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The following are the most prevalent Norfolk Southern diesel locomotives in use as of 2022, summarized from Chris Toth's excellent Norfolk Southern Diesel Locomotive Roster.

Road numbers in bold are in the author's collection.

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autumn adventure 2022 scaled 750x350.jpg

The Everett Railroad (reporting mark EV) is a shortline and heritage railroad that operates on ex-Pennsylvania Railroad trackage in the Hollidaysburg area of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It runs freight trains over two separate lines, one from Brooks Mill and Sproul, and the other, owned by the Morrison's Cove Railroad, from Roaring Spring to Curryville and Martinsburg. The affiliated Hollidaysburg and Roaring Spring Railroad (reporting mark HRS), which the Everett Railroad operates both under contract and via trackage rights, connects the two segments to each other and to the Norfolk Southern Railway (ex-Conrail) in Hollidaysburg. The Everett Railroad name refers to its former location near Everett, abandoned in 1982.

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At this time I refer all interested parties to the Kishacoquillas Valley Railroad FaceBook Group.

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The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) is a 3 ft narrow gauge historic and heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania.

Operating from 1871 to 1956, it is one of the nation's oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The railroad is now preserved for use as a tourist attraction. After a nine-year closure, in February 2020 it was announced that the railroad had been purchased by a non-profit foundation and regular train service resumed in the summer of 2021.

There is significant coverage of the railroad elsewhere on the internet, so I am not going to replicate it here. Below are a few links that may be of interest to you...

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Shout out to Kaylee Zheng whose clinic was the initial data for this cheat sheet!

EMD Model Designation

Example: SD  70        AC
Unit Type Locomotive Series Improvement Series Options/Modifiers
F = Cowl/Monocogue Unit
SW = Switcher
MP = Multi Purpose Switcher
GP = General Purpose (4 axle)
SD = Special Duty (6 axle)

If last digit is 9, then 12 cylinder prime mover; otherwise 16 cylinder.

Exception: T4 locos are 12 cylinders always

(blank) = base version

-1 = EMD reman. program (late 1960s)

-2 EMD reliability improvement series

A = Special Custom Builds
AC = Alternator or AC Traction
M or W = Wide cab
I = Isolated (vibration reducing wide cab)
L = Lightweight frame
P = Passenger/steam heat
H = Head End Power (HEP)
e = Reduced emissions compliant
-T4 = Tier 4 emissions compliant
IAC = Individual Axle Control
P4 [?] = B1-1B wheel arrangement
X = Experimental

 

GE Model Designation

Example: Dash9  44 C  W
Locomotive Series Locomotive HO x 100 Wheel Arrangement per Truck Options/Modifiers

U = Universal
P = Passenger
Dash8 = Dash 8 Series
Dash9 = Dash 9 Series
AC = AC Traction Series
ES = Evolation Series
ET = Evolution Series, T4 Compliant

 For AC series, full HP is written out, although, conventional 2 digit HP indicator is also used interchangeably  

C = Cowl Unit
H = Head End Power (HEP)
P = Passenger
Q = Extended Crew Cab
W = Wide Cab

 

Round One:
Roof Line: Clean Roof Line: Congested
Fuel Tank: Angular Fuel Tank: Rounded

Brake Reservoir: Two tanks

 Brake Reservoir: Long "Torpedo Tube"
Exhaust stack right before radiator Exhaust stack towards cab
GE ET44AC Right  

GE

EMD

Round Two:

Radiator "winged" (except U-boats)

GEVO has mini-radiator in front of main radiator

GEVO T-4 similar to standard GEVO radiator but massive 

 Radiator has raised fans:
  • Two large fans - 38 series
  • Three large fans - 40 series
  • Three large fans, angled radiator - 45 series
  • Three large fans, tall radiator screens - 50/60 series
  • Three large fans, tall angled radiator - 70 series
  • Three large fans, chunky angled radiator - 80/90 series
  • Two XL fans, chunky angled radiator - 80/90 series (Ace)
  • Three XL fans, chunky angled radiator - 80/90 series (Ace T-4)

Fan Size: Large = 48"; XL = 54"

more to come

 

 

  GE DASH 9-44CW GE AC44C6M GE ES44AC GEVO GE ET44AC Tier 4 GEVO EMD SD70ACe EMD/NS SD60E
RIght Side View GE DASH9 Right      GE ET44AC Right    
Left Side View GE DASH9 Left      GE ET44AC Left    
Top View GE DASH9 Top      GE ET44AC Top     
Front Quarter View GE DASH9 Front      GE ET44AC Front    
Rear Quarter View GE DASH9 Rear      GE ET44AC Rear    

 

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Strates on CSXPhoto posted to FaceBook by Marty Biniasz.

The James E. Strates Shows

By the 1920’s the Warren Tank Car Company of Warren, Pennsylvania, and the Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Company of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, were the principle providers of the steel circus flat cars.  In 1926, both these companies were competing heavily to get circuses to convert from the 60 foot cars to their new 70 and 72 foot flats.

