Norfolk Southern locomotives at Roanoke City RailYard. Photograph copyright Go Nanna and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net
The 611 departing Roanoke.
History:
1852: The first Virginia & Tennessee Railroad train, on new tracks built from Lynchburg, reaches Roanoke.
1881: Norfolk & Western Railroad (later Railway) is born out of Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad.
1885: Coal pier opens at Lambert's Point to load ships.
1958: N&W announces plan to convert from steam locomotives to diesel power.
1977: Railroad employs 5,000 in Roanoke region.
1979: Passenger service ends in Roanoke.
1982: Norfolk & Western merges with Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern Corp. Norfolk is chosen as the headquarters.
1992: Downtown Roanoke office tower is built to replace two aging general office buildings.
2013: Norfolk Southern closes its Roanoke "hump yard," for rail car sorting.
2015: NS announces closure of office building, ending 500 jobs and leaving 1,200 workers in the region.
Rolling Stock:
Norfolk Southern uses a lot of ES44ACs and still uses loads of SD-40Ts.
Map:
Pink dots: NS RailRoad route.
Norfolk Southern at Bristol. Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Greg Booher.
Norfolk Southern SD-40T at Bristol. Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Thomas H. Parker.
Norfolk Southern turntable at Roanoke.
Norfolk Southern sign next to tracks at Roanoke.
Norfolk and Western entering Roanoke City RailYard. Photograph copyright Norfolk Southern Corp and reproduced courtesy of RailPictures.Net
RailYard in Lynchburg. Photograph copyright and reproduced courtesy of Greg Booher.