Last steam runs

[NW Mailing List]

Bob,

As John Garner posted on this subject, I donated to the NWHS Archives a 
tabulation of years and months of last steam dispatchments for all 
points on the N&W.  An example of the format for each point is (the last 
column is the number of steam dispatchments for each month):

Williamson    Apr. 1960    135

           15         May 1960    15

                         June 1960     0

Note:  For each dispatching point the first number (15 in this example) 
on the line for the last month with steam dispatchments (May in this 
example) is the total steam dispatchments for the entire N&W.

My recollection that this info was among some other material that I 
salvaged from N&W Motive Power files that were in the process of being 
discarded.

Gordon Hamilton

On 12/12/2019 1:42 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> The last steam run on a particular railroad or specific branch are 
> often times elusive as all get out. The N&W was fortunate as it kept 
> steam and mainline steam longer than just about any other Class 1 back 
> in the 1950s and because of that, much more has survived regarding 
> "lasts" of all sorts than many other roads.
>
> Ditto for leasing of units whatever they might have been. Pennsy was 
> notorious or was it more noted for power shortages I presume it was, 
> for borrowing and leasing various units which were stored serviceable. 
> Among its most noteworthy leased units were a bunch of ATSF 2-10-4's 
> in 1956. RF&P Generals and Governors around 1951 and as noted herein, 
> some N&W Y-3's, 5's and Y-6B's.
>
> Finding the last steam run before full dieselization is another fun 
> fiasco, chasing down some really empty rabbit holes for some roads. 
> Some, Like Southern made a big play for an official "last", but then 
> there are also some so-called "Flying Dutchmen" type stories of later 
> steam ops as well. Some lines had lots of documentation, (e.g 
> Shenandoah Division) which Mason Cooper has delineated in his fine 
> work on that branch/division, but often times others aren't quite so 
> definitive.
>
> I've been trying to get the last steam runs for Southern out of DC for 
> many years and while I have a pretty good idea of around when, getting 
> the exact date and engine number is elusive. Ditto for C&O out of DC, 
> although an excursion in June 1953 is well-documented, but I'l more 
> like to get an in service type event. The Manassas Branch I have tried 
> to get a "last" date but thus far, no luck.
>
> I have been told the N&W still had steam service on the Southern to 
> Monroe, just north of Lynchburg, until the end of REGULARLY scheduled 
> steam (December 31,1957), but I'd sure like to find something 
> definitive for that also.
>
> And the list can go, as mentioned previously, the Abingdon Branch, 
> even the Huckleberry and so many more.
>
> If anyone has some specific lasts, I would be delighted to see such info.
>
> Bob Cohen
>
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