Recently while reading an old railroad pictorial book, I came across some photos of VGN equipment. Several shots of an electric locomotive, it appeared to be a double unit, with a (B+B+B+B)+ (B+B+B+B) wheel arangement. Was this a permanently coupled pair? Who was the builder? What was its designation? Was it only used on the Virginian? In what area was it used? It certainly looked like it was very capable power.
Also shown were open top hopper cars, but these particular cars had 6 axles. Were these cars particular to the Virginian? Did any of the other coal haulers use this 6 axle arangement in their hopper car fleet? What was their carring capacity, over the standard 4 axle type that seemed to be the most favored type? Why did the VGN use this heavy a car, was their railroad built any different from the others in the are, other than the electrification aspect of power? What happened to them when the N&W took over the Virginian?
Also, did the Virginian own any Allegheney Class Steam (4-6-6-6) locomotives?
Thanks,
Sam
Sam,
I think the units you are refering to are the EL-2b class and were made by GE. They are covered in Hundman’s "The Locomotive Cyclopedia Vol.II. The Virginian wasn’t electrified east of Roanoke so that would be the eastern terminus. Maybe someone else with more knowledge of the VGN can help out. As far as I know they were operated in pairs as I have never seen a photo where they weren’t paired up.
You may be refering to the “Battleship” gondolas.
The VGN had the 2-6-6-6 type. Almost exact copies of the C&O version, but there were some cosmetic differences.
Thanks, Jim:
I guess that I had seen those Big Electrics, but had not dawned on me that they were possibly one unit. They certainly appeared to be imense. I wonder what their horsepower rating was? Were the EL-2b class designed to pull trains of those “Battleship” 6 axle gons? Wonder did the VGN call the 2-6-6-6’s, Allegheney’s or did they have another name for the class?
Sam
EL-2B - GE, 6800 HP for the pair - motor-generator transmission, B-B-B-B wheel arrangement each unit.
VGN had 6-axle gons from the 1920s, some (but not many) lasted until after the N&W merger. Originally built with a fishbelly configuration, rebuilt in late thirties with new bodies with straight side sills; most had Buckeye trucks. When built had a capacity of 120 tons, rebuilt capacity 105 tons.
VGN 2-6-6-6s - Blue Ridge locomotives.
Try to get a copy of “The VIRGINIAN RAILWAY” by H. Reid. Kalmbach published it in soft cover not too many years ago.
Old Timer
Thanks, Old Timer;
The Virginian was a RR that I knew little about, or have read very little on. Seems to have been a very interesting operation, though. I appreciate the tip on H.Reid’s book.
Sam
The EL-2b’s were the beginning of the replacement of the aging squarehead electrics. They were built about the same time as GN’s W-1’s, both having similar nose profiles. When they were delivered, they were advertised as weighing “over a million pounds.”