Nostalgia & History > A daily train on the NS ATL North District

NS Atlanta North District ran a manifest north out of Inman Yard in Atlanta Ga, it originated at the old SOU Yard in Macon and terminated at Sevier Yard in Knoxville Tn. Always a mid to late afternoon departure from Inman. One could always tell 140 with the Wood Chip cars it carried along with pulpwood racks. Here is a shot of 140 as they head north thru Lowe Interlocking at Mableton Ga back on Feb 2 1995. NS B23-7 3974 leads NS D8-32B 3530 and NS GP60 7106. 3974 came off the SOU and was equipped with the standard SOU High Short Hood/Nose. Back then, they showed up regularly on the old SOU here. Sure do miss the older units from back then.  Thanks for looking, be well. Ben

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Very nice.
JB

Classic early NS. Love it!

First-class scene.
Bob

Ben I appreciate you posting this fine shot of No. 140 - engine 3974 passing the "Lowe" plant at Mableton.  This brings back nostalgic memories on several levels.  Back years ago when I was third trick humpmaster - lead trainmaster in the main tower at Southern's Inman Yard, we built No. 140 nightly.  Back then 140 was part of one of Southern's tightly planned motive power pools involving several trains.  We had to run it pretty much on time nightly.  On one memorable night we only had 6 cars for 140's three SD's.  We tried to talk the motive power desk into letting us use the three SD's to go to Birmingham with the five full class yard tracks and two forwarding yard tracks of Birminghams we that night.  Of course 140 left as scheduled with the 3 SD's and the 6 cars.  Back then 140 did local setoffs and pickups with blocks for Calhoun, Dalton, and Rome-Krannert.  My partner in the tower was general yardmaster Winfred Norrell from Mableton.  On a couple of occasions we had breakfast in Mableton ater we got off work in the tower.  Working below us in the tower building was longtime chief clerk to the superintendent Shelby Lowe - a well known Southern Railway historian and photographer.  Shelby became one of my best buddies for the rest of his life.  We did pictute taking trips at various places including Mableton.  Later Shelby and I tried to think up a way to talk NS into painting one last green Southern engine.  That culminated one morning with us standing in the  Chattanooga paint shed watching green Imron paint dry on a GP59, and watching expert painters hand lettering the engine with gold stick-on lettering.  

Three winters after leaving Atlanta and going back to running,  I was working an all night local - No 26 - the Gaffney (SC) Switcher.  I was happy to have a fairly new new B23-7 in shiny Southern tuxedo paint.  Yes, it was the 3974 and several others.  It is nice that one picture can bring back so many good memories.