Today we're taking a look at the history of Norfolk Southern, which has actually existed twice - the original line in NC and VA, and the modern guise as one of the current major eastern Class 1 railroads.
Here's one of the original NS's locomotives, NS 1616. It's a Baldwin AS416 built in December of 1955.
After its time on the NS it was sold to Precision National Corporation and became PNCX 1616, and PN would quickly sell it to Peabody Coal Company, and it became PCCX 1616. It would then make its way to the North Carolina Transportation Museum and have its NS livery applied once again. It's non-operational.
This the front of the locomotive - it was common practice to designate the long hood end the front on early diesels, though some railroads would hang on to the practice long after most.
The history of NS starts on January 20, 1870, when the Elizabeth City & Norfolk Railroad was established.
The ECNR would open in 1881, and would start in Berkley, VA and run to Edenton, NC.
On February 1, 1883 the ECNR would change its name to the Norfolk Southern Railroad, which better emphasized their goals and ambitions for the line.
As was so common with early lines, the NSRR would fall into receivership, specifically in 1889, but would be purchased in 1891 and reorganized as the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. During this period the NSRR would acquire trackage rights over the Norfolk & Western for access to Norfolk, and also during this period NSRR would acquire the Albemarle and Pantego Railroad, whose line ran from Mackeys to Belhaven, NC.
Several years later, on November 1, 1899, N&S would purchase the Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Southern Railroad, which unsurprisingly ran from Norfolk to Virginia Beach, VA, and would be extended in 1902 to reach Cape Henry.
A couple years later, in 1904, N&S would buy the competing Chesapeake Transit Company, which, like the NVBS, ran from Norfolk to Cape Henry - subsequent to this N&S would consolidate trackage for the NVBS and CTC, abandoning duplicate trackage. This system was mostly a passenger operation, and would greatly contribute to Virginia Beach's growth as a resort destination, but would suffer a death knell in 1922 with the construction of Virginia Beach Boulevard, and the rapid adoption of automobiles.
Back to 1902 again, N&S would purchase the Washington and Plymouth Railroad, which ran from, shockingly, Plymouth to Washington, NC. An extension from Plymouth to Mackeys would be laid, and a freight car ferry would run from Mackeys to Edenton until it was replaced by a 5-mile bridge in 1910. The W&P was originally built by Roanoke Railroad and Lumber as a 3 ft narrow gauge line in 1899, and became a common carrier in 1901. N&S would convert the line to 4ft 8 1/2in standard gauge in 1904.
The Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina Railroad, which was organized in 1903, but who would undergo a name change in 1905 to the Raleigh And Pamlico Sound Railroad, would build a line from the end of the N&S in Washington to Bridgeton, as well as constructing a separate line from Raleigh to Zebulon.
On November 24, 1906, the Norfolk and Southern Railway was formed as a consolidation of several railroads - the Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad; Virginia and Carolina Coast Railroad (Suffolk, VA to Edenton and Elizabeth City, NC, 1885/1902); Pamlico, Oriental, and Western Railway (1906, New Bern to Bayboro, NC); Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad (Goldsboro to Morehead City, NC, 1858/1904); Beaufort and Western Railroad (Morehead City to Beaufort, NC, 1905).
Harkening back to the bad old days of 1889, N&S would again fall into receivership, this time in 1908. Another reorganization in 1910 would ensue, resulting in a reuse of an old moniker - the Norfolk Southern Railroad. Also in 1910 they would build a line from Chocowinity to Zebulon to connect the at-the-time isolated former Raleigh & Pamlico Sound. NS would be busy in 1910, constructing several branches - Bayboro to Oriental, NC; Pinetown to Bishops Cross, NC; Mackeys to Colombia, NC. [side note - interesting how a RR can be in receivership and continue expanding...]
Going on a bit of a side trip before eventually getting back to the main subject, we need to cover the history of other railroads of the period, starting with the Egypt Railroad. That's not as long of a side trip as it seems - this is about the eastern NC railroad, not the African country. Anyway, the Egypt Railroad was chartered on June 14, 1890 and opened on October 15, 1891, running between Colon, NC (on the Seaboard Air Line) to Cumnock, NC. On September 6, 1893, the ER would be leased to the Raleigh & Western Railway, which ran from Cumnock to Harpers Crossroads.
Receivership would strike again, in 1907, and the Egypt Railroad would reorganized on April 1 (hah), 1910 as the Sanford and Troy Railroad. However, operations west of Cumnock would be suspended in 1908.
Going on another side trip that will eventually circle back to the original subject, we have the Durham and Charlotte Railroad, which was chartered in March of 1893, with ambitions of connecting its namesake cities. On July 15, 1896, the D&C would buy the Glendon and Gulf Railroad (which ran between its namesake towns).
The D&C would reach Robbins, NC in 1899 with plans to continue on towards Star, NC, but would first have to contend with a few years of litigation with the Wright Tramway (of 1896). The WT would be removed in 1901 and D&C would continue on their merry way, reaching Star by 1902.
Now we begin connecting the side trip subjects - the Durham & Charlotte would buy the right-of-way between Cumnock and Gulf from the Raleigh & Western, and would rebuild and reactivate the line, as well as a extension from Star to Troy.
Finally returning to Norfolk Southern, in 1911 they would form the Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railroad to consolidate several smaller lines - Sanford and Troy Railroad; Durham and Charlotte Railroad; Raleigh and Southport Railway (Raleigh to Fayetteville); Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad (Aberdeen to Asheboro, major branch from Biscoe to Mount Gilead, as well as several other branches). At the time all the were consolidated, only the Raleigh and Southport connected directly with NS.
In 1914 NS would build from Varina, on the R&S, to Colon, as well as from Mount Gilead to Charlotte.
On May 27, 1920, NS would lease the Durham and South Carolina Railroad, which then provided NS access to Durham. The DSCR ran from Durham to Bonsal on the Seaboard Air Line, and connected to the NS at Duncan.
NS would once again go into receivership, this time in 1932, and they would default on the lease for the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad in 1935. The ANC would be reincorporated on November 16, 1935.
NS would languish in receivership for some time, and would sell off some branches to the Virginian Railway in 1940.
Final reorganization would occur on January 21, 1942 as Norfolk Southern Railway.
This reorganization would prove successful, and the railway would carry on successfully for decades. They retired their last steam locomotive in 1954.
However, NS' success would attract the eye of the Southern Railway, who would purchase the railroad on January 1, 1974, and subsequently merge it into the Carolina and Northwestern Railway, but would retain the NS name for operations.
In 1982 Southern would reinstate the Carolina & Northwestern moniker to free up the NS name for another use, which would come to pass in that same year - the merger of Southern and Norfolk and Western, which resulted in the modern Norfolk Southern company.
Some of the original NS lines are still in use - some by NS, and some by shortlines, including Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway; Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad; and Carolina Coastal. Several sections, however, are out of service, and/or abandoned/removed.
NS ( the original) offered several passenger hauling options over the years, including the "Midnight Express" from Norfolk Terminal Station to Raleigh Union Depot, and from there connections to Charlotte. Also, having a significant amount of trackage in coastal areas, they provided service to many coastal destinations. As mentioned above, their former Norfolk, Virginia Beach & Southern and the Chesapeake Transit lines were mostly transit, with the CT lines being electrified and being operated by NS as their "Electric Division", though this lasted only a short time before being replaced by a gas-electric railcar (or doodlebug) until 1947. All passenger service would end on January 31, 1948, though mail and express would continue to be offered.
That was a long one - thanks for reading!
Such an interesting historical journey. Greatly enjoyed reading it