Norfolk & Western Class J No. 602 departs Cincinnati Union Terminal with train No. 26,
the Powhatan Arrow, in September of 1957. Photo by David R. Sweetland.
(Audio-Visual Designs, Earlton, NY, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection.)
POWHATAN ARROW
The Powhatan Arrow was one of the named passenger trains of the Norfolk and Western (N&W). It made its inaugural operation on April 28, 1946, and proclaimed as "America's first new postwar streamliner." The Powhatan Arrow had two trains; Nos. 25 and 26, which both ran 676 miles (1,088 km) daily at daylight between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio in the opposite directions. They were usually hauled behind N&W's powerful streamlined 4-8-4 class J steam locomotives.
In late 1949, N&W re-equipped the Powhatan Arrow consist with brand-new lightweight passenger cars, dining cars, and observation cars from the Pullman-Standard Company. In 1958, the Powhatan Arrow was downgraded with the class J locomotives replaced with N&W's new EMD GP9 diesel locomotives and demoted to freight train service until they retired a year later. Additionally, the consist was drastically changed with additional mail cars, converting the dining cars into a diner-lounge types, and eliminating the observation cars.
In the 1960s, passenger traffic on the N&W started to decrease due to the population of automobiles and airlines, which led the Powhatan Arrow to be discontinued in late May 1969. The two locomotives involved in the Powhatan Arrow; class J No. 611 and GP9 No. 521 were both preserved at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia.
History
Background and beginning
After the outbreak of World War II, the Norfolk and Western (N&W) built the first batch of five streamlined 4-8-4 class J steam locomotives, Nos. 600-604, at their Roanoke Shops in Roanoke, Virginia, and ordered 15 streamlined Pm class 60-seat coaches Nos. 1720-1734 from the Pullman-Standard Company to re-equipped the Pocahontas and Cavalier passenger trains. In 1943, the second batch of six class J locomotives, Nos. 605-610, were built without streamlined casings due to wartime restrictions, which classified them as the J1s. A year later, the J1s were refitted with the casings and reclassified as Js.
After World War II ended in 1945, passenger traffic on the N&W started to decrease, but the railroad's president R.H. "Racehorse" Smith was determined to keep the passengers riding the N&W passenger trains. On April 28, 1946, Smith and the N&W officials launched their brand-new Powhatan Arrow train, which ran 676 miles (1,088 km) daily at daylight between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio. The train's name was chosen by retired N&W employee Leonard A. Scott of Dry Branch, Virginia in an N&W naming contest, and named after Chief Powahatan, the head of the Powhatan Tribe. The Powhatan Arrow consist includes a class J locomotive pulling five Pm class coaches and a De class dining car. The cars were all painted in a Tuscan red with golden yellow stripes and letterings. In June 1947, the three Pm class coaches Nos. 1720, 1721, and 1722 were rebuilt into tavern-lounge cars to provide more space for the Powhatan Arrow train.
The Powhatan Arrow had two trains: Nos. 25 and 26. The former departed Norfolk Terminal Station at 7:00 am with station stops in Virginia at Petersburg and Roanoke along with West Virginia at Bluefield and Williamson. Afterwards, it arrived at Cincinnati Union Terminal at approximately 10:45 pm. The latter departed Cincinnati at 8:20 am in the opposite direction and arrived in Norfolk at approximately 11:55 pm. The Powhatan Arrow was proclaimed as "America's first new postwar streamliner."
N&W P3 class coach No. 539, one of the passenger cars used on the new 1949 Powhatan Arrow train.
(jpmueller99, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Norfolk and Western Railway's the "Powhatan Arrow" headed by streamlined engine No. 605, a Class J Northern type 4-8-4 locomotive, passing engine No. 2300, the "Jawn Henry." The Jawn Henry was a one-of-a-kind experimental coal turbine electric that had a water tube boiler. It was rated at 4500 horsepower at 8000 rpm. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in May 1954 and left the N&W roster on January 4, 1958. ("The Powhatan Arrow" in the mountains of Virginia, photograph, 1950~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth28714/m1/1/: accessed August 25, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Museum of the American Railroad)
Norfolk and Western Railway's the "Powhatan Arrow" headed by streamlined engine No. 605, a Class J Northern type 4-8-4 locomotive, passing engine No. 2300, the "Jawn Henry." The Jawn Henry was a one-of-a-kind experimental coal turbine electric that had a water tube boiler. It was rated at 4500 horsepower at 8000 rpm. It was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in May 1954 and left the N&W roster on January 4, 1958. (The "Powatan Arrow" passing the "Jawn Henry"], photograph, 1955~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth28715/m1/1/?q=powhatan%20arrow: accessed August 25, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Museum of the American Railroad)
Re-equipment
On November 22, 1949, N&W ordered new passenger cars from Pullman-Standard to re-equip the Powhatan Arrow completely. They received two P1 class coaches Nos. 501-502, two P2 class coaches Nos. 511-512, ten P3 class coaches Nos. 531–540, two D1 class dining cars Nos. 491–492, and two D4 class lounge-tavern-observation cars Nos. 581 and 582). There were originally plans to add a dome car to the Powhatan Arrow consist, but this was cancelled due to concerns of the dome car's top section interfering with the overhead lines on the N&W's electrified line.
