LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Railfans watching Muhammad Ali’s funeral procession through his hometown of Louisville on television today have noticed Norfolk Southern locomotives that appear to stop or pause until Ali’s hearse passes.
One of the units is reported to be No. 8103, the Norfolk & Western heritage unit, a GE ES44AC. In response to posts about the seeming coincidence on Twitter, the railroad responded: “Float like a butterfly, run like a Thoroughbred! #AliFuneral“.
The response is a take on boxer Ali’s personal slogan about boxing, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and NS’ own slogan as the “Thoroughbred” of railroading. Railroad officials have yet to confirm if the trains’ pauses were planned. According to a map at CNN.com, Ali’s funeral procession was set to cross railroad tracks on overpasses, underpasses, or at grade in Louisville at least eight times on Friday.
Muhammad Ali, a famous boxer, died in Arizona June 3. He was 74.
If it wasn’t official policy, NS must have gotten a batch of bad fuel that day. 😉
Mr. Smith, he was a CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR-as I was a few years later. THis was a Supreme Court decision. Mr. Ali was a tremendous inspiration for millions of people and any respect shown by the NS is much appreciated. Check your facts before typing please.
PR
Whether it was or not it was planned, NS astounds me yet again.
Mr. Smith:
This is an event showing how a 21st Century railroad can be a part of our current lives. Please don’t dredge up the ugliness of the Vietnam War, a blot on U.S. history as great as slavery was.
Would you expect anything else from NS!
draft dodger
Norfolk Southern is in a class all by itself
Bravo Norfolk Southern!
Two big thumbs up for this!
Bravo Norfolk Southern!
Extremely gracious of NS. Completely appropriate to pause for a legend. Not bad PR, either.
Years ago, If the family notified the local yardmaster on the Southern Railway, he would hold any train that might conflict with a funeral procession until that procession had passed. I don’t know if that is still the policy today or not.