Norfolk Southern is honoring its predecessor railroads during 2012, its 30th anniversary year, by painting 20 new locomotives in commemorative schemes that reflect the heritage of those predecessors.

Each paint scheme will be modified to fit contemporary locomotives while staying as true as possible to the original designs. Norfolk Southern employees in Altoona, Pa., and Chattanooga, Tenn., will paint GE ES44AC locomotives, while the EMD SD70ACe units will be painted at Progress Rail Services’ facility in Muncie, Ind. The heritage locomotives will be used to haul freight across Norfolk Southern’s 20,000-mile, 22-state network. 

Virginian Railway was the only railroad created through the capital and credit of one man, oil magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers. After building a short line, the Deepwater Railway, to haul coal out of West Virginia and then being blocked by the bigger railroads, he created another railroad, the Tidewater Railway, to reach Norfolk, Va., then combined the two into the Virginian in 1907. It was acquired by N&W in 1959.

VGN / NS Heritate SD70ACe #TBA, w/ new EMD antenna 

Factory painted, lettered, lights, ditch lights

Model Details:

• Licensing: EMD
• Model Painted: Yes
• DCC: DCC Plug N Play
• Model Lettering: Yes
• Directional Lighting: Yes
• Ditch Lights: Yes
• Motor Type: Pittman
Couplers: Kadee #805