Norfolk and Western No. 475

Strasburg Railroad No. 475 is a Class M 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type steam locomotive. 
== History and Service Life ==
#475 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA in June 1906 for the Norfolk & Western Railroad (N&W) and was the 101st locomotive of 125 M class 4-8-0 locomotives built by Baldwin and the American Locomotive Company's Richmond, Virginia workshops between 1906 - 1907 to haul heavy freight trains and long coal drags. At the time of her construction, the M class 4-8-0s were the heaviest locomotives on the N&W roster. In the 1940s, #475 was re-equipped with a longer tender (possibly inherited from a Y class 2-8-8-2 or a K1 class 4-8-2) that held 20 tons of coal and 12,000 gallons of water compared to it's original tender that carried 10 tons of coal and 6,000 gallons of water. Later on in it's career, the #475 was re-assigned to pulling mixed freight trains on the 9-mile Blacksburg Branch (nicknamed the Huckleberry Branch) between Christiansburg and Blacksburg, Virginia, as bigger locomotives, including the Y class 2-8-8-2s and K class 4-8-2s, arrived on the N&W. 
It served the N&W until 1956 (after a 50 year career) when it was pulled from service and placed in storage. In August 1957, No. 475 was backdated to look like an 1880s locomotive with brass boiler bands, a fake diamond smokestack and oil headlamp for the 75th anniversary of Roanoke, Virginia, which was an event known as the "Diamond Jubilee". It was also paired with a USRA tender. A month later, the locomotive, along with sister engines #405 and #449, a special National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) tripleheader excursion from Roanoke to Blacksburg. Afterwards, No. 475 only saw limited use until it was officially retired from service in 1959 and stored at the Shaffer's Crossing roundhouse alongside 4-8-4 class J No. 611, which recently retired after it pulled a Farewell to Steam excursion. By September 1960, it was placed on display in Roanoke, VA. 
==Preservation==
In 1961, it was sold to the Virginia Scrap Iron and Metal Co., a scrapyard in Roanoke, VA. However, the scrapmen took their time since they were busy cutting up other locomotives and rolling stock and the 475 was then sold to Wiliam Armagost of Holsopple, PA in 1963 for $5,000.00. Armagost had planned to restore the locomotive to operate for a tourist operation he planned to create on a former Baltimore and Ohio branch line. However, the plans never materialized, but Armagost continued to care for the engine by covering it with a tarp to protect it from the elements. 
In 1980, it was sold again to H.S. Kuyper, then conveyed to the Pella Historical Society, before being stored at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL. In 1982, it was sold once again to C. Rosenberg and his daughters who subsequently donated the #475 in 1985 to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in Boone, IA. The donation was for No. 475 to be used in the B&SV's operations, but after the railroad purchased a newly-built China Railways JS class 2-8-2, No. 475 was deemed surplus in the B&SV's collection and finally moved to Boone, IA for static display in 1986. 
It was finally sold to the Strasburg Railroad in June 1991 for $100,000.00 and later restored to operating condition in 1993 where it still operates as of today. It is also the only operating 4-8-0 "Mastodon" type in the United States. In late 2018, it went down to undergo its 15-year mandated Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) required rebuild and returned to service in September 2019 to participate in the Strasburg Railroad's N&W Reunion of Steam event alongside sister N&W 4-8-4 class J locomotive 611, which was visiting from the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, VA. For the event, its headlight was moved to the center of the smokebox door instead of on the top. As of today, it still retains its centered headlight, and in October 2021, its N&W 12-inch hooter whistle was replaced by a newly acquired SP 6-chime whistle. After its accident on November 2, 2022, it was given back its N&W 8-inch hooter whistle for the first time since December 2018. In May 2023, it was fitted with its N&W 12-inch hooter whistle, but in January 2024, its N&W hooter whistle was replaced again by its SP 6-chime whistle.
==Trivia== 
*No. 475's surviving sibling, No. 433, is on static display at the entrance to the Virginia Creeper Trail in Abingdon, Virginia.
*In 2000, No. 475 made an appearance in the film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". For this, its tender was re-lettered to the fictional Indian Valley Railroad.
*In 2022, No. 475 made an appearance in the film, "I Heard the Bells".
*Besides Thomas and the Magic Railroad and I Heard the Bells, No. 475 also appeared in other titles such as: America By Rail - The Heartland, Steam in the 90s volume 1, Steam in the Autumn, Cavalcade of Steam, Great American Train Rides Volume 4, America’s Historic Steam Railroads, Rudy Roo-Trains Lots of Trains, Pennsylvania Highlights 2019, Steam Electric & Diesels in the Pennsylvania Dutch County, Steamin’ in 2019, Steamin’ in 2021, Great Scenic Railway Journeys: The East, & Norfolk & Western Steam Freights. She also appeared in Pocahontas Glory Volumes 2, 5, and 8 which are a collection of N&W steam era DVDs from Herron Rail Video.
==Incidents==
===Leaman Place Incident===
On November 2, 2022, at around 11:20 am, 475 was involved in a serious accident at Leaman Place Junction. The locomotive was running around the train to couple to the other end for the return trip to Strasburg when it collided with an excavator parked on a siding due to a misaligned switch; the excavator boom punctured and shattered the smokebox door, damaged part of the smokebox itself, and destroyed the headlight. The incident was captured on a Virtual Railfan camera, as well as by a passenger on the train. According to a statement from Trains Magazine, no injuries were reported and the damage done to the locomotive was found to be repairable. It was very lucky that the tube sheet wasn't damaged from the impact, as that would have easily resulted in a boiler explosion killing the crew and injuring or killing passengers with flying debris.
===Recovery===
475 was taken out of service for the day and later towed back to Strasburg for repairs. Another locomotive (SW8 No. 8618) was sent to collect the train at Leaman Place Junction. Shortly after the incident, work began almost immediately to repair the damage done to the locomotive. The cinder screen netting and other parts inside the smokebox were also damaged in the collision. The smokebox front was replaced with a fabricated piece of 3/4" steel plate. The smokebox door was braze-welded back together, with a ring added behind it for reinforcement. The headlight was destroyed and found to be unrepairable, so it was replaced.
===Returning to Service===
After a 96-hour repair job, on November 7, 2022, the repairs to the locomotive were completed and it is now in service, with the repairs to the smokebox door being visible as a reminder for the crews to be safe when operating the locomotives.
===Videos/Footage===
File:Strasburg 475 accident 11-2-22|Footage of 475 hitting the excavator that was taken from an excursion coach.
==See also== 
*Gallery
*Videos
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
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Category:4-8-0 steam locomotives
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Category:Built in 1906
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Category:American steam locomotives
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Category:Preserved steam locomotives
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