LONG-HOOD forward, cabooses, & helpers on NS Virginian and Pocahontas Divisions 1988

[@ditchpatcher]

Man I wish I was alive to see these awsome work horses and paint schemes

[@ericjohnson3746]

Thanks for the memories. I grew up in New Orleans and watched the southern starting in the mid 60's. My brother was a math professor at VPI in Blacksburg. So I made several trips up there and he introduced me to Christianburg hill.

[@espeescotty]

Man, great stuff there! I love those early curved-cab C39-8's. I wish they could've arrived with the Southern tuxedo paint scheme.

[@espeescotty]

@Buford Railfans Yes, I agree, there was a bit of beauty and the beast in them. That to me was what made them unique and cool. It was a true evolutionary steppingstone containing elements from the U and C series and signs of things to come in the more refined later DASH-8's and DASH-9's.

[@LeeDfined]

I was born in 1980...these videos bring back so much nostalgia. Life is good now...but nothing like the 80s. The air smelled cleaner. Grass literally looked greener on the other side. It was just a special time in history. P.S: I grew up with my house between a Norfolk Southern mainline about a mile away and CSX(then Chessie) 250 feet. So trains were and still are my obsession.

[@kevintaylor3427]

I find it amazing the NS scheme hasn't varied much in nearly 35 years. Thanks for posting.

[@evanschad85]

My favorite railroad, favorite line and in my favorite era! Thank you!

[@1jackdk]

Glad you enjoyed it. There is TONS more. I may have to edit some and get it posted up. Thanks for watching...

[@evanschad85]

@@1jackdk I can't wait. If you have any videos from around the Welch/Davy, WV area I'd definitely love to see those. Lots of fond memories from those places.

[@1jackdk]

@@evanschad85 Yah, I got a bunch from Welch, both sides the tunnel, Davy, Keystone, Farm, Twin Branch, Panther, Litwar, you name. All the way from Blue Field to Williamson.

[@evanschad85]

@@1jackdk Would like to see Williamson too. I used to work out of Williamson yard and live about 35 miles from there.

[@robertratliff4348]

A lot of good men paid the price when NS started the stupid practice of running longhood lead. All for safety they said. They even ordered the dash 8 that way starting with the 8531. But no A/C so all the fumes/smoke came in the cab. Good thing the Engineers won that one. You did a great job converting and editing the tapes.

[@1jackdk]

Had to be bad with all the tunnels down on the Pokey. My son works for NS here in PA. He usually runs Conway (Pittsburgh) to Enola (Harrisburg). Many times there isn't a train to turn on. NS is cutting back on the crew taxi, so they have been deadheading the crew back in the second unit. He said, the fumes are terrible ridding second unit. They need to put a stop to that. Thanks for watching...

[@Kvr3005]

@@1jackdk CP was really bad for dead heading in the second unit or a remote even. We won it so that they couldn't put us in a remote anymore. They can still put us in a second unit but they figured out its quicker to get crews back to the home terminal via taxi and that way they are available to work again sooner.

[@BlackMan614]

"protect the crews". How many train/truck collisions were there to justify running longhood forward?

[@ibuprofendave2771]

wow! thanks for sharing this footage....I felt like I was a high schooler in Virginia again!

[@anb740]

Sad that pretty much everything, save for the track itself, is now gone in this video. Locomotives, cabooses, and even the signals are gone. Thank God for video!

[@williambryant5946]

Neat video! Southern, N&W, and NS all together. I was 5 years old in 1988. Don't remember any of the Southern and N&W locomotives running together along with NS locomotives. Wish I could thought with Southern being my favorite railroad. Stay well. -Wil 👍

[@1jackdk]

Thank you William. Sure was a great time to railfan early NS. Thanks for watching...

[@matthewharrell8645]

Great video of the NS "classic" era. Loved seeing all of the C39-8 and C39-8E "hammerheads", along with all the locos still in NW and SOU paint. Brought back good memories of my first years railfanning.

