KNTower's NS Piedmont Division

Amtrak 74 approaches the station at Kannapolis, passing over NC Highway 3, Dale Earnhadt Blvd.

NS 118 passes 11th Street at the south end of the old Spencer Yard. The winged CW60AC represents the second of four trains in a row to be led through Salisbury by foreign power.

A primer Dash-9 leads an NS-painted Dash-9 and another in BNSF Heritage II paint on NS 119. This was 140's power that was picked up by P64 at Barber earlier this morning. To the left of NS 119 is the Salisbury Switcher, NS PL25.

A former Burlington Northern SD40-2 now dressed in BNSF's Heritage I paint leads a UP and an NS unit on southbound 173.

NS 24T's lead UP SD60M crosses Council Street and is photographed through the alley across from the 1906 Spanish Mission style depot. Evidence of an abandoned curved spur between the buildings can be seen in the foreground.

A unibrow Dash-9 leads NS 337 through Salisbury, passing under the signal at Eleventh Street.

UP SD60 2168 is looking a little worse for wear as it leads M72 past Salisbury.

The CP trio pulls P64 down the mainline at Barber, NC, passing the sign that warns of the diamond a mile ahead. The crew will stop at Barber to pickup outlawed 140's train out of the siding.

The engineer of P64 prepares to back up to finish the crew's pickups at Barber. While we wait, the CP 9001 is posed nicely on the crossing of the L-Line between Mooresville and Winston-Salem.

As if the three red units weren't colorful enough, P64 has now added a BNSF Heritage II unit, an NS painted unit, and a primer Dash-9 to its consist as they pick up the outlawed 140 at Barber.

UP 9458 features a plaque dedicating the unit to an employee.

Grainy, blurry, but the best I could do. NS P41, the Kannapolis Switcher, surprised me today with this WC SD45 for power. Here they are hustling through Concord trying to make it back to Kannapolis before their time runs out.

A downpour of rain and haij has just passed as 173 climbs Yadkin Hill into Spencer.

P41's Wisconsin Central SD45 awaits the Monday morning call to duty at Kannapolis.

A colorful NS 173, led by aging GP38-2 5088, passes Wisconsin Central SD45 7507 at Kannapolis. The WC unit has been the power for local P41 since March 30.

An ex-Southern Pacific GE with a UP patch pulls NS 337 south through Landis. The trees are blooming as spring has reached the Carolinas.

NS 338 is having power trouble and moving an a crawl as it climbs the hill into Kannapolis. The crew is running for the law and hoping to make it as far as Five Row to tie the train down.

Veteran N&W SD40 1619 pulls NS 338 past Wisconsin Central 7507 at Kannapolis.

An ex-N&W SD40 leads two BNSF units on 338 through Landis, NC.

NS rail train 912 is just south of Reid, having just entered the single track. This rail train was unusual in that it consisted entirely of CSXT rail gons.

"We have seven engines, all of 'em backwards." NS 173 is heading for Salisbury to run the wye with lead unit BNSF 4337. A "hammerhead" BNSF GE makes for an interesting sight climbing Yadkin Hill.

A BNSF Dash-9 leads 338 past the popular railfan hangout at the Salisbury wye. The ties laid out in the foreground are on one of the tracks of the old coachyard. This track has been inactive for years, but looks to be the target of some new development.

A rainy Memorial Day finds a horsehead GP40-2 leading five units, including a Maine Central GP40-2LW, at Kannapolis.

The power and paint schemes here say we're in the 2000's, but the surroundings are pure Southern Railway. An ex-Conrail CW40-8 leads 119 through the equilateral #20 turnout at Reid. The turnout, signals, station sign, and whistle board are all in classic Southern style.

NS 155 is crossing over the Military Street bridge as it passes the site of the National Cemetary on Memorial Day 2005.

A Maine Central GP40-2LW was a nice find on this Memorial Day, passing Kannapolis as the third unit in 118's consist.

NS 338 highballs north as PL05, the Salisbury Switcher, shoves their train off the Asheville District westbound main track into the old yard at Spencer. The weed-grown tracks in the foreground were once part of the coach yard for Southern's passenger trains.

The first shift Salisbury Switcher crew has paused at the shanty at Eleventh Street as they prepare for their next move. This is the south end of Southern's old Spencer Yard, which is now used for local traffic and storage of unit trains awaiting crews.

Hot intermodal train 213 screams through Salisbury, stopping a shiny new Honda Accord at the Council Street crossing.

A relatively new UP SD70M leads stack train 24T past Yadkin Jct on a boiling hot summer day.

NS 337 passes through downtown Salisbury enroute to Charleston, SC. They'll meet northbound stack train 24T at Reid, four miles south of here. That's 24T's clear signal on Main One.

An ex-Conrail CW40-8 leads 119 past the site of the old coach yard at Salisbury. Last week we speculated that the ties and trackage being assembled here were to rebuild this spur. However, it now appears from the markings on the new rails that these pieces of track will be used for the crossing at Henderson Street. The one in the foreground is marked for Main Two.

We get a wave from the conductor of 173 as they ease down to Reid to meet northbound 118. A typical old round-roof oil distributor building is seen in the background.

Southbound 337 rounds the curve into Salisbury behind an all black-and-blue consist.

Say it ain't so, Norm. Just a few hours before this shot was taken, the comment was made that we will probably never see a Southern piggyback trailer again. I agreed, until 119 rolled by with this one in its train. There can't be many of these left in the world.

NS 173 has paused at Summit Avenue waiting for the conductor to return to the head end after pncking up at Charlotte. The train is posed in front of the Charlotte skyline.

A colorful 337 blasts through Salisbury, prompting a chase south to Charlotte.

The colors of BNSF, Santa @e, Southern Pacific, and Montana Rail Link brighten up NS 337 as it rolls through Salisbury

An ex-Southern Pacific SD40T-2 is fourth in 337's)consist.

Montana Rail Link 290 is the fifth unit in 337's consist.

An ex-Santa Fe SD45-2 is third in 337's consist.

Southbound intermodal train 213 has a Canadian National SD40-2W mixed in with its usual GP60's as it passes Kannapolis.

She's not pretty, but she's a colorful addition to NS 213's consist.

Intermodal train 24T rolls through the flour mill complex at Graham. They're about to hit the diamond for the CSX Charlotte Subdivision.

It's a hot and hazy July day, with soaring temperatures and humidity making the ride in that SD60 quite uncomfortable. NS 337 is dropping down the hill from Kannapolis.

CSX Q194 crosses the NS Charlotte District at Graham. CSX crews call this the "Big Southern." Q194 is an Atlanta to Charlotte intermodal train. The crew just watched two NS intermodal trains roll through.

The NCDOT's sole remaining GP40 passenger diesel, the "City of Raleigh," leads Amtrak 73 past the freight house at Salisbury.

Lynchburg to Linwood train 159 brings some old power south at Lee. In about a mile the crew will turn in the inbound lead at Sharp and tie their train down in Linwood's receiving yard.

The former Cannon Mills Plant 1 has long been a backdrop for trains rolling by the old Southern passenger station. Wrecking crews are working on leveling the entire facility. Plans for new development on the property are expected to be announced in the next couple months.

Moving at Restricted Speed due to a signal failure at Adams, NS 213 crawls across McGill Street and along Railroad Street in Concord.