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  • SOU locomotives to New England?

  • Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.
Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.
 #833566  by hoboblues75
 
Please go easy I am a newbie....

I received an Atlas train locomotive with the old Southern Railway markings (I am assuming this is the pre-cursor to Norfolk Southern). I am wondering if this locomotive in theory would have ever made it's way north to New England? I looked at some railmaps online for Southern and it seems to my untrained eyes like an outside possibility. any thoughts?
 #833571  by Rick Abramson
 
Not to say it never happened, but I would say the chances of a SOU engine reaching New England would be slim to none.
The furthest north the SOU ventured was Wash. DC.
 #833578  by hoboblues75
 
Thank you Rick. I appreciate the response. Norfolk Southern makes it up here though, don't they? I thought I saw some youtube videos of that?
 #833599  by shadyjay
 
hoboblues75 wrote:Thank you Rick. I appreciate the response. Norfolk Southern makes it up here though, don't they? I thought I saw some youtube videos of that?
Prior to 1999, NS didn't make it up to the Northeast/New England area. When Conrail was split, CSX got half and NS got half - as a general idea, CSX got former New York Central territory while NS got the former PRR routes. And with the newly-established "Patriot Corridor" and agreement with Pan-Am, NS power and forces are spreading into New England.

But yes, prior to 1999, NS would only have come up north(east) if one of its locomotives was on "horsepower hours" earned to another railroad, or a run through or such. They had no trackage of their own northeast of DC.
 #833612  by CN9634
 
A few made it up on Bow Coal trains. SOU/NW SD45's were purchased by GTI and ran around the system unpatched for a little bit. That sorta counts! I have seen a picture of an NW SD40 on a Conrail job at Rigby.
 #833614  by Otto Vondrak
 
hoboblues75 wrote:Please go easy I am a newbie....

I received an Atlas train locomotive with the old Southern Railway markings (I am assuming this is the pre-cursor to Norfolk Southern). I am wondering if this locomotive in theory would have ever made it's way north to New England? I looked at some railmaps online for Southern and it seems to my untrained eyes like an outside possibility. any thoughts?
Quick Google search can also turn up some of the answers, but I could see how the lines could be confusing if you don't know the history.

Here's a map of the present-day Norfolk Southern (including trackage rights and agreements):

http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/map.html


Here's a map of the old Southern Railway:

http://www.american-rails-forums.com/AR ... em-map.jpg

Southern and Norfolk & Western merged in 1982, not many engines left painted for Southern after 1990, I'd guess.

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_southern#Conrail

-otto-
 #833629  by hoboblues75
 
Thank you everyone for the info! This confirms some of what I have read online and helped me to decipher/understand it. Especially the Pan-Am thing.
 #833634  by scottychaos
 
In the mid 1980's I photogaphed several Southern and N&W SD45's running on Conrail's southern tier (NY) main, these were on D&H trains between Buffalo and Binghamton NY.

I dont know if they ever ventured on the D&H up to Albany and Montreal, but its plausable..
also, at this time, Guilford was operating the D&H..which further suggests anything running on the D&H could possibly have made it into New England on other Guilford trains..however I cant confirm if they did in fact make it beyond Binghamton. (its more likely that run-through N&W and SOU units headed south to Scranton from Binghamton, then back to home rails)

I can say with certainty however that Southern (in SOU paint) units could be occasionaly be found in Binghamton, NY
in the 80's..thats getting closer to New England! ;)

Scot
 #834082  by RonM
 
FWIW, The Housatonic purchased 2 former NS high hooded geeps (I wanna say GP38 derivative but could be wrong) MANY years ago which I believe are still in Canaan, stored, in black paint. Don't believe they have ever been operated on a revenue train.

<EDIT> I believe that Mass Central NW-5 2100 operated for a bit in Sou paint albeit relettered

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr0404/mc2100.jpg
 #834250  by PARailWiz
 
Back in the day, let's say pre-Conrail, did railroads have locomotive sharing agreements like they do today? Every so often today I'll see BNSF units in former PRR (now NS or CSX) territory - would I occasionally see a Southern locomotive, a C&O, a Wabash, or a Union Pacific, etc at those same spots 50 to 100 years ago?