Locomotives
NS's locomotives are often called "catfish" by railfans, as the stripes are said to look like catfish whiskers. The locomotive numbered 4610, a GM-EMD GP59, was painted in predecessor Southern colors of green and white with gold trim and was a favorite of railfans. The work was done at the Debutts Yard in Chattanooga, Tennessee during the summer of 1994 and the locomotive received a repaint in the summer of 2004. The locomotive was repainted standard NS black and white in February 2012.
The current paint scheme for NS locomotives is black and white. The locomotives feature a rearing horse on the nose, which is consistent with prior marketing campaigns where NS has billed itself as "The Thoroughbred."
In 2005, NS added two new types of locomotives to its roster: EMD SD70M-2s, which all are numbered 2649–2778, and GE ES40DCs, are numbered 7500-7719.
Historically, NS has only purchased DC traction Diesel locomotives. NS inherited a small number of AC traction locomotives (EMD SD80MACs) from CR. Currently, 10 of the 17 SD80MACs are assigned to the locomotive pool in South Fork, Pennsylvania. In September 2008 NS purchased its first-ever order of brand new AC traction locomotives: 24 GE ES44ACs, numbered 8000-8023. NS began receiving these units in October 2008. These new locomotives will be used for pusher service on long haul coal trains. In 2010, NS ordered 67 more ES44ACs and 25 more SD70ACes and in the fall of 2011, an order for 40 more SD70ACe's was placed.
Most NS locomotives have flashing ditch lights. NS has many different horns on locomotives such as the Nathan K5LA, K5H, K5HL, K5LLA, P3, and P5, and the Leslie RS3L and RS5T.
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NS #9903 D9-40CW along with two other units head west from NS Elkhart Yard.
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NS 39J lead unit NS #8372 D8-40CW with 5 others are late leaving Kalamazoo due to weather and delays from Amtrak.
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NS #3524 D8-32B at NS Hinman Yard.
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NS #3067 GP40-2 with it new paint scheme sits in the snow at Botford Yard.
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A NS GP38-2 in Dover, Delaware, with depot in background.
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SOU 4610 working train GD01 in Dalton, Georgia, on January 19, 2006.
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A NS GP38-2 running long hood forward through Ridgewood, New Jersey, on March 1, 2008.
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A GP50 approaches a level crossing in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 22, 2005
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A GE Dash 9-40CW leads a train on October 12, 2008
Read more about this topic: Norfolk Southern Railway
Famous quotes containing the word locomotives:
“The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
In the days of long ago,
Ranged where the locomotives sing
And the prairie flowers lie low:—”
—Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931)