The sale includes dozens of EMD GP38-2 high-hood locomotives built for Southern Railway. Numbered in the 5000 and 5100-numbering series, the 2,000-hp “Geeps” have accumulated in Roanoke since sidelined from freight service. The auction includes locomotives as low as NS No. 5085, built in October 1973 for the Southern, to NS Nos. 5255 and 5256, the last two GP38-2s built for Southern Railway in 1979.
The four-axle road switchers once dominated NS’ local switching scene on the Pocahontas, Piedmont, Georgia, and Alabama divisions with a fleet of about 250 locomotives.
The locomotives are unique in design for not only their high-hood design, but also their Southern Railway-affiliated sub-lettering. Certain locomotives are stenciled for the Central of Georgia (CG), Alabama Great Southern Railroad (AGS), Georgia Southern & Florida Railway (GSF), Carolina & Northwestern Railway (CRN), and Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway (CNOTP) railroads.
In addition to the GP38-2s, the railroad is also auctioning two Southern Railway-built EMD MP15Es Nos. 2393 and 2416, along with Railpower RP20CD genset No. 3830.
Locomotives are not the only items up for grabs in NS’ upcoming auction. The railroad is also selling off five Tuscan red passenger cars retrofitted for steam excursion use. NS passenger cars Nos. 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47 are up for grabs. The cars have been included in numerous NS-sponsored steam excursions with Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 No. 611.
The passenger cars are former PATrain cars, a defunct Pittsburgh-area commuter rail service discontinued in the late 1980s. The cars went on to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for commuter rail use on their Shoreline East service before retrofitted by NS for steam excursion use.
Blackmon Auctions, the company working with NS on the equipment sale, plans to auction the passenger cars and as well as extra seats — which will be available separately from the car auctions.
Next month’s auction will also include an assortment of locomotive parts such as injectors, radiators, filter kits, and other items.
In August 2016, Blackmon and the railroad held auctions in which about 50 Southern Railway-built EMD GP38-2s in the same numbering series were auctioned. A few short line and regional railroads were able to buy the locomotives during last year’s event.
It is interesting that they are disposing of a Genset unit. I wonder why they are bailing on it so quickly?
Mr. Cook:
Maintenance of the crossing is the railroad’s responsibility per my understanding. Thus the “right of way” is not public as stated, but a crossing of private property. Awaiting others to comment –
Chase, you appear to be on the right-of-way of an active line. That’s a no-no.
“To me they all look the same anyway.”
In the 90’s, I used to think that about the Dash 8’s, SD50’s and 60’s. No personality, they look like toasters I said. As time has passed, they have become as different as day and night. Today’s school-busses-on-rails will be the same in twenty years.
W Cook, EHH is now ensconced at CSX and the NS is no longer in peril of losing any managers and having to hire from CP, that was decided many months ago…last year in fact. As for grade crossings, if it’s a street crossing the railroad then the street is considered public property unless it’s a private road…all municipal streets, highways, etc. are considered public(though I doubt you’d want to walk on a highway).
All Southern units (up to the merger with N&W) that contained sublettering were actually owned by the respective subsidiaries of Southern. The units that had no sublettering were owned by Southern. It is interesting that the Carolina and Northwestern was abbreviated CRN to avoid confusion with the Chicago and Northwestern CNW.
They cost money to keep and maintain and NS is not running passenger trains. Let someone else own them and pay to have them run. NS is trying to fend off EHH and show they can make money for stock holder without firing all their good front line management and have to hire men from CP to fill in.
Does anybody know why they are selling the passenger cars?
I live along the NS main line in Satsuma between Mobile and Selma, AL. The last NS geep I saw come though here was a couple years ago and it was a 38-2. It was the middle unit on a thru freight but I failed to get the number. Getting very rare to see a NS standard can unit anymore around here. I miss the days of geeps and u-boats. To me they all look the same nowadays. Oh by the way, great photo Chase, it don’t look like your trespassing to me.
Not to be too technically correct here – but your statement “… as well the grade crossing I was standing.” constitutes trespass. Grade-crossing are RR property. Your awarded 4 pinocchios. (Smile – enjoying a moment of snark, here).
Emory Keller: The photo is taken from the grade crossing of a lumber yard and the track you see in the foreground is a spur track to the facility. The spur track bends to meet the mainline pictured near the train and signals. With a 300mm lens, this gives the illusion that one would be close, or within the railroad right-of-way. If you look up Roderfield, W.Va., on Google Earth and trace the mainline to the west, you’ll see the lumber yard and location in reference, as well as the grade crossing in which I was standing.