" THE THUNDER OF STEAM IN THE BLUE RIDGE " 1958 NORFOLK & WESTERN STEAM LOCOMOTIVES J-CLASS 48314

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This black & white film shows Norfolk & Western steam locomotive trains that ran in the Blue Mountain region of the United States with the footage shot in Virginia. This was filmed by Fred McLeod primarily in 1958 and released in 1963. Two primary classes of motive power are seen -- the Y6B class and the J class. The Y6b class locomotives were a group of 30, 2-8-8-2, articulated steam locomotives built between 1948 and 1952. They were decommissioned and scrapped roughly a decade later. The elegant, streamliner class J was used primarily for passenger service. Along with the class A and class Y freight locomotives, these represented Norfolk and Western's "Big Three" and the pinnacle of steam technology. One class J locomotive, #611, survives today. One Y6A also survives, #2156, the sole survivor of the railroad's Y5, Y6, Y6a and Y6b classes. After a series of mergers, the Norfolk and Western is known today as Norfolk Southern Railway.
Opening title cards (:06). A Norfolk & Western passenger train pulled by the J-class streamliner 601, the Powhatan Arrow, coming down the tracks (1:03). Its route ran from Norfolk to Cincinnati. The Cavalier (1:39). Norfolk & Western passenger train, the Pocahontas (1:49). The Pocahontas (2:16) pulled by J-class engine 606(2:41). The Pocahontas leaves Bedford, VA and passes by another train (3:15). Norfolk & Western long hood diesel locomotive pulls cars filled with coal (3:44). A-class articulated 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive hauls coal (4:23). Norfolk & Western A-class 2-6-6-4 locomotive 1214 pulls coal as it goes down the tracks (4:50). From far in the distance, a train starts to come down the tracks and gets closer and closer (6:41). Locomotive pulling railcars (7:34). Norfolk & Western 1214 pulls cars filled with coal (7:56). N&W locomotive pulls railcars, some with coal through a mountainous region (8:42). Pusher assistance from a Y6B class, 2-8-8-2, four-cylinder, compound articulated, "Mallet" type steam locomotive, to help a N&W train move forward when the grade is steep (9:44). A N&W train on the rails gets pusher assistance from a #2152, a Y6B class 2-8-8-2, at the rear (10:22). A N&W train on the rails gets pusher assistance from a Y6 class 2-8-8-2 at the rear up a hill (11:34). A N&W locomotive #2178 gets pusher assistance from Y6 class (12:13). A N&W locomotive gets traction assistance from A-class (12:50). A N&W locomotive #2142 gets help from an A-class (13:17). A N&W train gets pusher assistance from A-class #2142 (14:30). A N&W train gets pusher assistance from an A-class on the rear (14:54). A N&W train gets pusher assistance from an A-class #2179 (15:28). Norfolk & Western locomotive #2152 goes by followed #2156 (17:02), followed by the Southern Railroad's Tennessean (16:39), pulled by an E8A type diesel locomotive. A long Norfolk & Western freight train passes by (17:56). The steam age has ended. End credits (18:39).
The Norfolk and Western class J was a class of fourteen 4-8-4 "Northern" streamlined steam locomotives built by the railway's Roanoke Shops located in Roanoke, Virginia from 1941 to 1950. They were operated by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) in revenue service until the late 1950s. These locomotives were built to run on the N&W main line between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio, pulling the Powhatan Arrow, the Pocahontas and the Cavalier passenger trains as well as ferrying the Southern Railway's the Birmingham Special, the Pelican and the Tennessean between Monroe, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee.
The Y6b class were a class of 30 2-8-8-2 articulated steam locomotives built at the N&W's Roanoke Shops between 1948 and 1952, numbered 2171-2200. They were used generally for freight service on the N&W, even on time freights (which is unusual work for a Mallet). They were eventually replaced by the EMD GP7s and GP9s through the late 50’s. In 1959, locomotive 2174 hauled a "Farewell to Steam" excursion, and shortly thereafter it was sold to a Roanoke area scrap yard, where it languished for 16 years, thanks in part to a manager who had a soft spot for steam engines. The rest of the class was scrapped between 1958 and 1961.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@gregrowe1168]

These locomotives working hard pulling these heavy trains uphill sounded amazing.

[@jimwhitman3678]

Nice to see a train without graffiti.

[@markcrew3696]

Lol so true

[@cavemanballistics6338]

The N&W built some of the finest steam power in the world!

[@jamesvance8456]

aGREE, rOANOKE,vA. sHOPS

[@ericmarmal9849]

I can tell I'll like this already.

[@TheRancher03]

I was lucky to watch these great trains as a kid and still buy Lionel locomotives from this era.

