NS Piedmont Division 2013

NS 135 rolls up Yadkin Hill with three EMD products in charge. The star of the show this day was the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western heritage SD70ACe on the point and many were trackside to witness the spectacle on its daylight run from Linwood to Asheville.

After pausing at Eleventh Street, 135 is finally underway as one of the "show ponies" snakes its way around onto the westbound main.

The Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western SD70ACe leads train 135 across the trestle at Third Creek in the small town of Cleveland.

A late 338 rumbles into Salisbury with a nice La Grange product in charge.

NS 119 passes through China Grove with five GE products in charge with the Conrail heritage ES44AC bringing up the rear.

The northbound Charlotte Turn slices through the fog as they rumble into downtown Salisbury. I'm glad they decided to keep the good power on the flanks and the junk in the middle!

A late running P61 heads west through Salisbury on the westbound main with four old EMDs in charge. The top of Grime's Mill can bee seen above the 3459, but sadly it was destroyed in a fire a few days later. It was always a nice backdrop for photos of trains on the Asheville mainline.

A late 159 battles upgrade into Lexington with three SD40-2s up front. The lead unit is a former N&W SD40-2 that now sports the new "Admiral cab".

NS 159 grinds through Lexington with a veteran trio of SD40-2s leading the way. Nice to see these leading the GEs for a switch.

NS P60 arrives into Salisbury in the late afternoon with an EMD laden consist up front. Former Conrail SDs take the lead while two former Southern Geeps are in tow.

The blue RBBB circus train makes an early morning appearance into Salisbury bahind a nice pair of veteran CSX C40-8s.

With a fresh crew on board, the RBBB circus train is underway and heads around the south leg of the wye towards their next show at Charlotte.

NS P61 sports two "Admirals" as they head west out the Salisbury-Asheville main.

The red RBBB circus train heads north through Kannapolis with a nice CSX SD60I/C40-8 set. The train is en route from its previous show at Greenville, South Carolina to their next one about 75 miles ahead in Greensboro, North Carolina. The beautiful First Baptist Church, which stands at the center of old downtown Kannapolis, can be seen just to the right of the lead locomotive.

NS O48 drifts downgrade towards Linwood past a dead kudzu field. A few more months and this sea of dead brown leaves will once again be rejuvenated into an ocean of greenery.

NS 929 hustles south through Kannapolis on a beautiful Saturday morning with a nice all standard cab consist.

An EMD quartet makes its way south through downtown Landis on a gloomy afternoon with NS 337 in tow. In the spirit of today being the first day of Spring Training, an freshly rebuilt SD60E is showcased in the leadoff spot, a former HLCX SD60 bats second, a former N&W SD40-2 hits third, and a GP59 is in the cleanup spot. Any EMD fan should be able to pick something they like out of this one.

This grizzled vet is looking worse for wear as it leads NS 338 through Kannapolis. This unit has worked for several employers including Chicago & Northwestern, Union Pacific, Helm Leasing, and now Norfolk Southern and is slated to become an SD60E in the future.

NS 338 grinds past the gazebo in downtown Landis with a nice EMD lashup in charge.

A late running NS 118 drifts downgrade through Spencer with an SD60E rebuild in the lead.

The sound of EMD-645 prime movers permiates the cool air as this trio of SD40-2s works to get a heavy P61 up the hill coming out of the Yakin River.

A four car Yadkin Local crosses over from Main 1 to Main 2 at Salisbury, passing the beautifully refurbished Salisbury passenger station.

Empty woodchip train 67E resumes its journey as they blast off from a crew change with a nearly twenty year old ex-Conrail Dash 8 leading a new ES44AC that is only a few months old.

A veteran high hood GP38-2 leads two SD40-2s into Salisbury in the last light of day on train P60.

M72 rolls into Landis on a hazy afternoon with four EMD units on the point.

On a warm Saturday afternoon in March, train 158 grinds uphill into Lexington with a welcome sight of three SD40-2s in charge.

NS 337 passes the blooming Bradford Pear trees in downtown Landis.

Three GEs bring northbound transfer P99 through Landis in the last light of the day.

With the Bradford Pear trees in full bloom, train 337 breaks the silence in the beautiful town of Landis. 337 sports a nice motive power consist this day with a pair of standard cab Dash 9s, a former N&W SD40-2, and a rare former Conrail GP40-2.

A brutish SD9043MAC trails on train 162. Coincedentally, another 2601 resides in Spencer.....

An EMD powerhouse drags a massive 147 car long P84 under the classic Southern signals at Thomasville.

The classic A-B-A set of F's bring the Masters Golf Special screaming through beautiful downtown Thomasville on a mild Spring afternoon.

NS 956 creeps through the BBQ capital of the world, passing Springtime blooms and a blue house.

Two yucky catfish lead hotshot 337 through Landis.

The Masters Golf Tournament special leans into the curve at Newell with the classic bulldog nosed F-units in run 8.

Having just diverged off of the Asheville mainline a few miles south at Salisbury, train 162 coasts downhill towards Linwood Yard with some colorful Union Pacific power in charge.

NS 348 rockets south through Kannapolis with a CSX unit adding a splash of color to the dull black and white.

After a pit stop and a crew change at Linwood, the Masters tournament special is back underway and rolling south through a blooming downtown Landis.

These two EMD workhorses have no trouble scooting upgrade at Five Row with Linwood-Oyama local manifest P61 in tow.

Hotshot intermodal 212 arrives into Salisbury on a sleepy Saturday afternoon with a nice leader. I was pleasantly surprised to see an SD40-2 on an intermodal, let alone LEADING the usual GEs, which had broken down somewhere down the line..

A crusty former Norfolk & Western SD40-2 leads two GP38-2s on local manifest P61 at Salisbury. This train is a railfan favorite because of the motive power consists like this that frequent this train daily.

A pair of Union Pacific AC's lead woodchip empties around the south leg of the wye to head south on the Charlotte District.

The Yadkin Local arrives back into Salisbury after a full day of switching on the Salisbury-Albemarle line.

Loaded coal buckets bound head south near Yadkin Junction.

NS 128 rockets north through Lexington in the early morning with five units and a short train.

Shortly after the UP powered grain train, hotshot intermodal 204 rolls through Salisbury with some nice Southern Belle units in the lead.

A nice SD60E leads NS 214 north at Maybelle, hot on the heels of 128.

Grain empties creep into Salisbury with a pair of UP AC44s in command.

A monster P61 heads west onto the Asheville main with his usual nice EMD power in charge.

A nice high hood team shoves the Salisbury Switcher around the wye.