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September 2009, Volume 39 No. 1, Page 3

Norfolk Southern History

Clint Smoke, Semaphore Editor

Norfolk Southern predecessors Norfolk and Western and Southern Railway have historical societies. Both organizations have upcoming model opportunities in our area

While we all have our favorite railroads, we live in (or near) a city served by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides superior connections to western rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North America’s largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.

Norfolk Southern serves nearly 300 general warehouses/distribution centers, and over 100 of each of the following: general warehouses/distribution centers, bulk transfer facilities, and power generation plants served. Norfolk Southern serves every major port on the East Coast between New York City and Jacksonville, Fla., and multiple private terminals; the Gulf ports of Mobile, Ala., New Orleans and St. Bernard, La.; Great Lakes ports; and numerous river ports. They have 28 rail classification yards, the nearest at Knoxville, Tenn. Linwood, N.C., and Louisville, Ky.

Norfolk Southern’s mission is to be the safest, most customer-focused and successful transportation company in the world. In May of this year, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today lauded the record setting safety achievements made by the nation’s freight railroads at the annual E.H. Harriman Awards honoring railroads with the best employee safety records for the previous year.

The 2008 E.H. Harriman Awards winners are as follows: In Group A, comprising line-haul railroads whose employees worked 15 million employee-hours or more each year, Norfolk Southern received the gold award for the 20th year in a row. CSX Trans. Co. won the silver and Union Pacific Railroad the bronze.

"Our nation’s railroads and their employees can be proud of their safety record," said Secretary LaHood. "Our freight rail industry is the envy of the world, as the cleanest, safest, most efficient way to keep America’s freight moving." The Harriman Awards once a year celebrate the achievements of railroads with the best employee safety records by awarding 12 gold, silver and bronze awards in four categories.

"Safety is the railroad industry’s top priority," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). "Railroads are the safest form of freight transportation today and such attention to safety has produced an enviable track record. I am delighted to report that this continuous emphasis on safety paid dividends last year in producing both the lowest train accident rate in history and the lowest employee injury rate in history." Hamberger credited the industry's more than 230,000 dedicated employees as being responsible for the industry's extraordinary safety record.

The Harriman Awards were established by the late Mrs. Mary W. Harriman in memory of her husband, Edward H. Harriman, an American legend in railroading. Today, the awards are administered by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute, with support from the Mary W. Harriman Foundation. Harriman winners are selected by a committee of representatives from the transportation field and are granted on the basis of the lowest casualty rates per 200,000 employee-hours worked. All data is documented by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Norfolk Southern is the outgrowth of a 1982 merger of the Norfolk and Western and Southern Railways.

Both of the famous railroads have active historical societies and both sponsor an assortment of activities for those interested in history and/or models. For example, another recent N&WHS conference in Roanoke, activates included several clinics on modeling, and a model contest, much like one would see at an NMRA-sponsored event. These gatherings usually occur near operating railroads and often include tours of operational facilities. At the recent N&WHS conference, NS sponsored tours, and also conveniently scheduled a run-by of a double-stack, something not traditionally a part of the Roanoke railroad scene.

Double Stack container train Right: In June, N&WHS members gathered for a picnic behind the former Roanoke Station, now the home of the famous O. Winston Link Art Museum. An eastbound NS double stack train is seen in the background.

Double Stack container train Left: Part of the shop tour. NWHS members were escorted though Roanoke’s famous East End Shops where NS overhauls GE locomotives. Here we see the general foreman with a new 4400 HP prime mover for a GE D-9 40CW locomotive. NS is very restrictive on visitation; getting inside of these facilities is quite a privilege.