[HD] Railfanning Norfolk Southern's Roanoke District - July 2019

I made my way back to the Shenandoah Valley to railfan the Norfolk Southern Roanoke District and the CSX North Mountain Subdivision. The Norfolk Southern Roanoke District is one of the few lines that still uses the old N&W CPL signals. For 5 consecutive days, I shot trains at Stuarts Draft, Waynesboro, Elkton, Crimora, Afton and Swoope, Virginia! This was a very fun trip!

B&O and C&O became Chessie System in 1972. CSX became a company in the 1980’s. There was talk in the mid 1980’s of abandoning the North Mountain Subdivision, though that never happened. CSX kept the line to run empty coal and grain trains west out to Clifton Forge. CSX leased the line to the Buckingham Branch in 2004.

Also, N&W J Class steam locomotives did not run on the Roanoke District. However, the K Class did. Some K Class locomotives were rebuilt to resemble the J Class locomotives. K Class are 4-8-2 steam locomotives. In 1946, K Class steam locomotives operated passenger trains in the Shenandoah Valley until their end.

Train #1: NS 202

NS 9478 - D9-44CW
UP 2674 - ET44AC
UP 5676 - AC44CWCTE

Train #2: NS 15T

NS 1128 - SD70ACe
NS 7536 - ES-40DC
NS 1174 - SD70ACe
NS 4052 - AC44C6M

Train #3: NS 16T

NS 1817 - SD70ACC
NS 1134 - SD70ACe
NS 9391 - D9-44CW
NS 1203 - SD70IAC

Train #4: NS 201

NS 4061 - AC44C6M
NS 1206 - SD70IAC

Train #5: NS V83

NS 7693 - ES-40DC
NS 9868 - D9-44CW

Train #6: NS 202

NS 4191 - AC44C6M
NS 9405 - D9-44CW

Train #7: NS 201

NS 9251 - D9-44CW
NS 9860 - D9-44CW
NS 9360 - D9-44CW

Train #8: NS 776

NS 4022 - AC44C6M
NS 7312 - SD70ACU
NS 8011 - ES44AC
NS 8038 - ES44AC

Train #9: CSX 291 West (U105-13)

CSXT 291 - AC4400CW
CSXT 3314 - ET44AC

Train #10: NS 747

NS 4269 - AC44C6M
NS 8172 - ES44AC
NS 8091 - ES44AC
NS 8074 - ES44AC

Train #11: NS 202

NS 1097 - SD70ACe
NS 1031 - SD70ACe

Train #12: NS 16T

NS 1108 - SD70ACe
NS 7018 - SD60E
NS 7531 - ES-40DC
NS 8169 - ES44AC
NS 9506 - D9-44CW

Train #13: NS 747

NS 4185 - AC44C6M
NS 8030 - ES44AC
NS 4053 - AC44C6M
NS 4100 - AC44C6M
NS 3526 - SD40-2

Train #14: NS 15T

NS 7666 - ES-40DC
NS 7690 - ES-40DC
NS 1035 - SD70ACe
NS 1134 - SD70ACe
NS ???? - GP38-2
NS ???? - D9-44CW

Train #15: NS 202

NS 8127 - ES44AC
NS 9736 - D9-44CW
NS 9??? - D9-44CW

Train #16: NS 201

NS 3666 - ET44AC
NS 4153 - AC44C6M

Train #17: NS 16T

NS 4035 - AC44C6M
NS 1022 - SD70ACe
NS 5092 - GP38-2
NS 7336 - SD70ACU
NS 4186 - AC44C6M

Train #18: NS 776

NS 1172 - SD70ACe
NS 3657 - ET44AC
NS 1207 - SD70IAC
NS 7546 - ES-40DC

Train #19: CSX 718 West (V661-15)

CSXT 718 - ES44AC
CSXT 9022 - D9-40CW

Train #20: NS 746

NS 1809 - SD70ACC
NS 4121 - AC44C6M
NS 4266 - AC44C6M
NS 4012 - AC44C6M

Train #21: NS 201

NS 1097 - SD70ACe
NS 1031 - SD70ACe