High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Roanoke Shops of the Norfolk and Western Railway (N W) in Roanoke, Virginia were founded in 1881 as the Roanoke Machine Works. It came under the control of the railroad in 1883. Locomotive production started in 1884 and 152 locomotives were built until production ceased at the end of 1893. All had been for the Norfolk and Western Railway; they later absorbed RMW, which then became N W`s Roanoke Shops. Production re-started in 1900 and a further 295 locomotives (and 2 re-boilerings) were manufactured until production ceased in 1953 with the final S1a-class 244. It was the last steam locomotive manufactured in the United States for domestic use.