The sale includes dozens of EMD GP38-2 high-hood locomotives built for Southern Railway. Numbered in the 5000 and 5100-numbering series, the 2,000-hp “Geeps” have accumulated in Roanoke since sidelined from freight service. The auction includes locomotives as low as NS No. 5085, built in October 1973 for the Southern, to NS Nos. 5255 and 5256, the last two GP38-2s built for Southern Railway in 1979.
The four-axle road switchers once dominated NS’ local switching scene on the Pocahontas, Piedmont, Georgia, and Alabama divisions with a fleet of about 250 locomotives.
The locomotives are unique in design for not only their high-hood design, but also their Southern Railway-affiliated sub-lettering. Certain locomotives are stenciled for the Central of Georgia (CG), Alabama Great Southern Railroad (AGS), Georgia Southern & Florida Railway (GSF), Carolina & Northwestern Railway (CRN), and Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway (CNOTP) railroads.
In addition to the GP38-2s, the railroad is also auctioning two Southern Railway-built EMD MP15Es Nos. 2393 and 2416, along with Railpower RP20CD genset No. 3830.
Locomotives are not the only items up for grabs in NS’ upcoming auction. The railroad is also selling off five Tuscan red passenger cars retrofitted for steam excursion use. NS passenger cars Nos. 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47 are up for grabs. The cars have been included in numerous NS-sponsored steam excursions with Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 No. 611.
The passenger cars are former PATrain cars, a defunct Pittsburgh-area commuter rail service discontinued in the late 1980s. The cars went on to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for commuter rail use on their Shoreline East service before retrofitted by NS for steam excursion use.
Blackmon Auctions, the company working with NS on the equipment sale, plans to auction the passenger cars and as well as extra seats — which will be available separately from the car auctions.
Next month’s auction will also include an assortment of locomotive parts such as injectors, radiators, filter kits, and other items.
In August 2016, Blackmon and the railroad held auctions in which about 50 Southern Railway-built EMD GP38-2s in the same numbering series were auctioned. A few short line and regional railroads were able to buy the locomotives during last year’s event.
