Virginian AG's taken over by N&W

[NW Mailing List]

N&W merged with the Virginian in december 1959 virtually on the edge of 
steam retirement. Lets just assume steam could continue way beyond that 
date or the merger occur earlier. The A's were designed for a more 
faster less graded level line for speed and some passenger service.
The Y's were already a proven success on the line. Why not an AG? 
Technical differrences, N&W had in design a Y7 which would be a full 
simple engine, no compound, they more than likely would have gone to 
that design perhaps even one up the AG. N&W needed core power on the 
Blue Ridge hills, their loco design work has always reflected that, when 
they ran the smaller engines like 2-8-0's whatever, and looked for 
better power then, they chose a 4-8-0 over 2-8-2 because they wanted to 
get the most weight on the drivers, hence the M, M-1 and M2 and M2c.
Perhaps they could have found an operating home for the AG's, likely on 
the aquired Virginian lines anyways since thats where they ran. I wonder 
if there are any other details that might prevent them from using the 
AG. Perhaps they would find a place on the mine runs.
It  would be a curious theory dig and see what others out there think 
about this. They are clearly one of the most powerfull engines, they 
were also more stocky, shorter than the Y's. 12 driving wheels versus 16 
on the Y, is that a  weight issue on the N&W? Clearanced problems?

Its a good question there.

-Lynn-


On 1/10/2016 1:38 AM, nw-mailing-list-request at nwhs.org wrote:
> Subject:
> Virginian AG's taken over by N&W
> From:
> NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> Date:
> 1/9/2016 4:25 AM
>
> To:
> "nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
>
>
> Members , here is a question from an Englishman
>
> I have read several books on the Virginian RR and Gene Huddlestones book
> on the H8
>
> My question is  :Why did the N&W mothball the 8 AG's it inherited from
> the Virginian. It seems to me that those 8 locomotives would have fitted
> in well with N&W "A" diagrams
>
> Geoff Burton

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