The Norfolk and Western A was a class of 43 2-6-6-4 simple articulated steam locomotives built by the railroad's own Roanoke Shops between 1936 and 1950 and operated until the late 1950s.

The last five had McGill MultiRol roller bearings in the side and main rods, making them the only articulateds to take such friction-reducing measures.

They were rated at 13,000 tons of drag freight between Williamson, West Virginia and Portsmouth, Ohio, and could reach speeds up to 42 mph pulling such a load.

This also increased gross ton-miles per train hour (GTM) 31% on the 112-mile Kenova District between Williamson and Portsmouth, Ohio.

In 1952, the N&W tested one of the "A"s and Y6b-class locomotives against a four-unit Electro-Motive Division (at that time, of General Motors) F7 diesel set.

It was retired in 1959 and on the same year, it was purchased by the Union Carbide Co. in Charleston, West Virginia, where it was used as a stationary boiler at a chemical plant.

[3] In 1965, it was repurchased by New England millionaire F. Nelson Blount for his locomotive collection at Steamtown, U.S.A. in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

[3] Three years later, its former owner Norfolk & Western did a cosmetic restoration on 1218 at their East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia (the same place where it was built).

1240 was the third member of the final batch of five class A 2-6-6-4 locomotives built with roller bearing side rods.