Vol. 19, No. 4 July / August 2003  Issue Select 
Issue Details
Cover Title: Modeling an Accurate N&W Coal Train: Conclusion
Cover Subtitle: N&W's Service in WWII: 2
On the Cover: A Y3 mine shifter eases an H5 "high-sider" under the Elm Creek Coal Corporation tipple; adjacent is H9 #80229 waiting to receive its load from the overhead conveyor. Soon the loaded cars will head west. The scene is from Bob Chapman's HO-scale layout, and is the perfect complement to the conclusion of his series on modeling an accurate N&W coal train, which begins on page 12
Articles In This Issue
Classic Ad: 1951 / Going North or South - Staff Arrow
N&W in the Military Railway Service, Conclusion - Frank Gibson
  Photo It's off to war for these inductees, shown boarding an N&W train at Camp Lee, VA for destination unknown. (N&W Magazine photo)
  Drawing Cover Art (N&W Magazine, June 1943)
  Photo War coverage was superb in the N&W Magazine. (N&W Magazine, April 1945)
  Sidebar With the 758th RSB in India (Bob Hord)
  Photo A USATC 2-8-2 locomotive lands at a Middle East port. The S-200 engines were assigned to the MRS in Iran and to British rail units in the Middle East and Italy (Photo from N&W Magazine, June 1943)
  Drawing For Him, 10% in War Bonds
N&W Freight Car Roster, Pt. 13 - 1949 - James F. Brewer
  Table Norfolk and Western Freight Car Roster, January 1, 1949 (James F. Brewer)
  Photo Class H2a 15500 was built in Roanoke Shops in February, 1948. This class, together with Class H2 and Class H3 would come to symbolize the late steam-era hopper fleet of the N&W. (N&W photo)
  Photo This 3/4 view of N&W 50000 provides a nice view of the side sill details of this group, including what appears to be a piece of reinforcing angle. (N&W photo)
Thirty Minutes in Bristol - Ed King
Modeling an Accurate N&W Coal Train: 3 / "The Triples" - Bob Chapman
  Photo As the carbuilders were rolling out new H2's, the Roanoke Shops were rebuilding 13,874 HU's and HUa's into H3's. The H3's retained the tapered side stakes of the earlier cars. (N&WHS Archives Collection)
  Photo The 1500-car H2 class delivered in 1941-1942 was N&W's first three-bay class built new; untapered side stakes diffentiated the H2's from the H3 rebuilds rolling out of N&W's shops at the same time. (N&WHS Archives collection)
  Photo While most roads opted for composite "war emergency" of the two bay design, N&W's post-1940 committment to 70-ton hoppers led to its unique composite three-bay class H4, illustrated by #30009 (N&WHS Archives collection)
  Table Production of H2a Hopper Cars (Andrew Dow, Norfolk and Western Coal Cars)
  Photo N&W's 13,500 H2a's were placed in service between 1948 and 1956. Built in 1953, #25200 features two-piece riveted side sheets and the large 24" N&W initials introduced in 1952 (N&WHS Archives collection)
  Photo Side grabs of non-standard length wre mass-produced form wire, using a simple jig of a masking tape stop wound around one jaw of needle-nose pliers (Bob Chapman photo)
  Photo Top to bottom - completed sides of H2, H2a, and H3. The H2a has two-piece side sheets, an interesting variation found on some cars. (Bob Chapman photo)
  Photo It's simple to correct the ECW end post spacing with scratchbuilt ends. On the left is the H2/H3 style, and on the right the H2a with its distinctive horizontal bulb angle. (Bob Chapman photo)
  Photo The ECW kit design has no provision for adding weight; to address this, lead shot was glued into the cavities between the hoppers (Bob Chapman photo)
  Photo Unpainted H2 carbody. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Unpainted H2a carbody, (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Unpainted H3 carbody; note tapered side stakes, Andrews trucks. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Completed H2; the class occupied the #78000-79499 number series. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Completed H2a; the 13,500 H2a's occupied several number series. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Completed H3; number series were #3000-15452 and #27000-28420. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo H2 (left and H2a (right); the horizontal bulb angle and the lengthened slope sheet support brace strengthened the H2a's. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Interior view of H3; a grab and toe clip were added inside each end sheet. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Closeup of two-piece side sheet on H2a. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Photo Composite "war-baby" H4 imported in brass by Overland Models; in 1951, N&W replaced the wood components with steel plates. (Bob Chapman Photo)
  Sidebar This Just In"; Of trucks and wheels...; And That Notorious "Late-HL" (Bob Chapman)
The Tennessean / Life as a Pass Rider - James Nichols
  Photo Here we see how the Roanoke station looked before its remodeling in the 40's. The view is standing east of the concourse and looking west. The new concourse was erected in the space toward the camera, and the old concourse and pedestrian bridge were torn down. The bottom photo shows another view of the platforms. Now the "new" concourse is gone too! Progress! (N&W Photos)
  Photo The author stands with his dad, Harvey Nichols, in front of their apartment on Princeton Avenue in Bluefield. The apartment overlooked the Bluefield passenger station, hence a love of trains was born. (Family photo)
  Photo The author takes a quick shot of his dad standing in front of the C&O steam turbine electric which was on display at the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair. The round trip from Bluefield was achieved completely by rail. (Jim Nichols photo)
  Photo The author began working on layouts as a young boy. Here, he admires his Mantua "Mike" (converted to a 2-8-4). Note cardboard supports for planned paper mache scenery. (Family photo)
Nuggets from the Archives / A Different Virginian, Part 1 - Gordon Hamilton
  Drawing Virginian Club Car General Arrangement Drawing (N&WHS Archives Collection)
In Scale / Model review - Bachmann Spectrum Virginian EL-C in HO Scale - George Hughes; Roger Nutting
  Photo Bachmann Virginian EL-C model (George Hughes photo)
  Photo The 1776 caboose is being serviced at Decatur, IL in June of 1976. On this side, the window is located before the road name (George Hughes photo)
  Photo The opposite side of the car shown in a Jan 1976 photo from Bellevue, OH. Note the differences in road name placement. (George Hughes photo)
The Virginian Local / Correct sign placement for Virginian modelers - Tom Salmon
  Drawing Tidewater Railway, Standard Location of Signs (N&W Archives Collection)
From the Pages of the Norfolk and Western Magazine, April 1942 - reprint Norfolk & Western Magazine
Vol. 19, No. 4 July / August 2003  Issue Select