[@theblocksmith645]

Lionel still makes amazing products like there vision line

[@optout130]

More groups are restoring classic trains AND railroad lines/ tracks so you can still see or ride on them. There are also lots if great train museums. Especially in PA. We have had the N&W J 611 visiting in Strasburg all summer. ~ Take Care

[@rogerlollar4325]

Cool

[@melissakarl]

Master piece❤❤❤:seal of approval by Aeros

[@gsabree9743]

My grandparents lived in Cincinnati in 1956. Their house was close to a N&W yard just up from a crossing. My mom and brothers took the B&O to the Queen City almost every summer to visit and as soon as we greeted our grands, we boys would go train watching until supper time. We loved the Y6s.

[@buixrule]

This was an outstanding video. The narration pages were great also. Absolutely love the couple shots that showed some mid 50's cars driving by. This country was a manufacturing powerhouse back in those days.

[@RickyJr46]

Periscope never disappoints! Thanks for this morning iron supplement! 🖤

[@danielhemple8649]

My favorite road because they made their own great engineering

[@robdegraw1568]

Great video! Thanks for posting

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gilbertoviviani9273]

Tkx for posting this video. It has all the elements I need to help me out making train sets in my HO layout 🤜🤛

[@marbleman52]

I really enjoyed watching the various locomotives and the explanations about what was happening. Thanks...!!

[@diggersdentysonu.k.m.d8813]

Hope your week is going relly well amazing video as allways a ture legend and a big 👍 from me keep up that hard work and looking forward to the next one

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks for the visit and welcome aboard. Help us save and post more orphaned films and get the inside scoop on Periscope Film! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a differe

[@acersalman8258]

very very beautiful traine❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jrcrawford4]

Ugh. The watermark obscures the text... Great footage otherwise!

[@rdgk1se3019]

Any old films on the N & W electric operations and Virginian Railway would be nice to see.

[@billsimpson604]

Electric trains might still be around a million years from now. Unless they invent an anti gravity machine.

[@stevew270]

Cool to see 2156 as the pusher. Thanks for uploading!

[@AZX40867]

Most of the scenes incorporated in this film where photographed in 1957's nw 1217 N&W

[@keithgutshall9559]

The trains have a lot of head end cars,mail and packages . That was before UPS and FedEx.

[@dennisyoung4631]

That situation might well return to a degree in the years to come.

[@timashwell5005]

It takes a lot less steam engines to get it over the hill compared to diesels

[@NW-gi1cp]

Cries

[@jaedenlyons]

16:55 that’s 2156!

[@artismbyjoey779]

Do the bells and whistles sound different!?

[@b43xoit]

Yes. At least, the whistles did. They had various numbers of "chimes" tuned differently.

[@lemurgecko1513]

am typing this while look in bright light ahead come closer

[@rogerlollar4325]

They're cargo movin people from n&w railway

[@evanhodgson3104]

I wonder if someone thought about heating steam train with nuclear control rods after the war like air craft carriers today

[@tz8785]

There is little point to have the trouble of a mobile nuclear reactor with all of its shielding and additional supply systems when you can have a nuclear power plant that stays in place and supply the power by overhead wire. On top of that, loading gauge limits the size of the reactor, especially if you want to also have shielding. Also, for places where electrification wasn't viable, diesel locomotives were good enough not to bother either.

[@ZAV1944]

@@tz8785 Not to mention a potential nuclear accident in the event of a wreck.

[@joshwilberger6735]

Trains without graffiti. I miss America.

[@dougberrett8094]

I see it mentioned already but the number and timer being in the frame shows disdain for your viewers.

[@zackstewart4109]

It's only an inconvenience if you intend to pirate the video, Doug.

[@dougberrett8094]

@@zackstewart4109 no it’s a pain if you are trying to read the text behind it on the screen.

[@paulwomack5866]

They used to have smaller number/timer and their film were repeatedly pirated. So "that's why we can't have nice things"

[@dougberrett8094]

@@paulwomack5866 understood, but they could have moved it just enough when text was on the screen so that one could read the text, or they could have read the text with voice over.

[@optout130]

Luckily, it doesn't block much of the historic facts being given. With a little work we can piece together what was being shared. O.T. Didn't realize until recently that people were copying/ plagiarizing others' popular works and then passing them off as their own purely for monetization / viewer status.

[@paulwomack5866]

Pretty much the upper limit for steam engine power en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_and_Western_2156

[@markantony3875]

No, there were plenty of steam locomotives with more horsepower than the Y Class. The C&O H8 Allegheny was pretty much the limit of a single steam locomotive with over 2000 more HP than a Class Y. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-6-6-6 and kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWjIhYWhiLOphdU

[@paulwomack5866]

@@markantony3875 thank you

[@markantony3875]

@@paulwomack5866 You are welcome.

[@DeCasoU1]

The trouble with the Allegheny was that it had too much weight on undriven axles, in excess of 260,000 lbs whereas the Y6 only had some 60,000 lbs on undriven axles and it a had an adhesive weight some 15,000 lbs greater than the H8. It was a far better machine for the work that it had to do. The extra horsepower of the H8 came at a great expense in extra weight which did nothing to allow these engines to deliver their power successfully. @@markantony3875