Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern: Southern + Norfolk & Western

The Norfolk and Western Railway was a legacy railroad that ran east-to-west from Norfolk VA to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Omaha. It was known for carrying coal and for building its own locomotives.

The Southern Railway was a legacy railroad that ran north-to-south from Washington DC to Atlanta, Jacksonville, Memphis, New Orleans. It also ran north to St. Louis from Atlanta. It prospered with excellent leadership and the growth of the south.

Together, these two railroads made a perfect industry consolidation, with little overlap in routes and each had their own strengths. The two became one in 1982. After the consolidation of CSX in 1984, the two were the primary railroads in the Eastern United States.

Photo: Norfolk Southern Locomotive in Kingsport TN in 2023

Norfolk Southern Railway Stats

Reporting Mark: NS
Operated: 1982 – Present
Successors: Norfolk & Western Railway, Southern Railway
Length: 19,335 miles
Mainline: Washington DC to New Orleans LA, Chicago IL to Atlanta/Jacksonville, New York to Chicago/St. Louis/Kansas City/Memphis, Norfolk to Cincinnati OH
Primary Cities: New York City NY, Norfolk VA, Roanoke VA, Atlanta GA, Cincinnati OH, Columbus OH, Detroit MI, Buffalo NY, Pittsburgh PA, Cleveland OH, Toledo OH, Chicago IL, St Louis MO, Kansas City MO, Memphis TN, New Orleans LA, Jacksonville FL,
Headquarters: Atlanta GA

Norfolk Southern Railway Map

More Southern Railway information will be added to this page and others in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the railroads, the region, or model railroading.

Southern-Railroads.org Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Southern Railway and its predecessors. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Southern-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

Association: Southern Railway Historical Association
Personal maps, timetables, track charts, and memorabilia
Books – Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi: The Southern Railway; Graybeal: The Railroads of Johnson City; Harshaw: ‘Trains Trestles & Tunnels, Railroads of the Southern Appalachians’; Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review’; Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’; Reisweber: ‘Southern Railway Power’; Scales: Natural Tunnel, Nature’s Marvel in Stone’; Stout: ‘Southern Railway: Through Passenger Service’; Ward: ‘Southern Railway Varnish 1964-1979’; Webb: ‘The Southern Railway System: An Illustrated History’; Wiley & Wallace: ‘The Southern Railway Handbook’; Withers & Sink: ‘Southern: A Motive Power Pictorial’; Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
Magazines – ‘Trains‘ , ‘Classic Trains‘
Websites – Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads; Hawkinsrails.net; Johnson’s Depot hosted by StateOfFranklin.net; Multimodalways.org: Norfolk Southern Track Charts; RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City; SteamLocomotive.com; TheDieselShop.us; VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia

Contact Us

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the Southern or Model Railroads.

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org