Southern Railway in the 1970's

Southern Railway trains in metro-Atlanta and Kannapolis, NC in the mid-'70s, including steam excursions.

[@samueledgarpegram7088]

Enjoyed the video. My father was a conductor, working out of Winston Salem, NC. He started in 1948, had to take disability in 1976. I miss seeing the equipment. Southern had the best looking locomotives. My father said they got them with high hoods so they could draw a head from either end.

[@4spd69]

Thank you for sharing this! My grandfather, (Wilbert Rimer) was a car inspector at the Southern Depot in Greenville, SC. He was a third generation "railroad man". His father (Charles Rimer) and grandfather (Frederick Rimer) worked at the Spencer shops in Spencer, NC. Frederick immigrated from West Prussia in 1880. Wilbert took me on many train rides from Greenville to Salisbury to visit relatives, and once we went on an overnight trip to Washington, DC for several days. Precious memories!

[@SOUL-tr2zk]

Thanks for sharing this. What a great railroad Southern was.

[@Med0sproductions]

unreal! i hang out at the mabelton platform a lot on NS, it really has not changed much since the 1970’s! thanks for sharing

[@GuyjKite]

Cool video your grandad made. My grandfather was an locomotive engineer for 20 years 1951to1971 on the southern railway eastern division. Wash. Dc to greensboro nc. He lived in Alexandria Va. He gave sou rwy. Total of 45 years. Sometimes he ran the crescent. When his seniority would allow it.

[@NSRailfan-oy8wi]

Thanks for your comment. Check out my video called "Norfolk Southern's Washington District." This video shows where your grandfather used to run as it looks today. There are 13 different locations on the video that show where he ran trains. Tell your friends about NS Railfan2006.

[@SouthernRaiIs1186]

incredible footage of SR freight trains and SR steam excursions!

[@tommythomason6187]

I immediately recognized Mableton, GA., with the white Barnes Hardware building and arched Floyd Road bridge. Georgia Governor, Roy Barnes,' Dad ran the hardware store, and my Grandpa, who had a farm there on Floyd Road, bought his chicken feed and wire there. Roy looks like his Dad. Mableton and Austell, Georgia, were farming communities way back in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. I vaguely remember the depot there, but seems it was a freight station - not passenger. I could be wrong. I had only seen a box car parked next to it once. I rode a Southern excursion train in 1972, from Peachtree Station, Atlanta, to the old Birmingham Terminal Station site. Was only a platform remnant where that big, ornate terminal once sat, in Birmingham. Seems like this excursion was pulled by an RS3 in the lead, followed by a set of SR, "Tuxedo," black F units. Could have been steam on the trip, but seems I'd remember something like that.

[@haydendraycott7897]

Old vids like these are a treasure trove for many reasons including even for the rolling stock back when they actually had names and identities whether it's watching Southern stock combined with fellow south roads like SCL, north roads C&O and Pennsy or westerners Santa Fe and Rock Island, it's all just boring TTX/DDTX crap nowadays :

[@Greatdome99]

20:20 note the piggyback vans are being carried on individual flatcars, not the usual two per car. US Customs prohibits more than one van per freight car, even if they're the longer 85' flats. On the west coast, BN quit transporting them into Canada back in the 1970s, closing their Vancouver piggyback terminal.

[@georgebenson6036]

I grew up by Southern's Alabama division in the seventies. Thanks for sharing.

[@johnblood10]

Nice footage of Kannapolis back in the day! This was some years before my time but it’s fascinating to see the footage around 6:25, considering this spot is currently one of my favorite spots.

[@amyreynolds3619]

I want to thank you for the great video.

[@brianbooher7318]

Thanks for sharing this I love videos like this I just wish it had sound with it but at least we got the video and thanks for sharing it

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

The 4 car consists on the Crescent originated in Birmingham on days the Crescent did not come from New Orleans. The train ran tri weekly to from New Orleans, the other 4 days a week to from Birmingham. The Birmingham trips were cut in 1975, the year non Amtrak passenger operators could seek to join Amtrak or file with the ICC or state regulators to terminate their passenger service.

[@TheBraniffTaylor]

Some excellent footage-thanks so much for sharing!. From the looks of the footage shot near the Pegram roundtable, it looks like South Yard was a stub yard that fed to a large building on its north end near the present day Mc Daniel Street crossing. Also from the footage shot near Brookwood, is that at the McCaslin Street crossing? Just guessing here so maybe someone can collaborate? Great stuff. Hopefully he has more? thanks again for sharing!

[@NSRailfan-oy8wi]

South Yard is not stub ended. It joins the mainline on the south end at Hank Aaron drive. It joins the north end at McDaniel Street. That big hump on the north end is to keep cars from rolling out. Have a look on google earth. South yard was built in the early ‘70s to serve the Lakewood Chevrolet Plant, long since gone.

[@SouthernerFloridain2006]

Hey Looks Southern 722

[@tommythornhill3011]

Great rare footage videos! Make that Hapeville, Ga. instead of Griffin, Ga.

[@NSRailfan-oy8wi]

My grandfather’s memory isn’t as good as it used to be, I think you may be right. Thanks for the correction.

[@ClinchfieldRailfan921]

12:27 what is this steam excursion what???????

[@brandonoconnor1079]

It’s hilarious how railfans haven’t changed over the years!! They got in this shot of 722 and you can watch any steam locomotive video on KZbin and you will see foamers getting in someone’s shot. As long as they get their shots they could care less about ruining your pictures or videos.

[@NSRailfan-oy8wi]

How right you are.