The Southern was an incredible RR....really cared for their equipment and kept it in top notch shape. Same goes for N&W, so it worked out well that these two fine companies merged to form NS.
I've gone thru that crossover many a time when I was a brakeman on the Southern back in the 70s...ahh the memories! Sometimes on the head end, sometimes on the caboose - depending on which position you pulled if you were on the extra board as I was. Technically I was a "trainman", but if you were working the brakeman slot you'd be on the head end. If you were the flagman, you'd be on the caboose.
Another thing that went out w/the caboose is the telegraph wires. The railroad crews use walkie talkies and other forms of communication with the dispatcher.
Sweet! This is how I remember the early days of NS. You might see a lash up of anything on there and usually high hooded engines. Now everything is two wide cabs. Railfanning is boring now. Thanks for uploading this great clip.
I miss the good old days as a kid visiting my family in Atlanta and seeing and hearing these I came in during the end of the Southern years about this time actully ...I just aquired a nice and unusual looking M3 horn off Southern RR 6238
When I was the flagman on locals I would ride the last Unit. It gives you more leg room and sometimes I just didn't like the rest of the crew. When yarding a train or working on the line it saves time I would cut the engines and the brakeman works the front end. I also might want to smoke a joint.
When my dad was still an engineer for CSX(40 YEARS RET) and when he had a full 5 man crew, it was very common for the a brakeman to ride in a trailing unit. In days of the caboose, the conductor, and head brakeman would ride back there, and the fireman/flagman and 2nd brakie would ride in the main engine with him. Hell, if it was a great crew, the conductor would take the cab, and BOTH brakemen would ride up front, and they'd make the fireman sit the floor, lol!!
The wheeling & lake erie used to run their trains on tracks running almost parallel to the NS track through bedford and maple heights, OH, and they used to use those Southern GP50's. but, unfortunately, the W&LE doesnt run through here anymore, and they never seem to use the southern or kodachrome locos anymore. but i do like the locos with the DRGW paint scheme
Great P5! Some of these GP50's are still used on NS today, but many of their P5 horns are broken and some have even been replaced with K5LA's or other horns.
Southern had the BEST P5s!!! Glad to see that NS inherited them!!!
NSalex12 3 weeks ago
The Southern was an incredible RR....really cared for their equipment and kept it in top notch shape. Same goes for N&W, so it worked out well that these two fine companies merged to form NS.
meccaturbo 3 months ago
I've gone thru that crossover many a time when I was a brakeman on the Southern back in the 70s...ahh the memories! Sometimes on the head end, sometimes on the caboose - depending on which position you pulled if you were on the extra board as I was. Technically I was a "trainman", but if you were working the brakeman slot you'd be on the head end. If you were the flagman, you'd be on the caboose.
coastal1010 3 months ago
Another thing that went out w/the caboose is the telegraph wires. The railroad crews use walkie talkies and other forms of communication with the dispatcher.
benschlechter 6 months ago
It is refreshing to see the old SR tuxedo paint configuration.....this was the scheme when I hired on the Southern in the 1970's.
35UGA0511 6 months ago
Classic Horn Gotta love a good P5
NSKIDD112 8 months ago
railfanning today is like watching paint dry or vanilla ice cream Boring.
rve61 8 months ago
true p5
mailtrain24599 10 months ago in playlist Nathan Airchime P5
Sweet! This is how I remember the early days of NS. You might see a lash up of anything on there and usually high hooded engines. Now everything is two wide cabs. Railfanning is boring now. Thanks for uploading this great clip.
storrs19 11 months ago
Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Merger. Too bad that the caboose didn't stick around after that.
benschlechter 1 year ago
I miss the good old days as a kid visiting my family in Atlanta and seeing and hearing these I came in during the end of the Southern years about this time actully ...I just aquired a nice and unusual looking M3 horn off Southern RR 6238
gaycowboy31 1 year ago
It's amazing that there is still so many of them active on NS's roster in 2011 in original built form just like in this video of 1985.
tarmac2001 1 year ago
@tarmac2001 yah but its a shame none are still painted like this i saw one a few days ago on a local in Gadsen Alabama
gaycowboy31 1 year ago
Why isn't it going LHF (Long Hood Foward)?
MrLuebeck 1 year ago
beautiful
madman1776 1 year ago
LOVE that p5! excelent video!
bdwall99 1 year ago
Too bad the caboose is a thing of the past. Now they have those eotds.
benschlechter 1 year ago
damn gotta love those leslie P5s
tftrainman 1 year ago
@tftrainman The p5 was made by Nathan, not leslie.
