This set is for the Norfolk & Western Railway Class A articulated locomotive, one of the most famous freight locomotives the railroad ever built.
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📜 What You Have
• Photo: Builder’s style side profile of Class A, road number 1238 (a 2-6-6-4 articulated freight locomotive).
• Spec sheet: Lists boiler, firebox, driving wheel, weight, and tender data for the Class A series.
The N&W Class A was one of the most powerful and efficient freight locomotives in the world, and several survive today (notably #1218, which ran excursions in the 1980s–1990s).
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💰 Value Estimate
Because the Class A is both iconic and historically significant, photos/spec sets of them are highly collectible.
• Photo alone: $40 – $75
• Spec sheet alone: $30 – $50
• As a matched pair (photo + spec card): $80 – $150
At a railroadiana auction or to the right N&W collector, sets featuring Class A locomotives can bring $150–$200, especially if tied to preserved engines like #1218.
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📈 Why It’s Collectible
• One of N&W’s premier freight locomotives, famous for power and speed.
• Historical connection: Class A #1218 is preserved and still a centerpiece of the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
• Builder’s photos/spec sheets are less common than railfan reprints, making originals desirable.
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👉 So this Class A set would rank just below the Class J (streamlined #600/#611) and Jawn Henry #2300 in value, but above the S1a switchers and other workhorse locomotives.
Would you like me to now put together a full ranked list of all the N&W photo/spec sets you’ve shown so far, from highest to lowest value, so you can see where each fits?