NNG N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2 survived 16 years more

I am doing research on a video of Norfolk and Western steam, and in 1959 we rode an excursion that utilized Class A 1240(2-6-6-4), and Y6b 2-8-8-2 number 2174. So as I was looking for data on when engines were out of service and scrapped, I found that the 2174 was retired in Bluefield, and sold for scrap to a dealer in Roanoke. It was there with 2 other engines, one of which got cut up fairly soon.
Fast forward to 1971, and the Scholl family is riding the N&W Pocahontas from Cincinnati to Roanoke and back, one week before Amtrak day, and the end of passenger service on the N&W. My brother Randy and I do some exploring in Roanoke, by foot, and find the scrap yard, and there are two big 2-8-8-2's there, one without a tender.
Fast forward to present, and in my research I find these two engines lasted until 1976 before being cut up. Apparently the local NRHS group had a deal to raise $20K to buy one of them(2174), and he passed away in 1975 or thereabouts. The new owners honored the deal, but gave them a short time to raise the money, and they never did, so both were scrapped.
So, the engine I rode behind at age 8 in 1959 on the fantrip(2174), lasted until 1976, and I actually shot slides of it in 1971 without knowing the engine numbers.
Whats also amazing and ironic is that I was there in Roanoke in 1976 for the NRHS convention, and these engines must have been cut up by then. Also it was the first steam back in Roanoke(4501 and T&P 610) in quite some time. 5 years later in 1981 the 611 was sent to Birmingham where it was restored to operate in 1982, just 6 years after those Y6's were scrapped. Down the road 1218 would be restored too, and everyone was wishing they could get the big Y from St. Louis too. Its really hard to imagine this engine getting scrapped in 1976, but thats what happened. So, I made some low res scans to show you from 1971.
Greg Scholl