Bluefield Berkshire number 777 was the primary modern steam power used on the Southern Allegheny Division for fast freight service. Even after the N&W purchased the line, B&AC's 4 handsome Berks continued to hold down a lot of through freight assignments. The extremely steep grades in combination with short sidings, limited the length of most freights. Bluefield later leased 2 Berkshires from Nickel Plate to supplement their modern power and retire older Mikado and consolidation types.

This photo was taken at the Mount Frigid Engine Terminal in fall of 1950. You can see N&W 1238 on the right. She was a regular guest on the Bluefield in 1950 and was regularly serviced at Mount Frigid along with a couple of her articulated sisters.  In the center is an older Bluefield consolidation.

N&W Class A pulls a heavy freight on The Bluefield in January of 1951. She is seen running through the rock cut just past Post tunnel. This line only saw occasional service after 1944, when a grade reducing cutoff was built. The new line reconnected to the old line near Big Run.

in 1950, The Norkfolk and Western Railway took control of the Bluefield and Allegheny Central Railroad, but allowed to the latter road to continue to operate as a separate entity for many years.  The Bluefield benefited in the spring of that year when several of the N&W's "modern steam locomotives" showed up on the  property to help with assignments.  The Class Js rarely ever saw service on the line from Bluefield to Fairmont because their long rigid wheelbase was rough on the sharp curves common on the Bluefield. Never the less, class J 605 is captured here at the Fairmont roundhouse in May of 1950. The tender of a large articulated N&W locomotive can also be seen at the far right.

159 at Bluefield, 1911

159 is spotted here at Bluefield West Virginia in 1915. At this time she was being used in local passenger and mixed train service.  Judging by the fresh coat of paint, she appears to be in great shape.

Repairs, circa 1920

Two Bluefield Steam locomotives are undergoing repairs at an unknown location sometimes in the early 1920s before the arrival of the larger Mikados that would first appear on the property in 1923. The earliest class M, Mikados were rebuilt from consolidations and kept their original road numbers in the 400 series. Behind the two Bluefield engines, you can see either an N&W class J or K2a.

An early Bluefield Passenger Engine

A Bluefield 4-4-0 backs towards the coach yard in Terminus, circa 1919. In the early years, Bluefield had quite a few 4-4-0s.  159 was one of 3 4-4-0s kept into the 1950s for branch line service.

1913 Bluefield and Allegheny Central Map.

This is the way the Bluefield and Allegheny Central Railroad appeared in 1913. The map was not to change much in the next 50 years except for the addition of some branch lines. By 1950, B&AC was controlled by the Norfolk and Western, but continued to essentially run as its own entity into the 1960s. Trains north of Fairmont operated with trackage rights over the New York Central to Pittsburgh.