NS Atlanta North District Volume 4 (DVD Video)

These trains are included in our "Norfolk Southern Atlanta North District Volume Four" DVD : http://www.searailfanning.com/videos/Brian/video-NSAtlantaNorthDistrict-vol4-... A very small sampling of trains are included here for previewing purposes.

Our fourth installment of the "NS Atlanta North District" series covers the time period of May 2004 through August 2005. Norfolk Southern's Atlanta North District runs approximately 150 miles between Debutts Yard in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Inman Yard in Atlanta, Georgia. The CTC-controlled single track mainline is one of Norfolk Southerns busiest, seeing in excess of 40 trains per day. A varied mix of traffic is carried over this critical link between NSs midwestern markets such as Cincinnati, Ohio, and its southeastern counterparts, such as Jacksonville, Florida. Several trains daily carry intermodal traffic bound for Austells Whitaker Yard, "hot" automobile parts traffic for Ford Motor Companys huge facility in Hapeville just south of Atlanta, Powder River coal bound for Georgia Power Plant Scherer just north of Macon, and general merchandise.

I've always considered the Atlanta North District my "home" rails since the very busy mainline passes within a quarter mile of my home in Silver Creek, Georgia. In this video we will visit many locations between Powder Springs, Georgia, and Ooltewah, Tennessee, such as Varnell, Carbondale, Oostanaula, Berwin, Smith, Lindale, Brice, Green, Rockmart, Finch, Dallas, and Hiram. We begin our trip on a clear May 2004 morning by capturing southbound loaded grain train #50Q at Aragon with high hood NS GP38-2 #5179 in command of four other NS locomotives (including Maersk-painted SD40-2 #3329!!!) and end our journey on a hot afternoon in August 2005 by shooting southbound manifest #361 at Green with NS GP60 #7137 leading FOUR other 4-axle NS locomotives, a true RARITY on today's NS rails!

We will witness a nicely varied mix of motive power, including many former Conrail locomotives as well as locomotives from the BN, UP, BNSF, CSX, CN, SOO, MRL, WC, and NREX, CRIX, CEFX, FURX, GCFX, and GMTX leasing companies! Although AC4400CWs and ES44ACs are the predominant locomotives that power the joint "run-through" Plant Scherer coal trains with BNSF, we are able to capture several of these trains with SD70MACs for power. We also catch several trains with high hood locomotives LEADING, which is a unique operating practice Norfolk Southern continues today even amongst its "sea" of GE widenose-led trains. Come along and see this busy NS mainline in northwest Georgia as you've never seen it before!

Digital Color and Sound
Running Time 76 Minutes
Copyright 2009 SouthEast Railfanning Video Productions

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• railroad
• videos
• norfolk
• southern
• southeast
• railfanning
• atlanta
• chattanooga
• georgia
• tennessee
• ohio
• florida
• cincinnati
• jacksonville
• power
• scherer
• varnell
• carbondale
• oostanaula
• berwin
• smith
• lindale
• brice
• green
• finch
• dallas
• rockmart

[mbta1000]

Great catch on that unpatched conrail unit

[southern7002x]

Thanks!

[mydmband]

Great video, as usual! That NREX unit is rebuilt from a wrecked tunnel motor.

[southern7002x]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video!

[mbta1000]

Is there ever going to be a fifth one?

[southern7002x]

Yes.

[Alek9997]

It's probably in some storage line somewhere.......what a shame. I'd love to see that thing back on the high iron.

[southern7002x]

I'm not sure what happened to it?

[Alek9997]

Ah yes, the NREX 9402. Frankenstein, we call it. Very strange but beautiful unit. Whatever happened to it??

[southern7002x]

That particular SD40-2 has a HUGE rear porch. I can't remember the history behind this engine.....it seems like it may have been rebuilt at some point with an SD50 frame. Glad you enjoyed the video!