Roanoke, Va., headquarters of the former Norfolk & Western Railway and once known as the “Alamo for Steam,” is home to the renowned East End Shops. This facility, still standing today, was where the bulk of the railroad’s steam fleet was built. Among these were three locomotive classes from the 1940s-50s, known as the “Big Three.” The Class A 2-6-6-4s, Class J 4-8-4s and Y6 series 2-8-8-2s were indeed big, but they symbolized much more during the peak and final years of N&W steam.
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