Norfolk Southern B32-8 No. 535 leads local train P-87 near Asheville, N.C., in February 2015. The venerable Dash 8s are headed for the scrap heap.
Grady McKinley
ROANOKE, Va. — Norfolk Southern’s fleet of GE Dash B32-8 locomotives is headed for the scrap yard. Three NS B32-8 locomotives have already met the scrapper’s torch at Progress Rail’s scrap facility in Roanoke this month. NS Nos. 523, 524, and 544 were among the first to be scrapped, while others in the retired fleet are next up for dismantling.
The four-axle locomotives joined Norfolk Southern’s roster in November 1989 assigned to the 3500-numbering series. Equipped with 3,200 hp, the locomotives spent much of their early years in intermodal, freight, and coal service. In their latter years, the locomotives were most commonly seen in local and work train service.
A total of 49 locomotives were built in its class, of which NS purchased 45 units. In October 2013, the locomotives were renumbered to the 500 series to accommodate for the acquisition of leased SD40-2s. Most B32-8’s were retired by NS in late 2015.
In 2014, NS donated GE B32-8 No. 3563 to the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society in North East, Pa.
