Norfolk and Western Class Y6b

The Norfolk and Western Class Y6b was a class of 2-8-8-2 Mallets built between 1948-1952 with a total of 30 examples built for the Norfolk and Western Railway.
==History==
The Y6b was known as the workhorse of the Norfolk and Western Railway and the epitome of the compound mallet development design.
They were an improvement of the previous Y6a class with the only difference between the Y6as and the Y6bs was that the Y6bs were longer than the Y6as, had a larger firebox and had a greater tractive effort. With the Y6as only generating a tractive effort of 166,000 lbf (738.5 kN) and the Y6bs generating a tractive effort of 170,000 lbf (756.2 kN). The locomotives delivered 5,500 horsepower. The weight of a Y6b locomotive about 582,900 lbs with 522,850 lbs directly on the drivers. 
When the Norfolk and Western Railway ceased their mainline steam operations in 1959, 50 of the Y6s were still running out serviceable miles in the coal fields waiting for the final order of diesels to replace them. The last of the Class Ys were retired in the summer of 1960.
None of these examples survived into the preservation days.
===Excursion Run===
Although, One nearly made it into preservation and it was No. 2174, No. 2174 ran on the Norfolk & Western's Farewell to Steam excursion train along with a Class A No. 1240.
===Fate of the 2174===
Once the Norfolk & Western's Farewell to Steam excursion train had finished, the 2174 was stored away in a scrapyard in Roanoke, Virginia with a tender-lacking Y6 No. 2143 but when both engines fell under ownership of a British firm who had no interest in preserving the two engines. Both No. 2174 and the tender-lacking Y6 No. 2143 were scrapped, rendering the entire class of Y6bs extinct.
==Accidents and Incidents==
*On September 26, 1950, No. 2188 was operating on a freight run when it derailed, flipped over and rolled down an embankment at Alnwick, West Virginia.
==Stock list==
Image(s)	Number(s)	Build date(s) 	Status 	Notes
 	2171 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2172 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2173 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2174 	- 	Scrapped	Used on the Norfolk & Western's "Farewell To Steam" excursion train, retired in 1960 and was scrapped in 1976
 	2175 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2176 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2177 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2178 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2179 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2180 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2181 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2182 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2183 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2184 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2185 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2186 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2187 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2188 	August 22, 1950	Scrapped	Involved in one accident, repaired and returned to service, retired and scrapped.
 	2189 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2190 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2191 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2192 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2193 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2194 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2195 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2196 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2197 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2198 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2199 	- 	Scrapped	
 	2200 	- 	Scrapped	The final mainline steam locomotive ever built in the USA
==Gallery==
*Gallery
Category:Mallet locomotives
Category:2-8-8-2 locomotives
Category:2-8-8-2 steam locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Roanoke Shops locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:United States
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Built in 1952
Category:Scrapped steam locomotives
Category:Built in 1948
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives
Category:Articulated locomotives
Category:Built in 1949
Category:Norfolk and Western Class Y6b
Category:Built in 1951
Category:Built in 1950
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Norfolk and Western locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge