#2508
Norfolk and Western Class A
🇺🇸 United States ·built by Roanoke Shops· from 1936· class of 43 American 2-6-6-4 simple articulated locomotives
what is it?
The Norfolk and Western "A" was a class of 43 2-6-6-4 simple articulated steam locomotives built by the Norfolk and Western's (N&W) Roanoke Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, between 1936 and 1950 and operated until the late 1950s. These articulated locomotives were designed to haul both fast freight and passenger trains for the N&W and only one has been preserved, No. 1218.
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 90 years ago, in 1936.
- 4.2 MW is about 49 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 43 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 36.9 m long: about 8 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 25 years (1936–1961).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1936–1950
- in service from
- 1936
- retired
- 1961
- status
- preserved
- number built
- 43
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- Roanoke Shops
- designer
- John A. Pilcher
- operators
- Norfolk and Western Railway
- top speed
- 113 km/h
- power
- 4.2 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-6-6-4
- length
- 36.9 m
- weight
- 260 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q54753171, Wikipedia: Norfolk and Western Class A (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.