The Southern Railway (reporting mark SOU) (also known as Southern Railway Company and now known as the current incarnation of the Norfolk Southern Railway) is a name of a class 1 railroad that was based in the Southern United States. The railroad is the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894.
The railroad joined forces with the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) in 1982 to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The Norfolk Southern Corporation was created in response to the creation of the CSX Corporation (its rail system was later transformed to CSX Transportation in 1986). The Southern Railway was renamed to the current Norfolk Southern Railway in 1990 and continued under that name ever since. Seven years later in 1997 the former Southern Railway absorbed the Norfolk and Western Railway, ending the Norfolk and Western's existence.
Freight Equipment
Exact timeline not yet known.
| Known to be correct as of 1942-1957: | |
 |
|
| Known to be correct as of 1957: | |
 |
|
| Known to be correct as of 1962: | |
 |
|
 |
|
| Known to be correct as of 1972-1983: | |
 |
|