Alwaystrains 1 year ago
Great video! A lot of those GP50's got rebuilt as GP38-3's in Altoona Juanita Shops
DJGENEX71 1 year ago
We ALWAYS used to deadhead via train...
Tblech 2 years ago
anybody else see the crew member in the third locomotive?
roasted420 2 years ago
When I was the flagman on locals I would ride the last Unit. It gives you more leg room and sometimes I just didn't like the rest of the crew. When yarding a train or working on the line it saves time I would cut the engines and the brakeman works the front end. I also might want to smoke a joint.
brainerdrebel 2 years ago
@brainerdrebel
When my dad was still an engineer for CSX(40 YEARS RET) and when he had a full 5 man crew, it was very common for the a brakeman to ride in a trailing unit. In days of the caboose, the conductor, and head brakeman would ride back there, and the fireman/flagman and 2nd brakie would ride in the main engine with him. Hell, if it was a great crew, the conductor would take the cab, and BOTH brakemen would ride up front, and they'd make the fireman sit the floor, lol!!
roasted420 2 years ago
That 7083 is on my Aiken local now. I've seen 7045 before as well.
TPM75108 2 years ago
I have one of those P5 horns simelar to this one but mine came off an old NS C36-7.I miss the old Southern Railroad
gaycowboy31 2 years ago
the Conrail horns sound like some of Union Pacific former Missouri Pacific SD40-2's
csx2295 2 years ago
Love the old Southern Loco's! It's a shame that they are only a memory now!
auburn2008db 2 years ago
now THATS what a loco should sound like!
boeingLL747 3 years ago
NICE P5!!!!!
UndertakerRocks123 3 years ago 10
it reminds me of the Illinois Central SD40-2R
csx2295 2 years ago
love that P5
rolls283 3 years ago 9
Totally 100% Awesome! 5*****!
DJGENEX71 3 years ago
nice man! it has the sd45 type of horn!
amtrakrules52 3 years ago
awesome vid man !
thanks for posting this up,it re-lives the days of SOU !!!
NSSD80MAC7202 3 years ago
The wheeling & lake erie used to run their trains on tracks running almost parallel to the NS track through bedford and maple heights, OH, and they used to use those Southern GP50's. but, unfortunately, the W&LE doesnt run through here anymore, and they never seem to use the southern or kodachrome locos anymore. but i do like the locos with the DRGW paint scheme
ConrailForever 3 years ago
So nice to see Southern Bay window cab in action.
rrman70 3 years ago
in the video are GP50's though....
Automcanic 3 years ago
nice catch its pretty rare these days seeing one of those sexy things
DRfermasMs 3 years ago
what kind of Nathan P5 did the Southern Railway use on its EMD's?
andybowe 3 years ago 3
I think they used P135R24s, the kind Illinois Central used for their SD70s and some of the SD40-2s.
Linkdude678 3 years ago 3
3 years after the N&W and SOU Merger.
NS9647 3 years ago
Incredible video and horn! Gotta love Third Generation P5s, baby, nothin' like it!
nsgevo89 3 years ago
Oh and the cabooses!
DJGENEX71 3 years ago
I miss those Southern Railway engines and horns! 5*****
DJGENEX71 3 years ago 3
Great P5! Some of these GP50's are still used on NS today, but many of their P5 horns are broken and some have even been replaced with K5LA's or other horns.
sasilv1129 3 years ago
Great Video! LOVE the horn!
EMK623 3 years ago 2
what a horn!!!
MikeDelic14 4 years ago
Love that P-5
FlatBlackXtreme 4 years ago
Oh yeah i forgot about.
RodPower78 4 years ago
Love the caboose. Don't see that much anymors.
Texaslobo 4 years ago
Very nice. Good to see some older stuff.
NSHorseheadSD70 4 years ago
I loved that video.Back then i noticed they were still using Caboses!!!!
billy4960 4 years ago
Thanks for posting this.
dasmikey1964 4 years ago
NS was around before CSX?
juliussespiritu 4 years ago
No CSX got started a few eariler.
RodPower78 4 years ago
nice cool looking high hoods...
Derailedtrain666 4 years ago
Nathan Airchime P12345 on a low profile manifold, new cast/3rd gen.-Jeffrey
GP30RDMT 4 years ago
Awesome Video!! Excellent horn!!
UPTurner 4 years ago 2