The P1 coaches had 48 seats and accommodates the locker and smoking lounge room areas for the dining car crew and the passengers, respectively. The P2 coaches had 66 seats with two divided room sections; the front accommodated 24 black passengers, while the rear accommodated 42 white passengers. The regular P3 coaches had 58 seats with two spacious restroom sections; the front for the male passengers and the rear for the female passengers. The D1 dining cars had 36 seats with a kitchen that was equipped with modern appliances such as an electric dishwasher and garbage disposal unit.
On November 30, 1949, the newly re-equipped Powhatan Arrow began its public media tour at various station stops between Roanoke to Bluefield. On December 4-11 that same year, the train does an exhibition tour at various station stops along the N&W mainline route. Afterwards, the re-equipped Powhatan Arrow's first revenue runs took place on December 12. In the summer of 1950, N&W built three more class J locomotives, Nos. 611-613, which were the last mainline passenger steam locomotives built in the United States.
During the early 1950s the lettering and striping was changed to imitation (Dulux) gold, while the roofs and trucks were repainted black. The heavyweight cars were painted the same as before but did not carry train name logos or striping. After absorbing the 1964 Wabash Railroad by merger, the N&W "officially" adopted blue and yellow as passenger colors at the end of 1965. The repaints were not all done right away.
The Powhatan Arrow made its last run in 1969, two years before the end of all N&W passenger train service.
A Powhatan Arrow Gallery
Postcard photo of the Norfolk & Western train the Powhatan Arrow. The train traveled between Norfolk, Virginia and Cincinnati, Ohio, ca. 1949. (Norfolk & Western Railway, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Powhatan Arrow enroute near Singer, VA, December 8, 1949. Photo courtesy the Norfolk & Western Company. (Audio-Visual Designs, Earlton, NY, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
The Powhatan Arrow speeds along the New River near Narrows, VA. Photo courtesy Norfolk & Western Railway. (Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Roanoke, VA, Public domain, via W. Lenheim Collection)
The Tavern-Lounge-Observation Car on the Norfolk & Western's Powhattan Arrow. (Norfolk & Western Railway, W. Lenheim Collection)
The beautiful Powhatan Arrow, all-coach train between Cincinnati and Norfolk. (Norfolk & Western Railway, W. Lenheim Collection)
Coach car on the Powhatan Arrow. (Norfolk & Western Railway, W. Lenheim Collection)
A Powhatan Arrow print ad from 1949.
(Norfolk & Western Railway, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
Accidents and incidents
On June 12, 1946, No. 604 hauled the eastbound Powhatan Arrow after departing Cincinnati, Ohio, at 8:10 a.m. for Norfolk. At 3:18 p.m., the locomotive derailed four miles west of Powhatan, West Virginia, due to excessive speed at 56 mph, unfortunately killing engineer Grover C. “Nap” Roberts and fireman Beecher Lawson. These injuries included 23 passengers, three dining car employees, and one train service employee.
On February 20, 1948, No. 607 derailed near Franklin Furnace, Ohio, while hauling the Powhatan Arrow, killing its fireman. The cause of the accident was failure to obey an automatic block-signal and entering a turnout at an excessive speed of 77 mph.
On June 24, 1953, No. 611 was involved in a grade crossing accident at Ironton, Ohio, when it hit the end of a tractor-trailer truck while pulling the eastbound Powhatan Arrow, denting the bullet nose and crushing its front footstep on the fireman's side. It was repaired shortly afterwards.
A Norfolk and Western ink blotter featuring a route map.
(Norfolk & Western Railway, W. Lenheim Collection)
Overview
Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
Locale: Midwest/Mid-Atlantic
First service: April 28, 1946
Last service: May 23, 1969
Former operator: Norfolk and Western Railway
Route Termini: Norfolk, Virginia / Cincinnati, Ohio
Stops: Petersburg, Virginia; Lynchburg, Virginia; Roanoke, Virginia; Bluefield, West Virginia; Williamson, West Virginia; Portsmouth, Ohio
Distance traveled: 676 miles (1,088 km)
Service frequency: Daily
Train numbers: 25/26
On-board services
Seating arrangements: Reclining seat coaches
Catering facilities: Dining-lounge car
Technical
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
