Program Itinerary:
0:00: Arrival from the shop
0:43: Taking on water and servicing
2:08: Marching up the grade at Carpenter’s
3:06: Carpenter’s Crossing (Black Horse Road)
3:51: “The 19th Century Limited now arriving,” return to Strasburg at the Water Tower
4:53: Easing to a stop at Tower J
5:46: Sunset at Esbenshade Crossing
7:05: Last light at Groff’s Grove
In the Amish Country in southeastern Pennsylvania, one of the most acclaimed heritage railroads in the country takes visitors back in history when life moved just a little slower. At the Strasburg Rail Road, steam is always king, with 3 locomotives providing continuous steam service; Canadian National 89, Great Western 90, and the subject of this program, Norfolk & Western 475.
475 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for Norfolk & Western in June of 1906, the locomotive having a rather unique 4-8-0 wheel arrangement known as a “Mastodon,” crews would nickname them “Mollies.” While the more common 2-8-2 “Mikado” was proving more popular with other railroads, the N&W wasn’t sold on the design, believing the heavy firebox would best be supported by the driving wheels, allowing the weight to contribute to the locomotive’s tractive effort. Thus, N&W went ahead with the Mastodon over the Mikado, designated as the N&W’s M Class. The fleet would be pressed into mainline freight service, with coal drags being a commodity for the fleet of 125 locomotives. As steam technology advanced, the M Class would be phased out of mainline freight service as the Y Class 2-8-8-2 “Mallet’s” were introduced, but the venerable Mastodons would continue on in branch line service until their retirement in 1957.
After escaping the scraper’s torch and changing hands several times, ol’ 475 would finally arrive at the Strasburg Rail Road in 1991. Two years in the Strasburg’s world class shops would result in 475 finally turning a wheel under her own steam, 36 years after being retired by the N&W. Now one of two representatives of her class, 475 is the only Mastodon under steam, providing memories for the newest generation of rail enthusiasts as she rambles on through Pennsylvania’s Amish County.