Railroad History

Passenger and Commuter Rail

Railroading Today

Rolling Stock

Infrastructure and Terms

Museums and Tourism

Miscellaneous

About The Site

[?] Subscribe To This Site

Norfolk and Western Diesel Roster

The Norfolk and Western diesel roster was predominantly comprised of EMD models although the railroad's fleet also include locomotives from Alco, GE, and even Fairbanks-Morse. For a complete/all-time Norfolk and Western diesel roster please click here. This list of surviving N&W diesel locomotives will be categorized by original numbers the railroad assigned its units and where they are today, whether in operation, cosmetically restored, or in some state of preservation at railroad museums and tourist railroads. Also, just as something to keep in mind if you are not aware, while some locomotives may be painted/preserved in N&W colors this does not necessarily mean that they are of N&W heritage (and likewise, some locomotives may be of N&W heritage that are not in N&W colors).

American Locomotive Company (Alco)

· Alco T6 #41: Preserved by the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society as N&W #41.

· Alco C630 #1135: Preserved at the Virginia Museum of Transportation as N&W #1135.

· Alco RS3 #300: Preserved at the Virginia Museum of Transportation as N&W #300.

Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW)

· BLW VO-660 #662: Stored in Roanoke, Virginia, derelict. Originally a Chesapeake Western Railway unit.

· BLW VO-660 #663: Stored in Roanoke, Virginia, derelict. Originally a Chesapeake Western Railway unit.

Electro-Motive Division (EMD)

· EMD GP9 #620: Preserved by the North Carolina Transportation Museum as N&W #620.

· EMD GP9 #675: Preserved and in operation by the Bluegrass Railroad Museum as N&W #675.

· EMD GP30 #522: In operation and preserved at the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society as N&W #522.

· EMD SD45 #1776: Preserved at the Virginia Museum of Transportation as N&W #1776.

Thanks to Darren Hawkins for help with the information on this page.

Also, it should be noted that some former N&W switcher and road units continue to remain in some state of operation and in active revenue service with Class Is, Regionals, shortlines, or leasing companies. To learn more about the disposition of these locomotives please click here to visit The Diesel Shop.

While this list will continually be updated it certainly does not completely cover every surviving unit, which was on the Norfolk and Western diesel roster. So, if you know of any other survivors out there, whether they are parked and gleaming in a museum or sitting out in the weeds along a forgotten siding please let me know so we can keep this list growing, and you will be given full credit for your help.

For more information on the all types of classic diesel locomotives consider Mike Schafer’s Vintage Diesel Locomotives which looks at virtually all of the classic builders and models from Alco PAs to early EMD Geeps. If you’re interested in classic FMs, or diesels in general, this book gives an excellent general history of both.

You may also want to consider the book Evolution of the American Diesel Locomotive by author J. Parker Lamb. As the title implies the book looks at the history and development of the diesel locomotives, covering 200 pages, from its earliest beginnings to the newest designs and models operated today. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

footer for norfolk and western diesel roster page