The Norfolk & Western Railway built a fleet of fourteen (road numbers 600 through 613) 4-8-4s that were an excellent balance of strength and speed. They were built by the N&W's own forces in its shops in Roanoke, VA.

In 1941, the first five, (road numbers 600 through 604) were designated Class J and were of a streamlined design and had 70" drivers, 27 x 32 cylinders and a boiler pressure of 275 psi. They weighed 494,000 lbs and had a tractive effort of 73,000 pounds. The Class Js could achieve speeds that exceeded the steam locomotives rule of driver diameter plus 10 and could cruise at speeds well into the 90 mile an hour range.

In 1944, six more, (road numbers 605 through 611), this time designated Class J-1, were built without streamlining because of wartime shortages of materials. They were otherwise identical to the Class Js. After World War II, they were refitted with streamlining and with light weight rods. Number 610 was loaned to the PRR for testing and during tests was able to hold a steady speed of 110 miles per hour.

In 1950, after the big three steam locomotive builders had stopped building steam locomotives, the Norfolk & Western Railway built three more Class J-1s (road numbers 611 through 613). These last three were the last steam passenger locomotives built for an American railroad and were identical to the other eleven. By 1950, all of the Class Js and J-1s had their boiler pressure raised to 300 psi which increased the tractive effort to 80,000 pounds.

During the 1940s and 1950s on the Norfolk & Western, locomotives were kept in top shape in facilities that were modern, clean and well-equipped. The Js could be fully serviced in just about one hour. With this efficiency, this small group of locomotives could handle 80% of the N&W's passenger trains. They operated daily between Cincinnati and Norfolk, pulling such trains as "The Powhatan Arrow", "The Pocahontas" and "The Cavalier".

There is one survivor, number 611, which is now at the Virginia Museum Of Transportation in Roanoke, VA.