#1317
Norfolk and Western M Class
🇺🇸 United States ·built by Baldwin Locomotive Works· from 1906· class of 125 American 4-8-0 locomotives
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Norfolk and Western 475: O484· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. N&W 475 at Leaman Place Junction - August 16, 2020: Trainsfan13· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Norfolk and Western M, M1 and M2 Classes were a series of 4-8-0 steam locomotives owned and operated by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). The M Classes were primarily assigned to pull the N&W's mainline freight trains, but following the introduction of the railway's Y Class 2-8-8-2's, the M Classes were reassigned to short line freight service. They were given the nickname Mollies.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 120 years ago, in 1906.
- Weighs about as much as 15 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 22.6 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1906–1907
- retired
- 1959
- status
- in service
- number built
- 125
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- Baldwin Locomotive Works, American Locomotive Company, Richmond Locomotive Works
- operators
- Norfolk and Western Railway, Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad, High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 4-8-0
- length
- 22.6 m
- weight
- 90.7 t
- nicknames
- Mollies
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q6951247, Wikipedia: Norfolk and Western M Class (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.