Norfolk & Western (N&W) Railway

Home » Appalachian Railroads » Norfolk & Western (N&W) Railway

Norfolk & Western (N&W) Railway

  • 5th railroad to cross the Appalachian Mountains, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Ohio River in 1892.
Norfolk & Western Railway

Photo: N&W Manifest and Coal Trains, Personal Collection.

The Norfolk & Western (N&W) Railway was a dominant force in American railroading, its legacy built on hauling Appalachian coal with powerful, purpose-built steam locomotives. Nicknamed “King Coal” and the “Precision Transportation,” the N&W was a remarkably efficient and profitable carrier for over a century, outlasting many rivals before its eventual merger into the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. The N&W’s story is one of strategic expansion, operational excellence, and a unique dedication to steam technology that defined its identity and success.

Norfolk & Western Railway

Photo: N&W’s Pocahantas Passenger Train in Cincinnati, by Roger Puta

Norfolk & Western Railway - N&W

Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean

The Norfolk and Western was the 3rd railroad to span the central Appalachian Mountains, reaching the Ohio River in 1892, about 4 years after the Chesapeake & Ohio. Both railroads followed the Ohio River to Cincinnati OH. The N&W also built a line north to Columbus OH. Cincinnati and Columbus remained the N&W’s two western terminuses for many years.

Because of the N&W’s strong and consistent financial performance, it was able to purchase and merge with several other key railroads between 1959 and 1964, including the Virginian, Nickel Plate, and the Wabash.

The Virginian roots: From small lines to a powerful railroad

The N&W’s origins trace back to small Virginia railroads in the 1830s. The City Point Railroad, chartered in 1838, ran for just nine miles between Petersburg and City Point on the James River. Following the Civil War, several struggling Virginia railroads were consolidated and reorganized into the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad in 1870. The AM&O fell into receivership in the 1870s, but was ultimately purchased by the Clark family of Philadelphia.

In 1881, the Clarks acquired the Shenandoah Valley Railroad and reorganized the entire system, renaming it the Norfolk and Western Railroad. They moved the headquarters to a small Virginia town known as Big Lick, which was renamed Roanoke. This move was symbolic of the new N&W’s eastward focus on the Virginia ports and westward push into the rich bituminous coalfields of West Virginia. The subsequent decades of expansion and investment solidified coal as the N&W’s primary commodity and source of revenue.

Photo: N&W Coal Train with 2-8-8-2 in the lead, 1950, personal collection.

Norfolk & Western Railway

“King Coal” and the pride of steam

Throughout the early 20th century, the N&W became known as “King Coal,” a moniker earned from the immense volume of coal it carried out of the Appalachian region. The railroad invested heavily in track and terminal infrastructure to support this traffic. In 1886, tracks were extended directly to coal piers at Lambert’s Point in Norfolk. In 1900, the Pennsylvania Railroad acquired a significant, but non-controlling, interest in the N&W. The Pennsylvania viewed the N&W as a profitable investment, allowing N&W’s management to operate with a high degree of independence.

While most U.S. railroads began converting to diesel power in the 1940s and 1950s, the N&W remained a stronghold of steam power, earning it the nickname “The Alamo of Steam”. The railroad was unique in its belief that steam was still a viable and cost-effective power source, especially for its heavy coal trains. N&W’s innovative Roanoke Shops designed and built some of the most advanced steam locomotives ever constructed, including the powerful Y-class Mallets and the high-speed, streamlined J-class passenger engines. This steam-powered operations strategy proved remarkably profitable, as the N&W enjoyed lower fuel costs by burning the very coal it hauled. Its strong financial position allowed it to pay dividends consistently, even through the Great Depression.

A new era of mergers and modernization

As the 1950s progressed, the financial and operational benefits of diesel power became undeniable, even for the N&W. Under President Stuart T. Saunders, the N&W began a swift dieselization program. Saunders also spearheaded a series of major mergers to expand the N&W’s reach and diversify its traffic base.

The first major move came in 1959 with the acquisition of its primary coal-hauling competitor, the Virginian Railway. The Virginian’s more direct, low-grade route from the coalfields to the coast provided N&W with significant operational efficiencies. This merger was followed in 1964 by a “super merger” that brought the Wabash Railroad, Nickel Plate Road, Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway, and Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railroad into the N&W system. This transformed the N&W from a regional coal carrier into a major Midwestern freight railroad with routes extending to Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

The path to Norfolk Southern and beyond

The N&W’s era of aggressive expansion continued into the late 1960s, but a proposed merger with the Chesapeake & Ohio was halted by the bankruptcy of Penn Central. The N&W also took control of the struggling Dereco holding company, which owned the Erie Lackawanna and Delaware & Hudson railroads, but later sold these assets.

The 1970s saw the end of N&W’s direct passenger service, which was transferred to Amtrak. N&W’s final and most significant merger occurred in 1982, when it combined with the Southern Railway to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation. While N&W and Southern initially operated as separate entities, they were fully integrated in the late 1980s. The N&W ceased its independent corporate existence when it was officially merged into the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1997.

