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

The thing is that the culture back then was so different. The N&W and other railroads had just dieselized everything a few years back and nobody wanted a thing to do with the old steam engines, just like the old RGS buildings you mentioned.
It was not until folks started to realize some of this was their history(Railroads), and the movement started to change the culture and thinking of folks. Here in the midwest we had Southern Steam with 4501 starting in 1966-7. So that was going full bore when these engines got scrapped in 1976. A few years later the light went off in management(which was new) and N&W embraced steam again.
With the new C&O 1309 going to Western Maryland Scenic, the culture inside CSX may change one day, and here is a C&O engine that can be used for mainline runs should the opportunity present itself. For now though CSX has a NO STEAM on our railroad plan.
Greg Scholl