Class A 1238 rolls downgrade at a good clip with a westbound freight bound for Roanoke. This is one of my favorite shots as the fireman has just begun to stoke the fire adding contrast to the steam flowing back over the train. This class A is the power on O. Winston Link's early morning recording "Mainline to Panther" and can be seen in glossy builder's photos representing the last five 2-6-6-4s built. No. 1238 was the first of five that had Timken roller bearing main and side rods like the J 4-8-4s.
just as the 1970s were a good era in virginia railroading, the 1950s and 1960s were just as colorful as the 1970s were. this a tribute to the days of simple railroading and why it served as a basis of what it is today.