WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — A historic steam locomotive will pass through Williamson on its way west on Thursday.

Norfolk Southern Railway will tow the former Norfolk and Western steam locomotive No. 2156 through its now-idle rail yard in Williamson some time Thursday afternoon as the locomotive is moved back to the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. The locomotive had been leased to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke for the past five years, but will return to his home in Missouri.

The locomotive was built in Roanoke in 1942 and is one of the last two remaining examples of N&W’s 2-8-8-2 configuration locomotives that survive.

The special train, consisting of one diesel locomotive, a passenger coach, the steam locomotive and a freight car, departed Roanoke late Wednesday and spent the night in Bluefield. It departed Bluefield around 9 a.m.

The steam locomotive is not operational and will not be under steam.

There is no set schedule for the train’s arrival in Williamson, but due to restricted speed for the train, it should arrive no sooner than 1 p.m.

The post Historic steam locomotive to pass through Williamson Thursday appeared first on Mountain Top Media.