Nostalgia & History > Southern freight - backup move - at Decatur,Al -- Dec 85

Looking west at the station with the ex-L&N Nashville-Birmingham line curving left and the Southern Chattanooga-Memphis route heading off to the right in Decatur,Alabama.
The lines combined for the crossing of the Tennessee River which was a short distance behind me.
This Southern train had arrived and passed all the signals. The dispatcher then lined them up for a backup move and after talking to the agent in the small building to the right (I guess the station had deteriated to much to work in) they headed back towards the bridge but went right of it instead.
GP35 2699 and what looks like a GP30 did the honors. Hard to see but the cars are moving to the right of the bridge.

Gary

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They were backing onto the jointly-owned-with-L&N (SBD, CSX) "River Line" where there were/are several industries. Nice high-noses! The old passenger depot has been restored. === === = === JLH

What is on the roof of that caboose? They almost look like solar panels.

Cheers, Jim

They are solar panels, yellow bay window cabooses were used in local and yard work as compared to the red bay window road cabooses.

Southern gives a green light to innovation!

Still lots of business on that river line, over 2 miles along.

Last Southern passenger train through Decatur was 1968. Last passenger train was Amtrak's Floridian in 1979.

gcm Wrote:
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> GP35 2699 and what looks like a GP30 did the
> honors.

I agree that the 2nd unit is a GP 30 . Hard to miss those hood angles .

Photo one has a fascinating view of the train and trackage alignment.
Thanks for sharing these.
Bob

Very interesting photos and narrative.
Thanks for posting.
ALLEN

If I remember correctly, this was a "remote control" location on the Southern, and the operator was housed in the little building, along with the model board that controlled the interlocking.