N&W Class J 4-8-4's

[aricat]

In July of 1958 I believe that I saw a N&W Class J 4-8-4 on the ACL main line between Richmond and Petersburg Virginia. The time was around dawn; the engine was southbound and I was looking west. There was quite a glint of sun on the engine since it was sunrise. At the time there was direct passenger service between Norfolk and Richmond. Did N&W locomotives run through to Richmond? I was hoping to see N&W steam on a family trip to Virginia. I saw only a freight powered by leased  Pennsy diesels and a N&W diesel which was switching at Waynesboro. The J was my only sight of N&W steam.

[BigJim]

You probably didn't see a Class J. Instead it would have been the streamlined Class K2/K2a. These 4-8-2's were streamlined to look just like the J's late in the 40's. They were also standard power on "The Cannonball" between Petersburg and Richmond running on the ACL mainline.

[Deggesty]

One afternoon, I was downtown in Bristol, and saw the local come in from Roanoke, I thought at first that the engine was a J, until I saw that it was a Pacific and not a Northern. This was my introduction to the streamlined K2/K2a's. I saw only J's on the Tennessean and Pelican; I do not recall what was used on the Birmingham Special, but I doubt that, except in a case of dire need, anything other than a J was used on the heavier trains.

[j610]

the K was a 4-8-2 mountain , not a pacific.    RON