Atlantic Coast Line R-1 4-8-4's

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Having worked in engine service for the ACL beginning in  September 1941,
once in awhile I have one of those  "what  if" questions to pop up in my head.
You fellows on the N&W are justifiably proud of your J class 4-8-4's, as  they
performed well in the assignments for which they were built, which was to
handle passenger trains over the curvey rip-rap of the N&W between Norfolk
and Cincinnati.   Compared to the ACL, the N&W was only incidentally in the
passenger business, half of which was a joint operation with the Southern
Railway.   In an acceleration test, ACL  R-1 No. 1800 was coupled to twenty
heavyweight friction bearing passenger cars that weighed 1500 tons ( and  not
to a 12 or 14 car lightweight  Powatan Arrow easy rolling train set.)  The
1800
went from a dead stop to 70 MPH in eleven and one-half minutes and eleven
miles.  They were capable of handling up to 21 heavyweight cars at 90 MPH,
and made the schedules of the ACL's fastest trains in a little better than 13
hours between Richmond, Va. and Jacksonville, Fl.  The N&W was not even in
the same ballpark with the ACl when it came to operating passenger trains. 
I submit to you that A J class locomotive with it's 70 inch drivers could not
have matched an ACL R-1 in an acceleration test with 1500 tons.   Stuart
Saunders, who was not the brightest star to ever shine at the N&W bought
eight of the 12 large 24,000 gallon tenders off the 1800's from the ACL for
use on some of the N&W Y class locomotives when the ACL scrapped the
1800's.   Bill Sellers