  • 1980:The Norfolk & Western Railway and Southern Railway merged their business operations to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation, a holding company. 
  • 1982:The Southern Railway was renamed Norfolk Southern Railway, and the N&W became a subsidiary of this newly renamed company. 
  • 1997:The Norfolk and Western Railway was finally merged into the Norfolk Southern Railway, marking the end of the N&W as a separate entity. 

Today, much of the former N&W network remains a vital component of the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. The Appalachian coal lines, once the exclusive domain of steam, are now navigated by modern diesel locomotives. The N&W’s legacy of operational excellence, financial stability, and its unique romance with steam technology endures in the history books.

Norfolk & Western Railway Stats

  • Reporting Mark: N&W
  • Operated: 1870-1982
  • Mainline Length: 7,595 miles
  • Mainline: Norfolk VA to Cincinnati OH, Toledo to St. Louis MO, Buffalo NY to St. Louis MO, Detroit MI to Kansas City MO, Wheeling WV to Chicago IL, Toledo OH to Chicago IL, Omaha NE to St. Louis MO
  • Primary Cities: Norfolk VA, Roanoke VA, Cincinnati OH, Columbus OH, Detroit MI, Chicago IL, St. Louis MO, Kansas City MO, Omaha NE, Buffalo NY,
  • Headquarters: Roanoke VA
  • Passenger Trains: Powhatan Arrow, Pocahontas, Cavalier
  • N&W Today: Part of Norfolk Southern

N&W Historical Timeline

Click here to see a detailed historical timeline of the N&W Railway

N&W Maps

Click here to see a collection of N&W Maps

N&W Diesel Locomotive Roster

Click here to see a diesel locomotive roster of the N&W Railway.

N&W Passenger Trains

Click here for an overview of the N&W Passenger Trains.

N&W Abingdon Branch – Virginia Creeper

Click here to read about the N&W’s iconic Abingdon Branch, the Virginia Creeper.

Mercedes of Steam, N&W #1218 by Ron Flanary

Norfolk & Western #1218 - Photo by Ron Flanary

“The Mercedes of Steam”

That was how N&W steam historian Ed King described the Norfolk & Western Class A simple articulated 2-6-6-4s in his excellent book with that title. Remarkably, one of these splendid locomotives (of 43, the last of which was constructed in 1950) survived the scrap yard. Retired from service in 1959, No. 1218 and two other As were sold to Union Carbide in Charleston, West Virginia for use as stationary boilers. F Nelson Blount, the millionaire who launched the original Steam Town in Bellows Falls, Vermont, purchased the 1218 in 1965 and moved it to New England. She was the best of the trio, but the other two were scrapped. When Blount was killed in a plane crash, the N&W re-acquired the big engine and brought it “home” to Roanoke in 1971, where it was displayed for years at Wasena Park, joining Class J 4-8-4 No. 611 there.

NS president and CEO Robert Claytor had dreamed of restoring both the 611 and 1218 to active service. For the 611, that happened in 1982, while it would be another three years before two NS units pulled the 1218 from the park over temporary track. From there it underwent a very extensive rebuild in the company’s contract steam shop in Irondale (Birmingham), Alabama. At last, she was back in service by March 1987.

This was 1218’s first public excursion–a very rainy April 25, 1987. High water and downed trees almost ended the trip westbound near Narrows, Virginia, but the way was cleared and the run continued.

At Ada, West Virginia–on the last pull into the yard at Bluefield–1218 was putting on a show. The sound was just as incredible as the sight in my Nikon FM2 viewfinder when I squeezed the shutter release. The weather was so bad I was shooting Kodachrome 200–faster than my usual K64, but quite grainy. It was necessary to get a little faster shutter speed that day.

Alas, it didn’t last nearly long enough. The 1218 was withdrawn from service for major boiler and firebox work at the end of the 1991 NS steam excursion season. When the company pulled the plug on the entire program in 1994, the engine was literally in parts inside the shop in Irondale. The projected return to service year had been 1996, but it became a moot point.

Eventually the big engine was put back together, at least on the outside, and returned to Roanoke. She’s under the big shed at the Virginia Museum of Transportation now. It’s certainly not impossible that 1218 could have a fire on her grates and 300 psi of boiler pressure again, but that’s a long shot at best.

The sound of the “Mercedes” hammering toward the road crossing at Ada, with the “hooter” whistle screaming out two longs, a short, and a long, are among the best experiences of my life. It was still raining, but I was oblivious to being soaked. At such a moment, personal comfort isn’t a concern.

Lambert’s Point Coal Exporting Facility at Norfolk VA

Lambert’s Point was opened in 1886 and grew exponentially over the decades. Pier 6 is the fastest and largest coal loading facility in the Northern Hemisphere.

Photo by F. J. Conway

Norfolk & Western Railway Lambert's Point

N&W Map 1964 – Merger of N&W, NKP, and Wabash

Map courtesy of Railsandtrails.com

N&W Railway Map 1964

N&W Map 1965

N&W Railway Map 1965

Additional Information

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

Contact Us

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

Go back

Your message has been sent

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org