The 70 foot Mount Vernon flat cars can be distinguished by the pot belly sides with  ribs. The 72 foot Warren flat car had no ribs and gently arcing sides on both top and bottom. In the image at right, a Warren flat is in the foreground and the next flat is a Mount Vernon.

The JES acquired numerous truss-rod heavyweight passenger cars in 1948 from the Ringling Brothers. [Smith]

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Timeline:

  • 1977: SP/Sea-Land well car begins testing.
  • 1981: First SP double-stacks enter service.
  • 1983: First Budd/Thrall well cars without bulkheads delivered.
  • 1999: First production 53-foot well cars are delivered.
  • 2003: TTX begins program for shortening 45- and 48-foot wells.
  • 2010: TTX roster almost entirely 40- or 53-foot well platforms.

Notes:

  • Thrall merged with Trinity in 2001. Thereafter, Thrall designs were marketed through Trinity Rail Group.
  • Gunderson is owned by Greenbrier.
  • All TTX well cars carry the reporting marks DTTX.

 

TTX Double-Stack Fleet As-Built
Model Well
Configuration		 Qty TTX Class Notes Years Active HO Scale Model
Thrall Car Manufacturing
100-ton Articulated Cars:
Lo-Pac 2000  40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 296

 TWG5M
TWG50
TWG50A
TWG50B
TWG50C
TWG50H
TWG5BM
TWG51
TWG53

 Capable of carrying 48' containers in the top positions. Design licensed from Budd. 1988- InterMountain
  40' 45' 48' 45' 40' 1 TWG50P       
  40' 45' 45' 45' 40' 25 TWG50F    1988-   
  40' 48' 48' 48' 40' 408 TWG50G
TWG50K
TWG50L		      
  45' 45' 45' 45' 45' 23 TWG50D
TWG50J 		   1986-   
  48' 48' 48' 48' 48' 40 TWG50E    1989-   
125-ton Articulated Cars:
  40' 48' 48' 48' 40' 292  TWG52       
  48' 48' 48' 48' 48' 1,381 TWG52A
TWG52B
TWG52C 		      
  53' 53' 53' 53' 53' 1  TWG53P      
  53' 53' 53' 751 TWG33P
TWG33		     Atlas
728688
Single-Unit COFC-only Cars:
Well Runner 48' 962  TWF10
TWF10A
TWH10
TWH10P		      Class One Model Works (ordered)
Drawbar-Connected COFC-only Cars:
  48' 48' 48' 300  TWG30   1991-   
  48' 48' 48' 48' 138  TWG40   1991-   
Single-Unit All Purpose Cars:
  48' 150  TWA10      
Drawbar-Connected All-Purpose Cars:
  48' 48' 48' 116  TWA30      
Gunderson
100-ton Articulated Cars:
Twin-Stack 40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 343 GWG50
GWG50A
GWG50B
GWG50C
GWG50D
GWG50E
GWG50F
GWG50G
GWG50H
GWG50J		 End bulkheads to retain upper containers.   InterMountain 
125-ton Articulated Cars:
 Maxi-Stack I 40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 3,214 GWG52
GWG52D
GWG52E
GWG52G
GWG52H
GWG52I		      Athearn
  40' 48' 48' 48' 40' 43 GWG52A       
Maxi-Stack III  48' 48' 48' 48' 48' 2,496 GWG52B
GWG52C
GWG52F		     Athearn
Maxi-Stack V  53' 53' 53' 53' 53' 1 GWG53P       
Maxi-Stack IV  53' 53' 53' 7,680 GWG33
GWG33A
GWG33B
GWG33C
GWG33D
GWG33E
GWG33P 		     InterMountain
Kato 
766519
Single-Unit COFC-only Cars:
Husky Stack  48' 875 GWF10     1991- Athearn
InterMountain
Husky Stack   53' 2,130  GWF13   2003-  Rapido 
  56' 101  GWF11      
Drawbar-Connected COFC-only Cars:
  48' 48' 48' 48' 60 GWG40       
Single-Unit All Purpose Cars:
Husky Stack AP  48' 947 GWA10       
Drawbar-Connected All-Purpose Cars:
  48' 48' 48' 873 GWA30       
  48' 48' 48' 48' 200 GWA40       
Pullman Standard / Trinity Industries
100-ton Articulated Cars:
BackPacker  40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 71 RWG50
RWG50A
RWG50B
RWG50C
RWG50P 		    1986- ScaleTrains
125-ton Articulated Cars:
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 5 RWG52A      
  40' 48' 48' 48' 40' 117 RWG52    1987-   
Backpacker  48' 48' 48' 48' 48' 116 RWG52B
RWG52C
RWG53 		   1990-   
  53' 53' 53' 53' 53' 1        
  53' 53' 53' 1,236 RWG33
RWG33A		      
Single-Unit COFC-only Cars:
Well Runner  48' 1 RWH10P       
Drawbar-Connected COFC-only Cars:
  53' 53' 53' 160  RWG30      
Single-Unit All Purpose Cars:
  48' 10 RWA10       
National Steel Car (NSC)
125-ton Articulated Cars:
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 310  NWG52
NWG52A		      
  48' 48' 48' 286  NWA33      
Super Stack 53' 53' 53' 53' 53' 1        
  53' 53' 53' 5,428 NWG33A
NWG33B
NWG33C
NWG33D
NWG33E
NWG33F
NWG33P		      
Single-Unit COFC-only Cars:
  53' 6,190 NWF13
NWF13A		     Walthers
Drawbar-Connected COFC-only Cars:
  48' 48' 48' 744  NWG31   1998-   
  53' 53' 53' 1,022  NWG33      
Drawbar-Connected All-Purpose Cars:
  48' 48' 48' 80 NWA31    1995 Walthers
  48' 48' 48' 48' 120  NWA40      
Freight Car America
125-ton Articulated Cars:
Dynastack 40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 50 NWG52L    2008-  
  53' 53' 53' 100 NWG30      Walthers 
Single-Unit COFC-only Cars:
   53'  1        
Unidentified Builder
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40' 50 JWG52   2013-  
  53' 53' 53'   JWG33   2016-  

