The Norfolk and Western 2300, also known as the Jawn Henry, was a single experimental

steam turbine locomotive A steam turbine locomotive is a steam locomotive which transmits steam power to the wheels via a steam turbine. Numerous attempts at this type of locomotive were made, mostly without success. In the 1930s this type of locomotive was seen as a way ...

of the Norfolk and Western Railway. The N&W placed it in the TE class. It was nicknamed "the Jawn Henry" after the legend of John Henry, a rock driller who famously raced against a steam drill and won, only to die immediately after. It was designed to demonstrate the advantages of steam turbines espoused by Baldwin Chief Engineer Ralph P. Johnson. It was the longest steam locomotive that was ever built. The unit looked similar to the C&O turbines but differed mechanically; it was a C+C-C+C with a Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boiler with automatic controls. The boiler controls were sometimes problematic, and (as with the C&O turbines) coal dust and water got into the electric

traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric or hydrogen vehicles, elevators or electric multiple unit. Traction motors are used in electrically powered rail vehicles ( electric multiple ...

s. Number 2300 was retired, stricken from the N&W roster on January 4, 1958 and scrapped later in 1961.

References

{{loco-stub Unique locomotives Scrapped locomotives Steam turbine locomotives Baldwin locomotives Experimental locomotives Individual locomotives of the United States Steam locomotives of the United States Freight locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of the United States 2300 High-pressure steam locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1954