DAYTON, Tenn. — A diesel switcher from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is now providing switching for a tire manufacturing plant, an operation that helps support the museum while aiding the growth of the factory.
The EMD switcher, built in 1951 for the U.S. Army and later used by the U.S. Air Force at Cape Kennedy, now is lettered for Nokian Tyres, and delivers cars on the 1-mile connection from Norfolk Southern to Nokian’s Dayton, Tenn., plant.
“The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum supports our rail preservation efforts through a growing rail switching operation,” Museum President Tim Andrews said in a Nokian press release. “These operations provide, safe, timely, and economical service to companies like Nokian Tyres that are helping to grow the region’s manufacturing footprint.”
The need for the switching service reflects the growing needs of a factory that has grown from a workforce of 150 upon its opening to 330 as of 2021 and reduces the company’s reliance on trucks.
“This locomotive helps us reliably handle larger quantities of materials and streamline our processes,” said Nokian Tyres Transportation Manager Daniel Dobbs. “It’s a step in the right direction to support the factory as we continue to scale up production.”
More information on the Nokian plant is available at the company’s website.
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