PSR has officially killed NS’s F unit program.
https://m.facebook.com/nslocomotives/photos/a.111336769314/10156931417519315/?type=3
Well that just plain sucks.
Are you really sure about this Matthew?
OK, I laboriously typed in that Facebook link (I don’t do the Facebook) and found the notice, “Units for sale” but a paucity of information otherwise. Let me see if I can light the link up for others.
https://m.facebook.com/nslocomotives/photos/a.111336769314/10156931417519315/?type=3
OK, there it is. Not much to go on. No “whys and wherefores.”
If this is true someone will grab 'em, they’ve been rebuilt with modern components so there’ll be no problems keeping them alive. Get your pictures of the Heritage units while you can folks, they’ll probably return them to basic black before you know it.
And Miningman’s right. This just sucks.
Whoever’s running NS doesn’t care. They just don’t care.
I don’t get it. Why go into railroading if you don’t care about the heritage, history, and lore, and being part of an American icon?
Graham and Bob Claytor must be spinning in their graves at 1,500 RPM.
Correct. Someone’s say so on Faceplant doesn’t mean too much. Need to see an official announcement from NS. However, if true, well, that just plain sucks!!!
Flintlock: Rather than typing all that garbage (with the inherant chance of losing one’s place and duplicating or missing characters), just point at it with your mouse, either at the beginning or end, press and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse arrow to the other end. This will highlight the entire line of text. Then release the mouse button and type the letter “C” while holding down the “Ctrl” key. This will copy the highlighted text to the clipboard.
Then open a new browser window (or a new tab in the present one), click on the URL text line at the top and type the letter “V” while holding down the “Ctrl” key. This will paste the clipboard into the text box.
If, per chance, while you were highlighting the line of text, you missed a character or two at the beginning or end, just click the URL text box after you have pasted the copied text into it, and move the curser to the end where the characters are missing and type them in. (I often miss the 1st or last character and rather than keep trying to get it right, I just remember the 1st and/or last character(s) and type them in.)
Then hit the Enter key to make the browser go to the site.
A lot less chance of mistyping the URL and a whole lot faster.
I doubt you’ll see an official announcement. Supposedly this was on an asset disposition list. Wouldn’t surprise me.
Thanks for the advice “Semper!” I don’t use a mouse, just the “clickers” on the bottom of the keyboard. But next time I’ll try it.
Usually I’m all thumbs with a computer. Hey, I held off getting a computer until I could find one that was coal-fired! Needless to say I didn’t have much luck!
Very sad to see this. My earliest train memories are of Southern Es and Fs passing by my grandfather’s place. Nothing says railroad to me more than a green Southern EMD covered wagon.
NS has been selling off other portions of their office train - we have two of their coaches on our property now, and that sale resulted in at least one other car being sold.
The cars are in great shape, even if the interiors are rather austere.
I think those were the coaches refurbished for their defunct 21st century steam program. I don’t think they’ve sold off any of the business car fleet, yet.
And if AltoonaWorks is reporting this, that’s confirmation enough. They’re a reliable source and I suspect we’ll soon be seeing NSDash9.com providing confirmation of this report.
Sad news, but better than languishing in storage like was looking like was going to be their fate after a bigwig recently decided to park them.
Worse news is the news of another big layoff at Altoona. Such an asset, but logical thought and thinking past the next couple of quarters isn’t an aspect of scorched earth PSR policies. Feel sorry for the individuals and their families, and what the railroad is losing that won’t be easily replaced.
Let’s hope the true nightmare scenarios with Roanoke and Altoona don’t come to pass in the next 12-18 months. But I’m sure those fears of a partial or complete closure of one or both of these facilities or even a divesture to a 3rd party are rising in those communities.
All this has me wondering. Anyone besides me suspect NS is in a little financial trouble but is attempting to keep a lid on it?
Layoffs at Altoona and Roanoke. Selling off the F-units. Pushing for one-person crews. And, as Mr. Ames says, “scorched-earth” PSR implementation.
My "suspicion-o-meter"is warming up.
Hell, why not sell the whole damn road to someone who really wants it and knows what to do with it?
KCS already has F units.
Maybe it finally will merge with Canadian Pacific.
Bruce
NSDash9.com is now also reporting this news.
I hadn’t thought of this until just now, but with all the mechanical rebuilding and upgrading that NS has undertaken with these units, I hope this doesn’t end up a case where they’re worth more dead than alive.
Would be a crying shame to see these get parted out.
Unless they are asking an astronomical price, they’d be great for a tourist line…
Marketing would rather use all their ‘special’ units vs. some old thing. 
I know this one! Whoever’s running NS is doing it solely to make money for the stockholders.
If I remember these units correctly, they were rebuilt extensively with 645s and new electrics and are essentially GP38s in a fancy shell. Which has been modified, particularly with those little pig-eyed ditch lights, making them nonhistorical for museums (except as representatives of locomotives custom rebuilt for later railroad service)
I’m quite certain some outfit running a dinner train will buy them, and probably pay good money for the privilege.
Also were equipped with PTC.
If they are PTC-equipped and are GP-38s inside, not a dinner train, but New Jersey Transit should snap them up really quickly!