Norfolk and Western Railway class J (1941)

Norfolk & Western J Class
Ex-Norfolk and Western No. 611 on the turntable at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina on May 23, 2015.
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Roanoke Shops Serial number 311-315 347-352 388-390 Build date 1941-1950
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-8-4  • UIC 2′D2′ h2 Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 70 in (1,778 mm) Length 109 ft 2 in (33.27 m) Height 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m) Axle load 72,000 lb (32,658.7 kilograms; 32.7 tonnes) for drivers Adhesive weight 288,000 lb (130,634.6 kilograms; 130.6 tonnes) Loco weight 494,000 lb (224,074.6 kilograms; 224.1 tonnes) Tender weight 378,600 lb (171,730.1 kilograms; 171.7 tonnes) Total weight 872,600 lb (395,804.7 kilograms; 395.8 tonnes) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 70,000 lb (31,751.5 kilograms; 31.8 tonnes) Water cap 20,000 US gal (76,000 l; 17,000 imp gal) 25,000 US gal (95,000 l; 21,000 imp gal) in auxiliary tender Firebox:  • Firegrate area 107.7 sq ft (10.01 m2) Boiler pressure 300 lbf/in2 (2.07 MPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes and flues 4,693 sq ft (436.0 m2)  • Firebox 578 sq ft (53.7 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 2,177 sq ft (202.2 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 27 in × 32 in (686 mm × 813 mm) Valve gear Baker Valve type Piston valves
Performance figures Maximum speed 110 mph (177 km/h) Power output 5,300 hp (4,000 kW) Tractive effort 80,000 lbf (355.86 kN) Factor of adh. 3.39
Career Operators Norfolk and Western Railway→ Norfolk Southern Railway Class J Number in class 14 Numbers 600-613 Retired 1958-1959 (revenue) 1994 (611's first excursion service) Preserved 611 Restored 1981-1982 (611's 1st restoration) 2014-2015 (611's 2nd restoration) Current owner Virginia Museum of Transportation (611) Disposition One preserved (611), remainder scrapped

The Norfolk and Western Railway's J class were a class of 4-8-4 streamlined steam locomotives built by the railway's own Roanoke Shops located in Roanoke, Virginia between 1941 and 1950. The first batch, numbered 600 to 604, were built in 1941–42 and delivered. The 1942 unit had a booster on the trailing truck and the 1943 unit 605–610 were delivered without shrouding and lightweight side rods, due to the limitations on the use of certain materials during the war; they were classified J1. When N&W showed the War Production Board the reduced availability numbers because of this, the Board allowed the J1s to be re-fitted as Js with the lightweight rods and shrouding in 1944. The last batch, 611–613, were all built in 1950.

The first J's had 275 psi boilers, 70-inch (1,778 mm) driving wheels, and roller bearings on all wheels and rods; after 1945 boiler pressure was raised to 300 psi (2,100 kPa). Calculated tractive effort was 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) – the most powerful 4-8-4 without a booster. The 70-inch drivers were small for a locomotive that was to pull trains at over 100 mph (160 km/h). To overcome this, the wheelbase was made extremely rigid, lightweight rods were used, and the counterbalancing was precise.

As delivered, the Js had a duplex (two) connecting rods between the primary (second) and third drivers, but in the 1950s Norfolk and Western's engineers deemed these unnecessary. The 611 and several others of the Class were rebuilt with a single connecting rod. The negative effect of the J's highly engineered powertrain was that it made the locomotives sensitive to substandard track. While on loan, #610 hauled a 1,050-short-ton (950 t; 940-long-ton) passenger train with 15 cars at speeds in excess of 110 mph (180 km/h) over Pennsylvania Railroad's "racetrack", the Fort Wayne Division (a section of flat, straight track).

The class Js pulled the network's prominent passenger trains, such as The Powhatan Arrow, The Pocahontas, and The Cavalier between Cincinnati, Ohio and Norfolk, Virginia, as well as ferrying Southern Railway's Tennessean, Birmingham Special and The Pelican between Lynchburg, Virginia and Bristol, Virginia. Despite their power and speed, the class Js were among the most reliable engines, running as many as 15,000 miles (24,000 km) per month, even on the mountainous and relatively short route of the N&W.