Chesapeake Western DS-4-4-660 #662
Quantity Built: 139
Engine: 4-cycle Model 606 NA
Horsepower: 660
Speed: 60 miles per hour (mph)
Trucks: 4-Wheel
Tractive Effort: 56,500 pounds-force (lbf)
Wheel Diameter: 40 inches
Length: 46 feet
Weight: 120 tons
The Chesapeake Western (CW) Railway was incorporated in 1892. By the mid-1940s, CW operated 53.5 miles in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Known affectionately as the "Crooked and Weedy," the line was purchased by the Norfolk & Western (N&W) Railway in 1954. The tracks of the CW are still used by N&W's successor, Norfolk Southern Corporation.
The 662 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, and placed in service in December of 1946. It was one of three first-generation diesel locomotives that transitioned the Chesapeake Western from steam to diesel power.
The 662 was retired in 1964 and moved to a Roanoke scrap yard where it rusted for over forty years as one of the five "Lost Engines of Roanoke." Through various partnerships, the Virginia Museum of Transportation saved each historic engine.
Erected by Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc.
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Location. 37° 16.396′ N, 79° 56.784′ W. Marker is in Roanoke, Virginia. It is in Downtown. It can be reached from the intersection of Norfolk Avenue Southwest and 3rd Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 303 Norfolk Ave SW, Roanoke VA 24016, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Mountain Region and in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Norfolk & Western ALCO RS-3 Diesel Electric #300 (here, next to this marker); Virginia Central Porter Rod Driven Locomotive #3
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 413 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
