Norfolk and Western 1218 story

History

No. 1218 was the ninth member of the second batches of fifteen class A locomotives (Nos. 1210-1224) built in June 1943 by the Norfolk and Western (N&W), hauling fast freight and heavy coal trains and even heavy passenger trains on the N&W's Scioto Division, between Williamson, West Virginia and Portsmouth and Columbus, Ohio, along with an occasional side trip to Cincinnati. It was later moved to the Norfolk Division in the late 1950s, running between Roanoke and Norfolk, Virginia. 

In 1959, the 1218 was retired and purchased by the Union Carbide Co. in Charleston, West Virginia, where it was used as a stationary boiler at a chemical plant. In 1965, No. 1218 was repurchased by New England millionaire F. Nelson Blount for his locomotive collection at Steamtown, U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont. However, two years later, Blount died in an airplane crash, resulting in the 1218 being retrieved by the Norfolk and Western and was cosmetically restored at the East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, the same place where the locomotive was built. Afterwards, it was put on display at the Roanoke Transportation Museum in 1971.

In 1982, the Norfolk and Western, and Southern Railways were both merged to form the new Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). By the end of 1984, the NS steam program, which was started in 1966 by the Southern Railway, needed a stronger locomotive to pull the longer and heavier excursion trains by adding No. 1218 to the roster. On May 10, 1985, the locomotive was towed out of the park and moved to the Norris Yard Steam Shop in Irondale, Alabama, where it would be restored to operating condition. On January 13, 1987, the 1218 was moved under its power for the first time in 28 years and was ready for main line excursion service for the NS steam program.

In 1989, it performed a rare doubleheader with Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 587, which was very recently restored to operation by the Indiana Transportation Museum for the Asheville National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) convention.

In 1990, No. 1218 traveled to Saint Louis, Missouri, where it met up with locomotives Cotton Belt 4-8-4 No. 819, Frisco 4-8-2 No. 1522, and Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 to participate in another rare NRHS convention, which took place at the former Union Station.

On November 3, 1991, during Norfolk Southern's 25th Anniversary of their Steam Program, No. 1218 joined Southern Railway MS Class 2-8-2 No. 4501 and Norfolk and Western J Class No. 611 to triple head a 28-car passenger excursion train from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Atlanta, Georgia. At Ooltewah, Tennessee, No. 4501 took a few coaches for a complete round trip, turning around at Cleveland, Tennessee. Afterwards, No. 611 and No. 1218 completed the rest of the trip to Atlanta.

At the end of the 1991 season, after completing a round-trip excursion from Huntsville, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee, No. 1218 returned to Irondale, Alabama for an extensive overhaul to have its flues replaced and the portions of the firebox repaired. Originally, the plan was to have the 1218 running again for the start of the 1996 operating season, but Norfolk Southern chairman David R. Goode cancelled the steam program in 1994 due to serious safety concerns, rising insurance costs, the expense of maintaining steam locomotives, a yard switching accident with nine passenger cars in Lynchburg, Virginia and decreasing rail network availability.

After the Norfolk Southern steam program was concluded, the 1218 was partially reassembled and towed back to Roanoke to be stored at the East End Shops in 1996, the year its overhaul was supposed to be completed. In 2001, the Norfolk Southern donated the 1218 to the City of Roanoke, clearing the way for the locomotive to once again be put on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, formerly known as the Roanoke Transportation Museum. After a cosmetic restoration by Norfolk Southern, the 1218 was towed to the Virginia Museum of Transportation on June 11, 2003 and pushed into place in its new home next to Norfolk and Western 611. In 2007, the 1218 and 611 were both temporarily put on display at the East End Shops to commemorate its 125th anniversary. On April 2, 2012, the City of Roanoke officially donated both the 1218 and 611 to the Virginia Museum of Transportation.