Highball

A southbound Norfolk Southern freight takes the clear signal at South Leesburg, Ind., on May 16, 2011. The former New York Central branch line was upgraded with Pennsylvania-style position light signals recycled from other routes during Penn Central ownership. Photo by Bob Jordan […]

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Scenic South Fork

  Norfolk Southern’s Norfolk & Western-painted heritage unit leads northbound train No. 124 through South Fork, Ky., and into the Green River valley on May 31, 2016. Photo by Jeff Wagoner […]

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1939’s big breakthrough: The FT

Seventy-five years ago on Nov. 25, 1939, Electro-Motive Corp.’s FT demonstrator diesel locomotive No. 103 left its birthplace at the company’s La Grange, Ill., plant. Nobody, not even its builders, knew what the new creation could do. True, the 17-year-old Electro-Motive had been a pioneer in diesel propulsion for railroad use, having built a successful […]

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New model trains for the week of July 28, 2016

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division E8Am and E9A diesel locomotives. E8Am: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. Four road numbers (two each in DC and Digital Command Control). E9A: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (post-1959 repaint). Three road numbers (one in DC, two in DCC). Both models feature metallic finish, railroad-specific details, die-cast metal underframe, and Proto-Max […]

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Indiana stranger

  A northbound Norfolk Southern freight passes the unique siding switch and signals at North Leesburg, Ind., on March 24, 2011. The Santa Fe-painted locomotive is a run-through from BNSF Railway. Photo by Bob Jordan […]

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2016 National Train Show report, part 1

Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP40P-2 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP40P-2 diesel locomotive. Southern Pacific (American Revolution Bicentennial scheme in one road number, scarlet and gray in two numbers). Single rear headlight, detailed cab interior, long hood with steam generator, split fuel tank with steam generator water tank, and train indicator number […]

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Get-r-done

  Norfolk Southern train No. 375 passes maintenance equipment at “North Wye” near Faulconer, Ky., as the train prepares to head onto the Louisville District on April 25, 2016. Photo by Jeff Wagoner […]

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NS ‘barcode’ unit

SD70ACe No. 1111 Randy Olson Q I recently saw a Norfolk Southern locomotive passing through Vermillion, Ohio, with only four vertical stripes on the cab where a unit number should be. Can you explain what this designation is? — Joseph McCormick, Oberlin, Ohio A The stripes are really four “1s” for NS’s SD70ACe No. 1111. […]

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New model trains for the week of June 23, 2016

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe diesel locomotive. Canadian National (SD70ACe demonstrator patchout), Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern (Lackawanna, New York Central, and Wabash heritage units in one number each and horsehead silhouette), Union Pacific (George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and Chicago & North Western, Denver & Rio Grande Western, and Southern Pacific […]

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Heritage forward

Norfolk Southern’s Southern Railway-painted ES44AC, No. 8099, leads intermodal train No. 200 south across the CSX diamond at Milford Junction, Ind., on June 12, 2016. Photo by Randy Olson […]

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