Vol. 12, No. 4 July / August 1996  Issue Select 
Issue Details
Cover Title: The Travelin' Molly
Cover Subtitle: Saga of the 485
On the Cover: Long after she left the N&W roster, class M No. 485 is shown in her ACL livery carrying No. 7034. The ACL was the fourth owner of this much-traveled "Molly." Without a doubt, she became the best looking of all the former N&W 4-8-0's; the white wheel trim and dulux gold cylinder jacket rectangle, numbers and tender-side monogram made her special. Tom Dressler's article on this much-traveled M begins on page 4.
Articles In This Issue
Observation / A New Beginning - Jarrell Greever
Mailbag - Staff Arrow
  Photo The photo below shows the train waiting to head east for another "take". The consist included locomotive #4634 with four loaded hoppers and 4 empty MofW flats, The set did get dusted with coal as the train went by at 33 mph. (Mike Ritschdorff photo)
The Travelin' Molly - Thomas D. Dressler
  Photo Former N&W Class M No. 485 became Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast No. 34. She is shown here at Birmingham, AL in April of '46, and illustrates several changes. A larger compound air pump with raised running board sections, ACL-style pilot and modifications to the cab sides are the most prominent. The low water alarm has been removed but she still has that "N&W look." (H. K. Vollrath photo, Thomas D. Dressler collection)
  Photo N&W No. 433 gained fame as one of the engines that hauled "The Virginia Creeper" from Abingdon, VA to West Jefferson, NC. She was among the majority of M's, ones which stayed on N&W rails their entire life. She was donated by the N&W to the town of Agbingdon, and rests on permanent display at the entrance to "The Virginia Creeper Trail,' a hiking path that runs the entire distance of the original rail line. (Jarrell Greever photo)
  Photo N&W Class M, No. 411 was a twin sister of No. 485 when the latter was sold to the HPT&D. The road pilot, spoked engine truck wheels, Baker valve gear, and various other fittings were common. The 411, in this 1938 view, does not have the outside steam pipes but she does carry a cross-compound air pump. Note the Nathan low water alarm mounted to the outside of the steam dome. (Thomas D. Dressler collection)
  Photo The AB&C placed a very nicely styled "diamondized" herald on their tender sides leaving no doubt as to whom they belonged. No. 103 was a medium-sized 10-wheeler (4-6-0) Baldwin product of 1907 and was formerly AB&A No. 1611. (H. K. Vollrath photo, Thomas D. Dressler collection)
  Photo 0-8-0 Switcher No. 1 illustrates the sparse lettering and numbering common to HPT&D steam locomotives. The smallish No. 1 was a Porter product of 1925 and first served the Chicago By-Products Co. as their No. 1 (H. K. Vollrath photo, Thomas D. Dressler collection)
  Table Where They Went: A history of the 14 M's sold by the Norfolk and Western
The Tennessean / New Products in HO - James Nichols
  Photo The new N&W BPA "door-and-a-half" boxcar from Sunshine Models. An additional version with a single "Youngstown" door is also available.
The War Babies - Mason Y. Cooper
  Photo The appendix from Norfolk and Western's 1941 order lists the quantities of equipment ordered and total cost.
  Drawing 70 Ton Hopper Car Class H2 (N&W drawing)
  Table Appliance Variations as specified in bids for Class H2 70 ton Hopper Cars constructed by the Virginia Bridge Co.
  Table Appliance Variations as specified in bids for Class H2 70-ton Hopper Cars constructed by the Bethlehem Steel Co.
  Drawing 50 Ton Steel Sheathed Box Car Class B5
  Table Appliance Variations as specified in bids for Class B5 40-foot Box Cars constructed by the Ralston Steel Car Co.
  Drawing Class B4 Box Car
  Table Appliance Variations as specified in bids for Class B4 50-foot Box Cars constructed by the Greenville Steel Car Company.
The History of the South Side Railroad, 1846-1870 / Part 2, Finance and Construction: 1 - James Bisbee
N&W Airslide Covered Hoppers - Wilson McClung
  Photo Fig 1; N&W HC-12 2600 cu.ft. capacity AIRSLIDE covered hopper (early version with diagonal braces) in "steam era" lettering (N&W Railway photo collection, VPI&SU Libraries)
  Photo Fig 2: Here, Class HC-12a appears in 1960's "half-moon" scheme. Note the steel plate onto which the half-moon has been stenciled. (N&W Railway photo collection, VPI&SU Libraries)
  Drawing General arrangement diagrams fo HC-12 (top) and HC-12A (bottom) 2600 cu.ft. capacity Airslide covered hoppers (Drawings courtesy of Norfolk Southern Corporation)
  Photo Fig 3: N&W H-12A (late version without the diagonal braces and with extended side sheets) in 1960's "half-moon" (top), "NW" (middle), and early 1980's "NORFOLK AND WESTERN" (bottom) schemes, with corresponding models on right. (W. S. McClung photos)
  Photo Fig 4; From top: HC-61 (ex-Wabash) in early 1980's "NORFOLK AND WESTERN" scheme; HC-89 (ex-LOAX/Wabash) in 1970's "NW" scheme, and HC-26 (ex-Nickel Plate) in half-moon scheme. Note that the half-moon herald on the "merger" cars was stenciled directly to the car side between the ribs, and lacked the square steel plate of the original N&W cars. Corresponding models are on right. (WilsonS. McClung; Charles Yungkirth of Rail Data Services)
The Case of the Mysterious Steam Crane! - Roger Nutting
  Photo Tow photos of crane in Bluefield yards (Roger Nutting photos)
Current News - Robert G. Bowers
Vol. 12, No. 4 July / August 1996  Issue Select