[@kameranfleets9945]

Excellent footage. Highlights for me being the variety of power especially the Dash 7s and Dash 8s. The mixture of autorack types on these trains are definitely a plus.

[@1jackdk]

Thanks K-Fleets. Was some good times back then, and not much graffiti. Thanks for watching...

[@daniellaubsch1605]

Love seein the old N&W plus Southern road pwr in these videos!

[@EricJP1]

The 6171 at 5:52 is now sitting in Decatur, Illinois awaiting its date at the scrapper. Perfectly fine engine, a victim of PSR.

[@1jackdk]

Thats pretty sad. Those things lasted forever. Thanks for watching...

[@iusetano]

You have such a great collection of footage. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate it and enjoy watching your treasures.

[@1jackdk]

Glad you enjoy it. There is tons more from down that way. Might have to get some more NS posted if there is an interest. Thanks for watching...

[@DeathLetterBlues44]

A Norfolk Southern video? I am definitely going to watch a NS video. Fabulous!

[@1jackdk]

Hope you enjoy it DLB44, and thanks for watching...

[@AlexTrain5249]

Sometimes long hood movements happen. I was lucky enough to catch one on the CP of all roads with a SD30C-ECO. However this was when they were at their zenith.

[@kansasstatealerting2874]

Cool video! It’s always interesting to see train videos from the 80s and 90s.

[@1jackdk]

Glad you enjoyed it. There will be more coming, and thanks for watching...

[@wurlitzer1538]

Another great video! NS back then felt like a whole different railroad than it is now

[@1jackdk]

Thank you Wurlitzer. There is no doubt, that NS was a different RR back then. My son works for them, and the stories he has, I just shake my head. Thanks for watching...

[@bluefj-wc3vz]

Great stuff Jack! Did a lot of visiting of close friends in Roanoke at this exact timeframe. What great rail fanning days they were.

[@1jackdk]

It sure was blue. Miss those good ole days. Thanks for watching...

[@jamesunderwood6053]

Awesome Jack! Can't wait to see more, thank you.

[@1jackdk]

Thank you James. I'm sure there will be more coming. Spent a lot of time down on the Pokey late 80's through the 90's. Thanks for watching...

[@mshum538]

Date: 9/9/21- Good stuff Jack, I imagine those tunnels are notched for the double stacks now, undercut also, what a change……

[@1978garfield]

Great stuff. Panasonic always made a good product. We had one of their rigs where the VHS deck ejected from the base and you could put a shoulder strap on it, run it off of a battery and connect it to a camera. I think it was higher quality that the camcorders of the era. Love the old high hood units, they look so classy in the Southern paint. I guess the crews hate them and are glad to see them go. I will miss them. There were a couple of ex Southern units that worked the yard locally. I suspect they have had the high hoods removed and an admiral cab grafted on. Seems amazing to me that units bought before the merger are still working.

[@royalkinga7399]

That's just 19 days away from me being born. Wooow

[@Chessie1985]

Excellent video Jack!!!!

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Jeff, glad you enjoyed...

[@Chessie1985]

@@1jackdk You're welcome!!!

[@stretchlimo7275]

Very cool video Jack👍🏼😎 I know a lot of old timers liked running long hood forward because it gave you more protection incase you hit something

[@1jackdk]

That is correct SL. But those poor guys didn't have toilets on those locomotives back then. That's hard to believe. It wasn't until the Conrail guys pushed for it when NS to Conrail...Thanks for watching.

[@mshum538]

Jack, what side of the tracks was your place in west Newton?

[@ytsejamdrummer]

Love this so much! Hope to see more soon!!!

[@truckinpoppop6777]

Cool to see the old Southern and NW equipment

[@nicholasmedovich8691]

Love the fallen flag colors

[@brianbooher7318]

Would love to see a part two

[@thomassalerno5203]

Rough & Tough Railroading!