TTX Double-Stack Rebuilds
Articulated Cars or Drawbar-Connected COFC-only Cars:
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40  

TWG51P
TW52BM
TW52CM
TW52N
TW52AN
TW52BN
TW52CN

     Walthers
748410
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40   GW52AM
GW52BM
GW52CM
GW52FM		      Walthers
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40'   RW52M
RW52BM
RW52CM
RW53M		   1988-  
  40' 40' 40' 40' 40'   NWG32M      
  40' 48' 48' 48' 40'   TWG50K
TWG52		   1987  
  48' 48' 48' 1 TWG32C   1992  
Single-Unit COFC-only Cars:
  40'   TWF10F
TWF10M
TWF10N		   1991- Walthers
  40'   GWF10F
GWF10M		   1991-  
  40'   NWF10F
NWF11F		   1994-  
  53'   GW13SF
GWF13S		   1994- Walthers
  53'   NWF13
NW13SF
NW14SF		   1993-  
Single-Unit All Purpose Cars:
  48'   GWA10   1994- Atlas
Walthers
456164

 

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1

The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (reporting mark RBMN), sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on 300 miles of track. Its mainline consists of the Reading Division between Reading and Packerton and the Lehigh Division between Lehighton and Dupont. Its main freight cargo is anthracite coal.

Passenger excursions also run on RBMN tracks. The RBMN itself operates excursion service from Reading and Port Clinton to Jim Thorpe, while the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (LGSR) offers service between Jim Thorpe and Lehigh Gorge State Park. [Wikipedia]

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Strates Winter QuartersJES Winter Quarters in Florida.

The James E. Strates Shows

One thing that can be said about the JES paint schemes was that... they were flexible!

There were always deviations from the norm.

In addition, the names of the cars were typically changed each year to represent the towns where the carnival was scheduled. 

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bernard auto train 4002 and train 1972 03 25 ashland va 01 1000x

Nope, no Pennsy content here! I've always been a closet Auto Train fan, ever since it was first featured in Model Railroader in December 1972 and January 1973. I had the privilege of riding the train later in 1973.

Auto-Train Corporation (reporting mark AUT) was a privately owned railroad which used its own rolling stock, and traveled on rails leased from major railroads along the route of its trains, serving central Florida from points in the Mid-Atlantic region near Washington, DC, and the Midwest near Louisville, Kentucky, during the 1970s. Despite the popularity of the service on its primary route, which parallels busy Interstate 95 along much of the eastern coast of the United States in five states, the company failed financially after operating for almost 10 years. After a hiatus, a similarly named and operated service (Auto Train) was begun under the government-financed Amtrak in 1983, which became one of the railroad's most popular services.

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 ColorStrates2 e1493743521195

Strates Shows, America's only railroad carnival, travels the United States during a seven-month season, transporting personnel and equipment with 61 rail cars and 34 trucks. Traveling with the show are some 400 employees and families who operate the many rides, games and concessions.

Strates Shows has a history dating back to 1923 when James E. Strates, a Greek immigrant, began his first show. Mr. Strates came to America in 1909 and, like many immigrants, worked at a number of odd jobs. In 1919, he joined a carnival athletic show as a wrestler taking on all challengers. In 1923, James E. Strates acquired Southern Tier Shows and in 1932 changed its name to James E. Strates Shows. Mr. Strates continued to build and manage the carnival until his death in 1959. At that time his son, E. James Strates, assumed responsibility for the carnival and still operates it today.

Strates Shows are known to have ridden the rails of the Pennsy during the era being modeled.