What N&W locos were around in the early 1980s? I did some research and found that GP-35 were often used for yard switching and mainline. In addition, the SD 40 and GP 40s were popular; with the six-axle ones serving coal. Most of thoese were built in the 60s and were around in the 1980s. Am I missing anything?
TIA!
Lee
Lee, I used to live in Roanoke. While I was not one to keep rosters of numbers, and while I haven’t looked back through most of my photos, there is some information that may be useful if you are fond of something different.
I have a photo of an Alco T6 in service at Shaffer’s Crossing February 5, 1983, and I have a notation of Alcos T6 #48 (built 1959), C420 #418 (built 1964), and C425 #1013 (built 1965) still in hump yard service in Roanoke on September 25, 1983. I made the note as I knew that these were on their last legs and would not be seen much longer. The 6-axle Alcos, with slugs made from the Trainmasters, lasted longer in hump yard service there in Roanoke. #1133 was paired with Slug #9910.
Don’t forget the SD45’s and the big GE’s, which are quite imposing when run long-hood forward in the N&W fashion. N&W had just acquired the Illinois Terminal in 1981, and those IT green units circulated about until they could get them in the paint shop. #8076 and 8078, C30-7s, were painted in a “heritage” maroon with yellow-gold NW lettering and rambled around the system in 1984 & 85.
I have a photo of a 3-bay hopper still lettered Virginian #4634 still in service as of March, 1980
Bill
I lived along the old NKP in Toledo and we saw a lot of GP-38AC’s on that line along with old NKP and Wabash GP-7’s and GP-9’s. Some coal drags from the old W&LE were hauled by SD-9’s. The FM H-10-44 and H-12-44 were still used also.
Rick
I lived in Frankfort, Indiana at the time, and there seemed to be EVERYTHING out here. SD45s long hood first were the best as far as I’m concerned, and we saw a lot of them. SD35s, GP9s, GP30s, GP35s and a whole slew of SD40 and 40-2s in both high and low nose. I saw a couple of the “skunk stripe” GP38ACs out here, but not often. Had an ex-IT SW1500 running around the Frankfort yards for a little while still in the faded green paint with “NORFOLK AND WESTERN” stenciled on the cab in yellow. I remember seeing the various 6-axle GEs, but never really was all that interested in them. I did see one of the maroon C30-7 units once, but had no camera at the time. Most of the units we saw here on the former NKP line were 6-axle EMD. We also saw some Southern units on occasion before the merger. And that doesn’t count when 611, 765, or 587 rolled through town, which it seemed at least one of them did about every 6 months for a while!
The best part of all was that the guys in the yards would let me pretty much have free-reign to go where I wanted. I used to ride my bicycle to the yards and park it near the roundhouse and go wandering around to take pictures. I got some way cool items from some of the guys that worked there too. An original EMD SD45 operator’s manual was one of the best freebies I ever was given, but I also got a GE “Universal series” manual, and a whole bunch of flimsies on another trip. Now I can’t even get near the yards without passing through the tall fencing with barbed wire around the top and “NO TRESPASSING” signs all over. Ah, the good old days, when dangerous waste went right through town and nobody thought anything of it!
Don’t forget U30C’s 8000-8002 (April 1974), C36-7’s 8500-8542 (May 1982 to May 1984), C39-8 8550-8663 (January 1984 to October 1986).