N & W The Norfolk and Western

[Murphy Siding]

OK, I'm more confused. Why did they decide to call something a "J" or a "Y" class?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

N&W's class letters did not correspond with what they called steam locomotives; nor did PRRs, Southern's, C&Os, NYCs . . .

There were railroads such as the MoP that tried to relate classes to names, usually with a number following that indicated the size of the driving wheels; a 63"-drivered Mikado was an Mk-63, etc. The UP had a letter classification using the first letter of the number of wheels with a number following denoting the chronological order of the acquisition; an original 800-series Northern was an FEF-1. A Big Boy was an FEEF-1 or -2.

But the N&W used the entire alphabet for class letters over the years; there were three class As, three class Js, two Ks, two Ms, etc. (not at the same time; the original class Js were all gone before the second ones were obtained, and they were all gone before the Northerns came). Often but not always locomotives of a given wheel arrangement were grouped under one class letter; Y included all the 2-8-8-2s in the various subclasses, but there were 2-8-0s in classes B, F, G, I, and W. Rarest of all on the N&W was the class L, which included just three Roanoke-built 4-6-0s.

The PRR used class letters much the same way; the ATSF didn't use class letters at all.

Old Timer

[Murphy Siding]

Did the Norfolk & Western have some sort of classification system that corresponded to what they called a steam locomotive? Y6, J,S1etc...what do they mean?
Thanks.