Norfolk Southern 2-8-4 "Berkshire" Locomotives in the USA

Class F-1 (Locobase 53)

Data from "Class 2-8-4 23 1/2 S", Baldwin Locomotive Works Negative 11794 and data card More Power for the Norfolk Southern", Baldwin Locomotive, Volume 19, No 1 (June 1940), pp.20-23; and tables in 1947 Locomotive Cyclopedia. See also Bill Sellers, "Growing up on the old Norfolk Southern: Big Railroads are not always better" archived at [], last accessed on 14 December 2011. (Many thanks to Chris Hohl for his 22 September 2017 email reporting unlikely boiler pressure values for 177 entries. A Locobase macro caused the error; Dillon Martin for his 28 January 2023 email adding details about the makeup of this design and Chris Hohl for his 1 February 2025 email supplying the Baldwin data card and photo and for reporting the booster's tractive effort.) Works numbers were 62322-62326 in February 1940.

Firebox had three syphons equalling 86 sq ft (7.99 sq m) of heating surface, 74 sq ft (6.87 sq m) from the combustion chamber, and 18 sq ft (1.67 sq m) from arch tubes.

Baldwin gave the tender weight of 200,000 lb (91,719 kg) based on a 2/3 load of water and coal. Chris Hohl calculated the fully loaded weight (which Locobase rounded up from 249,556 lb) now shown in Locobase's specifications.

One of the smallest "Berks" built, but still larger than most 2-8-2s. At the time these Berkshires were ordered, NS was in receivership after having built a network of railroads in Virginia and North Carolina.

Dillon Martin noted several features of the design: "The locomotives had nickel steel boilers, the tender was of the Hichen type and the front pair of main drivers were equipped with the Alco Lateral Motion driving box that reduced the rigid wheel base to 11 feet 0 inches [3.35 m] in order to better negotiate the 10 degree curves between Colon and Mount Gilead."

According to Baldwin's 1940 account, increasing traffic demands and a varied profile over the 380 miles (612 km) between Norfolk and Charlotte, NC dictated the design. The engine had to "operate at moderately fast speed on level track and large tractive power on the hills, all within the weight and length restrictions obtaining on this railroad."

The result was a Mikado-sized boiler and large firebox riding on a cast-steel locomotive bed, relatively high steam pressure, and lots of superheater area. Initial reports showed a 50-75% increase in tonnage per train over the Consolidations they replaced while running at higher speeds.

As the locomotives departed from Norfolk, their first crew handled the train to Marsden, Va (125 miles/201 km). The second crew ran the Fs from Marsden to Raleigh (99 miles/161 km), and the last crew on each trip took the train 156 miles (251 km) from Raleigh to Charlotte. Fuel economy over the demanding Raleigh-Charlotte section averaged 96.13 lb/thousand gross ton miles (65.85 kg/1,000 gross tonne km) vs 114.4 lb (83.54 kg/1,000 gross tonne km) for the Consolidations and hopes for reducing that figure to 85 lb (58.23 kg/1.000 gross tonne km). Running time decreased by two hours.

Bill Sellers, who grew up in Wilson, NC, describes the 1940 arrival of the 600 and their differences: "Those were the fIrst and only stoker fired steam engines the Norfolk Southern ever had, a fact reflected in the smiling face of the fireman." He also adds a nice atmospheric touch: "The little 2-8-4s also came equipped with a throaty steamboat whistle which would send chills down the back of most mortals."

According to Prince, the Norfolk Southern sold this quintet to the Nacional de Mexico as class UR-1 (road numbers 3350-3354) in 1950.