GARDEN RAILWAY CO.

The Norfolk & Western Railway built a fleet of fourteen (road numbers 600 through 613) 4-8-4s that were an excellent balance of strength and speed. They were built by the N&W's own shops in Roanoke, VA. In 1950, after the big three steam locomotive builders had stopped building steam locomotives, the Norfolk & Western Railway built three more Class J-1s (road numbers 611 through 613). These three were the last steam passenger locomotives built for an American railroad and were identical to the other eleven. By 1950, all of the Class Js and J-1s had their boiler pressure raised to 300 psi which increased the tractive effort to 80,000 pounds. There is one survivor, number 611, which is now at the Virginia Museum Of Transportation in Roanoke, VA.