Norfolk & Western Railways Magnificent Mallets William E. Warden.Subtitled: The Y Class 2-8-8-2s. The N&W 2-8-8-2s hauled coal and fast freights up to the very end of steam in the fall of 196. N&W was the last hold-out for steam against the wave of post-WWII dieselization in the US. Most railroads abandoned the compound articulated design in the mid-192s in favorof the simple (single expansion) articulated design, and except on the N&W the big Mallets were con fined to slow drag freights, hump yards, and coal mine shifters. But N&W refined the design up to the last of the new Y-6bs in 1952, using them on all types of heavy trains in defiance of the proven efficiencies of diesels. This book explores their fascinating history. Sftbd., 8 1/2x 11, 6 pgs., 114b&w ill., 1 maps.

Spanning more than one and a half centuries, this treasure trove examines the steam, diesel, and electric locomotives that have have kept North American commerce on the rails since the middle of the nineteenth centuty. Prolific rail author Brian Solomon takes an encyclopedic approach and describes every major type. And because locomotive-building has long been a made-to-order business, the book is arranged alphabetically by railroads from across the United States and Canada to show the variant technologies that railroads ordered to best suit their specific needs, whether for freight or passenger operations.The 75-plus railroads covered range from the best known historical lines such as Canadian Pacific, Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and Baltimore & Ohio, to today’s giant Class I roads, commuter lines, and selected short lines. The result is a profusely illustrated and beautifully presented reference guide that features more than 400 locomotive gems from throughout the ages, including historic machines such as New York Central’s J3a Hudsons, Pennsylvania Railroad’s GG1 electrics, and EMD’s classic E- and F-Units, to today’s most powerful modern diesels. All the major builders—past and present—are represented, including such heavyweights as Baldwin, Alco, Lima, EMD, GE, and more.

Uncle Sam's Locomotives looks at these magnificent locomotives and discusses how and why the designs were chosen, how they related to existing designs, what standardization entailed, and how each performed.".

Relates chiefly to Virginia.