NS Family Portrait - 7/3/2012

Hi, I had the privilege of attending the first public day of Norfolk Southern's Family Portrait at the North Carolina Transportation Museum with friend Marc Laborde.  This event was part of Norfolk Southern's celebration of its 30th birthday.and featured all 20 of its commemorative units plus its NS anniversary unit.

As we entered the roundhouse area this Geep in the N&W passenger paint scheme caught my eye.

Photography began about 7:30 AM and beginning at 8:00 AM each of the commemorative units was moved onto the turntable and spun 360 degrees.  What follows are a brief selection of photos taken at this time.

The final unit was off the turntable at about 10:30 AM and Wick Moorman, Chairman of the Board and CEO of NS spoke at 11:00 AM.  During his remarks I wandered out to where some of the museum's locomotives were displayed and took some photos.  I spotted 2 GP-30s, one  painted N&W and one painted Southern.

Also, there was a Baldwin AS-416 from the original Norfolk Southerm,

a Southern E-8, and

a Southern FP-7.

The next activity was to back the units commemorating Southern Railway ancestry past the crowd assembled south of the turntable.  The first unit commemorates the Southern so this was a natural.

Photographing the Norfolk Southern unit next to the Baldwin also was a must do.

The afternoon began with a parade of units commemorating N& ancestry.  Because the sun angle had changed these units faced forward leaving the turntable. 

The units commemorating Conrail ancestry were last.

At this point the heat got to me and I decided discretion, etc.  So I returned to the roundhouse area, got a cold one (water that is) and got under cover.  After I cooled down I took one last photo of Amtrak's exhibit train with one of their commemorative units on the point.

I'll post photos from our activfities the 2 days preceding the Family Portrait soon. I really enjoyed the day. Thank you NS and the North Carolina Transportation Museum.