FlanaryRon-SOU 3155-AndoverVA-5-27-85
A Game of Thrones Dragon
It’s my opinion that a Southern Railway EMD SD45—running full tilt, long hood forward (as its owner dictated)—was one of the more hair-raising apparitions I remember from my short time working for the railroad in 1970 and 72. If we were inspecting track and had to “put off” to give up the track segment to allow one of the frequent CNO&TP hotshot freights to pass, I would look down the track anticipating the headlight of the approaching train. If one of the 3600 “hammerhead” units were on the point, I would reflexively take three or four more steps back from the track. It was the very vision of a Game of Thrones dragon coming for me in a blaze of “dragon fire.” When the motive power passed at what seemed like 70 MPH (but was usually no more than 60), the machine gun blast of the car trucks hammering across the siding turnout’s frog and joints made conversation impossible. The steel bay window caboose would finally pass, and you keyed the radio to let the crew knew they were “all back” at wherever we might be. The vision of that SD45 closing on your location at high speed would linger, though.
The 70 units of this model on Southern’s roster were added in 1967 and 1970. They didn’t last long into the Norfolk Southern era, however, as all were off the roster in 1986 and 87—sold or scrapped. I suspect a few of them might still exist, but the ones that had second lives were largely rebuilt to SD40-2 specs.
Two favorite images of these beasts are shown here. No. 3155’s front end was photographed on May 27, 1985, at Andover, Va. On April 7th of that same year, No. 3113 was leading the westbound Belmont unit train empties at Tito. At the time, this was still the siding name for a track that was lengthened the following year when CTC was installed. “Tito” survived as the name for the control point on the east end, while the west end became “Jasper,” the name of the community. In the steam era, the siding had been variously named “Tito Siding,” or “Tito Tank.” There was a train order office at the east end of the old siding for a long time.
Of all the second generation units I remember from the late 60s and 70s, Southern’s SD45s were easily the most imposing. An L&N Alco C628 also got high marks, but the big EMDs were more terrifying as they came at you.
FlanaryRon-SOU 3155-AndoverVA-5-27-85
A Game of Thrones Dragon
It’s my opinion that a Southern Railway EMD SD45—running full tilt, long hood forward (as its owner dictated)—was one of the more hair-raising apparitions I remember from my short time working for the railroad in 1970 and 72. If we were inspecting track and had to “put off” to give up the track segment to allow one of the frequent CNO&TP hotshot freights to pass, I would look down the track anticipating the headlight of the approaching train. If one of the 3600 “hammerhead” units were on the point, I would reflexively take three or four more steps back from the track. It was the very vision of a Game of Thrones dragon coming for me in a blaze of “dragon fire.” When the motive power passed at what seemed like 70 MPH (but was usually no more than 60), the machine gun blast of the car trucks hammering across the siding turnout’s frog and joints made conversation impossible. The steel bay window caboose would finally pass, and you keyed the radio to let the crew knew they were “all back” at wherever we might be. The vision of that SD45 closing on your location at high speed would linger, though.
The 70 units of this model on Southern’s roster were added in 1967 and 1970. They didn’t last long into the Norfolk Southern era, however, as all were off the roster in 1986 and 87—sold or scrapped. I suspect a few of them might still exist, but the ones that had second lives were largely rebuilt to SD40-2 specs.
Two favorite images of these beasts are shown here. No. 3155’s front end was photographed on May 27, 1985, at Andover, Va. On April 7th of that same year, No. 3113 was leading the westbound Belmont unit train empties at Tito. At the time, this was still the siding name for a track that was lengthened the following year when CTC was installed. “Tito” survived as the name for the control point on the east end, while the west end became “Jasper,” the name of the community. In the steam era, the siding had been variously named “Tito Siding,” or “Tito Tank.” There was a train order office at the east end of the old siding for a long time.
Of all the second generation units I remember from the late 60s and 70s, Southern’s SD45s were easily the most imposing. An L&N Alco C628 also got high marks, but the big EMDs were more terrifying as they came at you.