No. 10130 N&W-built Streamlined Class J 4-8-4 "Northern" Type Steam Locomotive, heading up the Streamlined Passenger Train "Powhatan Arrow"

Norfolk & Western Railroad

Norfolk and Western Railroad’s principal main line reached west from the tidewater coal docks at Norfolk, Virginia, to Cincinnati, Ohio, 676 miles, and it was on this mountainous route that Norfolk&Western operated its two flagship streamliners, the “Pocahontas”(see No. 10636) and the “Powhatan Arrow”(after 1946).  By 1940 many railroads were opting for new diesel power, but the Norfolk &Western’s vitality depended on coal traffic, so new coal-fired steam locomotives were designed to head up the flagship trains.  The result of this design effort was one of the most attractive streamlined steam locomotives to adorn American railroads: Norfolk & Western’s Class J 4-8-4s, introduced in 1941and heading up the “Pocahontas” at that time, replacing the Class K-1s (see No. 10636).  Resplendent in Tuscan red, gold, and black, the two streamliners became an inspiring sight as they thundered by at high speeds.
 
The two streamliners were steam-powered until 1958, when they became dieselized.  The “Arrow” ran until being discontinued in 1969, and the “Pocahontas” lasted as Norfolk &Western’s flagship streamliner until Amtrak operations began in 1971.
 
No. 10130 represents an accurate scale model in “0" gauge by MTH of the Norfolk&Western streamlined Class J 4-8-4 “Northern”-type steam locomotive, pulling the streamlined all-coach 7-car train (No. 10131) the “Powhatan Arrow,” as it would have been seen in the late 1940s to late 1950s.
 
The “Powhatan Arrow” was an all-coach daylight streamliner introduced in 1946. The “Pocahontas” was a sleeper train with heavyweight cars, with service starting 1926. It was streamlined in 1946 to run as an overnight sister train to the “Arrow.”
 
As a review, by the year 1941, expanding military activity in eastern Virginia on the eve of the Second World War caused a sizeable increase in passenger traffic on the Norfolk & Western Railroad. The dismal outlook about world affairs indicated that this type of business would reach gigantic proportions within the two years that followed. In line with this forecast, the company would require a group of larger, more efficient steam passenger locomotives to supplement the 4-8-2 “Mountain”-type engines (see No. 10636), that would need replacing on the more important through passenger runs.
 
For several years, no doubt, officials of the Norfolk & Western had been eyeing the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway’s new roller bearing-equipped “Greenbrier” 4-8-4 type engines (see No. 10243) that passed over the line at Waynesboro, Virginia. These were giving excellent performance on the mountainous Clifton Forge Division of that neighboring road between Charlottesville, Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia, in through passenger service. Finally, the Norfolk & Western decided to design and construct in its own shops a larger and more modern 4-8-4 type passenger locomotive that would better fulfill its own requirements.
 
Thus, in October, 1941, the first of a group of five new Class J 4-8-4 passenger locomotives was turned out of Norfolk & Western’s Roanoke (Virginia) Shops and placed in main line service. By the end of the following January these engines, No. 600 to 604, had been completed.
 
The first group consisting of five Class J locomotives could normally cover the run of Norfolk & Western passenger trains in both directions between Norfolk and Roanoke and Roanoke and Williamson, West Virginia, plus selected runs between Monroe, Virginia (Lynchburg), Roanoke, and Bristol, Virginia.
 
However, it was soon the wish of the management to extend the runs from Roanoke through Williamson, to Cincinnati, a total of 424 miles. Also, the other two through passenger runs between Monroe and Bristol, operated in conjunction with the Southern Railway, were to be assigned Class J locomotives. In order to provide new locomotives for these additional assignments, six additional locomotives were required.
 
Thus, in the fall of 1943 six Class J-1 4-8-4 locomotives were constructed at the Roanoke Shops. As anticipated, these proved adequate to cover the runs mentioned plus an additional round trip between Roanoke and Crewe, Virginia,  and Roanoke and Williamson. The Class J-1 was a wartime version of the J, with these new locomotives numbered 605 to 610 and listed as freight engines temporarily. Due to material shortages of metal, there was no streamlined appearance. With light weight alloys unavailable for reciprocating parts, carbon steel alligator crossheads were used in place of the more modern multiple bearing design. The gigantic-looking I-section side rods were broad but of narrow thickness to gain strength with minimum weight to counterbalance. Naturally the weight of the J-1 locomotive was somewhat less than the “J” Class since the streamlined semi-hood was lacking. However, by 1945, the Class J-1 locomotives had been streamlined and reclassified as “J.”
 
