Does anyone know a great place to find info on the ORIGINAL Northfolk Southern?! I understand that there was a smaller railroad called Northfolk Southern Before the Horse-logoed railroad we like and know today.
I believe there was a book. And I remember a TRAINS article or two especially at the time the present NS was formed.
Some here http://www.nwhs.org/archives/about_archives.html
Some here: http://www.srha.net/public/History/history.htm
Some here: http://www.southernmuseum.org/archives/
Special Collections at Virginia Tech, Univerity of Virginia, U of Akron and the National Archives. There are several books ou on the old NS, Norfolk to Charlotte.
The old NS folded into SOU in 1974.
Anyone gullible enough to think that buttonpushing on the web will create instant gratification is asking for it. Start digging, nobody is going to do it for you.
Anyone thinking that they
"
Anyone gullible enough to think that buttonpushing on the web will create instant gratification is asking for it. Start digging, nobody is going to do it for you.
Anyone thinking that they "
-??? Oh, BTW, you can’t use the word “gullible” anymore. They just removed it from the dictionary.
Yep - not all worthwhile human knowledge / information is on the Internet yet. [:-^]
But often “You can see it from there” - as in, a good starting place to find out where you need to go next to look, which is the case here. For instance:
Norfolk Southern - freight-only from Norfolk, Va., to Charlotte, N. C.
by McBride, H. A., from Trains, January 1951 p. 18
(Carolina North REGIONAL VIRGINIA)
Everything is so different today - Norfolk Southern 4-6-0 on passenger train at Norfolk
by REID, H., from Trains, October 1967 p. 18
(frontispiece NS)
Times have changed in the land Down East - railroading in eastern North Carolina
by Small, Mike, from Trains, April 1988 p. 26
(Carolina North SCL SR)
A couple of ideas for your internet search:
Search Southern Railway and Search for Norfolk& Western: RR
You might also try Virginian Railway.
Those are predecessor railroads to the current Norfolk Southern.
You can search for 611 and 1218 on YouTube as well, there are many videos showing operations of those locomotives while they were operational in the excursions of the 1980s and 1990’s. You’ll get a good feel for the scenery and terraine that NS now operates in. Also search there for Heartland Corridor or Crescent Corridor.
Those searches will keep you occupied for a while![^o)]
The bantamweight Berkshire - Norfolk Southern’s 2-8-4
by Dolzall, Gary W., from Trains, September 1984 p. 52
(2-8-4 frontispiece NS steam)
- Paul North.
Oh the Original Norfolk Southern!!! 
TRY this link: http://www.norfolksouthernhs.org/
FTL: “…The original Norfolk & Southern Railway that ran from Norfolk, VA to Charlotte, NC with various branches (Aberdeen, Asheboro, Beaufort, Belhaven, Carthage, Columbia, Durham, Ellerbe, Fayetteville, Goldsboro (A&EC), Jackson Springs, Lee Creek, Oriental, Snow Hill (A&EC), Suffolk and Virginia Beach, VA). It was merged into the Southern Railway system on Jan. 1st, 1974…”
[ Oriental, N.C. is now the home of the Business Office for Railpace Magazine. Imagine That! ] [:-,]
EDIT to add: A Yahoo Group dedicated to the Original NSRR
“This group of for the exchange of information between enthusiasts of the original Norfolk Southern Railway. Not to be confused with the current corporation, the NS Railway was absorbed by the SOUTHERN Railroad in 1974. Visit the NS web page at http://www.geocities.com/nsrwy_1974. Also check out the NS RWY Historical site at: http://www.norfolksouthernhs.org/”
Of course there is always the Wikipedia entry for the company;
If you go to North Carolina, ATW 12 which is a former Norfolk Southern steam locomotive is displayed by the station in Sanford. I believe it is the only suriving NS steam locomotive.
The North Carolina Museum of Transportation has some original NS equipment on display - I’m not sure what sort of records collection they have, but they would be a good place to check for info.
My understanding is that a substantial portion of the original Norfolk Southern line is still in service - at least light service. From Raleigh east, the Carolina Coastal Railroad operates a portion of the former NS line including a mile long bridge at Washington, NC. I think there are only three trains a week through there from Chocowinity to Plymouth, NC. Other portions of the former NS line from Aberdeen to Charlotte are in service as the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western. I believe there is also a portion of former NS line open south of Chesapeake, VA to Elizabeth City, NC. There is also a later built portion of the NS line from Chocowinity to a phosphate mine - the current NS still owns it, but CSX has trackage rights - apparently there was a conflict between the ACL and the NS on who would get to build the line, but the ICC approved NS because the railroad needed the revenue that the phosphate mine would bring - however, the ACL was given trackage rights. Today, most of the traffic there is carried by CSX, but NS still owns it and has to maintain it. There were some law suits about it (look for PCS Phosphate v. Norfolk Southern Corp in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit)
I Don’t Know !