]

At first, however, the N&W thought that steam was superior. They thought that steam was everything and diesel was nothing, but alas, they eventually realized that it was the total opposite. And yes, Shays are useless for practically every single railroading company due to their extremely slow speed, but they are useful for the small companies. The Union Pacific would surely need something much faster, and besides, the engines the U.P. had were far more powerful and not just faster.

[@karlrovey]

@@commonman10 NW did a study that found its new steam was cheaper to operate and maintain than the diesels available at the time and initially decided to try to keep the steam locomotives until the end of their expected service lives. Parts shortages (due to every other railroad switching to diesels) changed that plan.

[@DiscothecaImperialis]

@@karlrovey Actually when Baldwin and Alco switched from steamers to diesels (As well as many other steam loco builders elsewhere in the world particularly in UK and Europe stopped making new steamers altogether which otherwise N&W could still operate steamers for one more decade by importing parts). and it came shortages of interchangeable parts for their steamers and Roanoke shops. AFAIK Many steamer builders became broke when switching to Diesels. like Alco and Baldwin.

[@garymathews9534]

why change out the caboose ?

[@BackshopRailProductions]

They always changed out the caboose and the locomotive at the different terminals and with a fresh crew.

[@garymathews9534]

why ?

[@tgmelinda7544]

gary mathews maintenance and general houskeeping reasons

[@Prolificposter]

Back then the conductors were assigned cabooses, so when the crew changed, the caboose did too.