The Class J locomotives were used exclusively in passenger service, and soon were heading up the “Pocahontas” (and, in 1946, the new “Powhatan Arrow”) all the way from Norfolk to Cincinnati, (676 miles), a 16 hour trip over the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains with steep grades. These locomotives could handle 15 passenger cars over the mountains without help.
 
In 1949, Norfolk & Western finally took delivery of two all-new “Powhatan Arrow” streamlined trainsets from Pullman-Standard, more than three years after the order had been placed (due to postwar demand for passenger equipment). These consists were complete with dining and round-ended observation cars, as seen on this model train.
 
By the end of 1949 the Class J locomotives had accumulated considerable age and were requiring more running repairs in addition to their scheduled shoppings. Thus three additional engines of the Class J were completed at the Roanoke Shops by early summer in 1950, and soon placed in service. These new engines were numbers 611 to 613 and increased the Norfolk & Western’s ownership of that class to 14 locomotives.
 
The 600 series 4-8-4 type engines continued in main line passenger service on the Norfolk & Western until generally relieved by diesels in 1958. However, after giving up those duties, they did serve briefly, as required, in freight service until retired in 1958-59. Only No. 611 remains today as placed on exhibition at the Roanoke Transportation Museum.
 
As a footnote, Powhatan was the powerful chief of the Algonquian tribes from the Tidewater region of what is now the State of Virginia at the time 108 settlers (the Virginia Company) arrived from England in three ships in the spring of 1607, making landfall at Cape Henry. Their mission was to find valuable natural resources—lumber, herbs, and gold—as well as explore a water route to the Orient. The English government under King James I also wanted to resist the Spanish colonization of North America.
 
The colonists proceeded into the Chesapeake Bay and up the James River, looking for a spot to establish a colony. They chose Jamestown Island with its excellent visibility up and down the river, so it could be easily defended from other European powers that sought to conquer the New World—the Dutch Republic, France, and Spain. In one month the newcomers built a fort of wood, complete with houses, a church, and a store. Over the next three years, almost eight hundred settlers arrived to colonize the Virginia coasts. Captain John Smith was elected as the Jamestown colony’s leader in 1608, and although he was injured the following year and forced to return to England, the colonists persevered and developed tobacco growing as a successful venture.
 
The Powhatan Indian tribe (10,000 people strong) lived along the banks of the coastal waterways, in nearby woodlands, and in the local mountain valleys. They were free to worship, hunt, fish, farm, and trade with other tribes, as they had for centuries. The Indians regarded the colonists as unwelcome intruders and attacked them in December, 1607, capturing Captain Smith in the confrontation.
 
The Indians were about to beat Smith to death with clubs when Chief Powhatan’s beautiful young daughter, Pocahontas, rushed to Smith’s side, took his head in her arms, and begged for his life. Touched by his favorite daughter’s plea, Chief Powhatan declared friendship and adopted Smith as his son (Captain Smith’s story). In any event, Smith and Pocahontas became friends, and the colony’s relations with the Indians improved. The girl became a frequent visitor to Jamestown, delivering messages and accompanying Indians who liked to trade food and furs for hatchets and iron tools.
 
In 1610—after the injured Captain Smith had returned to England—the settlers kidnapped Pocahontas for a ransom, which was freeing English prisoners held by the Indians. In 1613, Pocahontas—still a prisoner—was moved to a new settlement, Henrico, where she met a successful tobacco planter, John Rolfe. With Chief Powhatan’s blessing, Pocahontas married Rolfe in 1614, bringing peace back to Jamestown.
 
In 1616, the couple and their young son Thomas traveled to London. Pocahontas met the royal family and was happily reunited with her old friend, Captain John Smith. But during the voyage home to Virginia in 1617, she fell ill with pneumonia and was returned to England. Pocahontas did not survive, and was buried in a churchyard in Gravesend, England, at the age of 22.
 
In 1619—the same year the first African slaves arrived—the Virginia Assembly was set up as the first representative assembly in North America, but in 1624 the assembly was dissolved and Virginia became a royal colony under the governance of the English Crown.
 
Today, Virginia Indians maintain their strong cultural heritage, with eight officially recognized tribes promoting Indian cultural traditions through dance, art, jewelry, clothing, crafts, and storytelling revealed in museums, commercial attractions, and cultural events statewide year round.