I remember it from a friend of mine who modeled that era and painted up a few switchers for his N scale layout in that scheme.
Such nice models! It'll be interesting to see what else I have in ICG when I get to my Alabama box. I just found this gray and orange, taken in October 1984 in Montgomery, AL at the ICG's Bell Street Tower. The GM&O (M&O) built its branch into Montgomery in 1898.
From September 1990, SOU GP-30 2580 leads an NS train out of Montgomery, AL using CSX trackage rights. This was a former ICG (GM&O) line and through a series of transactions, it was parceled out to CSX and NS around the time I shot this photo. More changes have taken place since. I had to be at work early this day, but thought to take my camera along and had just enough morning light to get the shot. 64 ASA Kodachrome didn't leave much leeway with trains in dim light.
Three more from Montgomery, AL. Continuing our quest for "flares" is MPI 9011 from April 1990, with SOU 181 taken the same month at Coosa St.. At the north end of the former L&N yard is Vera, with Chessie System B30-7 #5577 as seen in May 1989.
Some images taken on the Frisco's line to Birmingham, AL. The first two shots were taken at Jasper, AL in October 1987 and the last was from August 1990 at Cordoba, AL.
I have another big envelope of DRGW SD45's somewhere, I will come across it some day. Here is a top nose shot of the 5335 under an overpass at Burnhams shops Denver circa 1993 Next 3 images, DRGW 5323 in consist sitting waiting for a crew, on the east lead Grand Junction circa 1994. sure coulda used a weed wacker for just a few minutes.
Rode hard and put up wet! That's one well-beaten Flare! "Resting in the Old Yard" An eastbound grain empty rests in the old yard about where a massive icing house once stood many decades ago in the Great Northern yard that predated Gavin Yard. A 1960 photo, reposted with permission of Railroad Museum of Minot shows the ice house in its heyday.
NS's 13th Street Tower in Birmingham, AL was still doing business in the time-honored manner in November 1985, hooping up orders to the 7044's crew as seen below. The former SOU and L&N mains cross here. The tower has since been razed.
An then there was the time I forgot my good camera and was photographing trains using a cheap camera shooting Kodak Gold 200 print film. Great for family snap shots but lousy for trains. Here is a ragged looking consist worthy of such a combination. Rosenberg, Texas in October of 2005.
Some 30 years ago, Norfolk Southern's large Norris Yard in Irondale, AL east of Birmingham was railfan friendly and a quick spin by the shops could turn up most anything. On a beautiful day in May 1989, I found these units.
Irondale's Ernest Norris Shop rebuilt and maintained all of SOU's and NS's excursion steam locomotives until the end. I'm uncertain if the shop building survives. Image from October 1987.
I was just watching a video about the Southern Mikado 4501 where they showed a few inside shots of that shop.
I just looked at it on Google Earth, and it is far from demolished. There are a bunch of Norfolk Southern locomotives around on the tracks, so it looks like it is a diesel shop now. The “southern railway system” part of the sign has been taken down, but the “Earnest Norris Yard” half is still up.
So, here are some images from my meanderings around the Burnham complex years ago. These images show some of the under-frame details. The below is the engineers side front. Note the clear placement of the air dry/filters piping, TM cables, fuel fillers, sight glasses and so forth. Below is the Engineers side rear. Air reservoir piping, TM cable routing, Rerail frog, brake cyl piping. Those big cans at the bottom between the axles is the brake cylinders, man you talk about miserable things to adjust. They were marginally easier in a pit, was easier to replace the shoes with not so worn out shoes to get proper adjustment. OK this is at the front of the fuel tank looking to F of fireman's side. Note the TM cable bundles coming out of the generator room far right is the fuel tank vent pipe A little better view of the F side fuel tank vent, filler and such.
