Category: Norfolk Southern

The Norfolk Southern Railway was created as a result of the 1982 merger of the two mid-Atlantic powerhouses Norfolk & Western Railroad, and the Southern Railway. Norfolk Southern now reaches into the northeast, along with competitor CSX Transportation, and is a major player east of the Mississippi, as one of two Class 1 railroads (CSX being the other) operating in this region.

Rare Conrail blue grabs attention outside Port Reading yard

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I am not normally a fan of ‘going-away’ shots; however, with the lighting available to me, and this rare blue unit just a stones throw away, I could not resist capturing one of the few remaining locomotives still in Conrail paint. Acquired by the Norfolk Southern Railroad in the Conrail split-up of 1999, NS 6742 was built as Conrail SD60I 5618 in April of 1995, and her as-delivered paint application has held up quite well over her 15 years on the rails. Immediately preceding her are NS 8823 (Dash9-40C, blt 2/95) and NS 7623 (ES-40DC, blt 2/2007). These mainline veterans are seen in this photo on the Conrail Shared Assets Chemical Coast Secondary, just a bit north of CP-PD and Port Reading Yard, with a train of empty ethanol cars to be returned west for reload as NS train 69Q, as soon as a fresh road crew can be summoned.

Image recorded March 2, 2010.

Rare Conrail blue grabs attention outside Port Reading yardClick on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

Gliding through the snow in a Norfolk Southern train

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With the road crew in the hotel by now, Conrail Shared Assets local crew JR-4 is in charge of today’s Norfolk Southern train 68Q. Gliding along the rails still covered in snow from the latest storm to hit this region, this train is actually backing the 1.3 miles from the holding siding in Carteret, NJ, to the unloading facility in Sewaren, NJ. NS 9853 (C40-9W) and BNSF 5239 (C44-9W) are shown here passing CP-PD and the excessive height detector on the Conrail Shared Assets Chemical Coast Secondary. This has been an extremely rough winter in central NJ, and kudos are extended to the train crews who keep the freight moving in this tough time.

Image recorded February 13, 2010.

Gliding through the snow in a Norfolk Southern train

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Norfolk Southern train 38G accelerates westbound out of Allentown yard

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Norfolk Southern train 38G, with NS 7572 (ES40DC, blt 6/06) and NS 7622 (ES40DC, blt 2/07), accelerate westbound out of Allentown yard, about to cross Basin St. and pass CP-BURN on the Norfolk Southern Lehigh Line. 40 degrees Fahrenheit and no snow…in Allentown, in January? Yes, one of the most beautiful winter days in Pennsylvania in recent memory!

Image recorded January 23, 2010. Norfolk Southern train 38G accelerates westbound out of Allentown yard

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Elevated roadbed provides challenging departure from Lehigh River valley

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Westbound trains leaving the Norfolk Southern Allentown yard must negotiate this broad, sweeping curve after crossing the Lehigh River. With the degree of curvature at this location, the necessary super elevation in the roadbed  is quite evident here, as Norfolk Southern ES40DC 7572, with sister 7622 behind, leans hard into the curve, approaching Basin St. and CP BURN, with a lengthy train trailing. With the curvature and steady increase in elevation for the next mile, locomotives work fairly hard on this stretch of the NS Lehigh Line to bring their trains out of the river valley.

Image recorded January 23, 2010.Elevated roadbed provides challenging departure from Lehigh River valley Click on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.

Norfolk Southern ethanol train 68Q enters the ‘Chemical Coast Line’

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On a gorgeous winter morning in New Jersey (one of the few good days in this very cold & snowy season), Norfolk Southern unit ethanol train 68Q enters the Conrail Chemical Coast Secondary from the CR Port Reading Secondary at Port Reading, NJ. This line in central New Jersey is just a very short distance from the Atlantic Ocean, and the major deep water ports of Newark and Elizabeth. The ‘Chemical Coast Line’  is named after the numerous oil refineries and storage facilities located in this part of the state. This train carries tens of thousands of gallons of ethanol, produced in the US corn-belt, to be used in the production of automotive fuel by the local refineries in the area. Today’s train has Norfolk Southern 9376 (C40-9W) and western visitor Burlington Northern Santa Fe 658 (C44-9W) capably in control on Conrail Shared Assets trackage.

Image recorded January 16, 2010.

Norfolk Southern ethanol train 68Q enters the 'Chemical Coast Line'Click on the image to display it at a larger size. Use your browser’s Back button to return to this page.