[@ronaldmorrison6013]

Awesome 👍🏽

[@ChadsRailfanExperience]

04:51 I too would have zoomed in on that high wide headed for the tunnel!

[@1jackdk]

We was wondering. IS IT GOING TO FIT. LOL. The camera was ready if it didn't.

[@daniellaubsch1605]

Yeah that diffently a close call for that hi & wide load goin into and thru Christiansburg tunnel!

[@logandetwiler4483]

Love your content

[@warthog5562]

Engineer in the helper telling the cameraman he's number 1 at 6:31

[@trainnut2012]

Jack how close are you to the Blue Mountain and Reading? They recently did a boiler and whistle test of 2102. What i miss most about the Southern was the radio control box cars. Cheers Thomas

[@logandetwiler4483]

Long live the c39-8s and all the other NS locomotives

[@1jackdk]

Yes indeed!!! Loved those C39's. Thanks for watching...

[@logandetwiler4483]

@@1jackdk your welcome sir. May I use any of your videos with your permission

[@1jackdk]

@@logandetwiler4483 As long as credit is give Logan, I have no issue with it. Thanks for checking in .

[@logandetwiler4483]

@@1jackdk yep

[@LeeDfined]

I was afraid that huge green thing wasn't gonna fit in the tunnel.

[@michaelvalentine1693]

Great video!

[@Pocaconductor22]

Lord yea, thanks Jack!

[@1jackdk]

AMEN. Thank you. Seems to be pretty popular. Might have to get some more posted. Thanks for watching...

[@Pocaconductor22]

@@1jackdk Your welcome bud....I wish these times would have never went away, everything is such a shell of what it once was. With this PSR garbage the Pokey has lost so many trains it's crazy....Oh and they shut Auville Yard down too. Thanks so much for sharing this with us..Come back down sometime, the Buchanan Branch is still busy.

[@Steelers2841]

My Favorite was NS 184/185 the Ford Hauler Toledo to Norfolk

[@derrickwong5337]

Excellent!!!👍

[@Steelers2841]

They Still Use Manned Helpers. Today

[@1jackdk]

Good to know. Thanks for the update, and thanks for watching...

[@fairportrails107]

Back when ns was still ns and didn't have anything conrail

[@bbybby91]

Imagine living in that house beside the bridge in Bramwell

[@1jackdk]

LOL, Might be a little noisy I bet. The CSX mainline is 23 feet from my front porch, probably not as loud as rumbling over a steel trestle like Bramwell, but you get use to it after a while. Thanks for watching...

[@WeldinMike27]

Was there a particular reason behind all the smog in this area? Or was it just the way it was back then?

[@zirndorfredleg7688]

Looks like humidity.

[@1jackdk]

Spring time on the Pokey. Typical springtime weather in the WV hills. Wet and foggy. Thanks for watching...

[@habeconlon291]

So cool

[@mikelafountain5620]

Was running cab forward for safety reasons? Or better line of sight? Or both? Love your videos!

[@1jackdk]

It was for safety reason and extended back to steam days. Sight was terrible, especially on the curving Pocahontas and Virginia divisions. Thanks for watching...

[@michaelmcdougall4527]

Keep it Coming 🎩🎩 off to ya 👍🏻🚂

[@1jackdk]

I'll do my best Michael. There is so much, I don't know where to start first. LOL. Thanks for watching...

[@Steelers2841]

This Train is 148 old COLUMBUS TO Roanoke Manifest

[@wondabiz]

why were so many trains ran long hood forward?

[@machinist1879]

For many years N&W and the Southern ordered all engines designated long hood forward for collision protection. N&W converted to short lead around 1980. After the merger in 1982, NS ordered everything long hood lead because of the Southern’s long hood lead policy. I think NS converted to short hood lead in 1989 or 1990.

[@piedmontrf81]

™

[@Tony-1950]

👍👍

[@jasondennison9669]

The way God intended them to run

[@DouglasP201]

You mean man, not God.