Norfolk & Western's "Roanoke Shops" , which consist of the main East End shops and the West End yard and shops, have an extensive and interesting history, and today we'll be taking a look at that history.
Our story begins in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1881, though at this time Roanoke was actually known as Big Lick... yes, really.
Big Lick was a small, rural stop on the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad.
In February of 1881, another railroad was under construction in the area, the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, which building in it's namesake valley towards Big Lick, where they would construct a junction with the AM&O.
More than just forming a connection, the owners of the SVR would purchase the AM&O outright, and rename the integrated system the Norfolk & Western.
In October of 1881 the Roanoke Machine Works was founded, and in 1882 Big Lick would also don a new moniker; Roanoke.
I'm not sure on the exact methodology of the whole Big Lick/Roanoke naming story, but that's beyond the scope of this article, anyway.
Roanoke Machine Works would come under N&W control in 1883, and begin building steam locomotives the very next year, 1884.
RMW would produce 152 locomotives for N&W over the next 9 years, but would suspend production in 1893.
In 1897 it would be renamed to simply the Roanoke Shops, and would resume construction in 1900.
By 1953 they had built 295 locomotives, and from 1927 to 1952 built every locomotive N&W acquired.
The Shops would be a major employer in the area for decades - in the 1930's they employed over 6,000 folks, who would be working on 4 locomotives and 20 freight cars at any given time.
They would build all types of locomotives, from switchers to the huge articulated engines, and turn out some of the best locomotive designs of the steam age.
However, though N&W ran big steamers longer than most railroads, due to their heavy involvement with coal mining, which provided ready access to fuel, the age of the steam locomotive drew to a close, and the final locomotive, NW 244, an S-1a class 0-8-0 switcher, would roll out of the shops in December of 1953.
N&W would use their steam locomotives for a few more years, but would end regular steam operations in 1960.
The shops would then continue to perform maintenance, but on the new diesels.
N&W would merge with Southern Railway in 1982, and the N&W Roanoke Shops would become the Norfolk Southern Roanoke Shops.
NS would continue to use the shops up to and through the Shop's centennial anniversary, but with decreasing demand, until ceasing operations there altogether on May 18, 2020.
NS then moved all major mechanical operations to their Juniata Locomotive Shops in Altoona, PA.
However, the Roanoke Shops would continue to see service in the railroad industry - in July of 2023 Genesis Rail Services acquired the shops.
Roanoke Shops built many highly successful and impressive locomotives, but perhaps the most well known is the beautiful "J Class", such as 611 here, which rolled out of the shops in May of 1950.
I've actually had the pleasure of seeing the Roanoke Shops in person, though only from publicly accessible locations. It's an extensive and fascinating facility.
Here's one of the several turntables contained within the site's boundaries.
That does it for this short look into this small piece of railroad history - thanks for looking!
What a name and an interesting history