Durham District in the '50s?

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

The first GP9s were numbered 10-13, all shown by the equipment record 
book as delivered on October 5, 1955. They were reneumbered 710-713 
between April 6-13, 1956 at Lynchburg. The RS-3s were numbered 99-96, 
and a second batch delivered in February 1956 were numbered 95-92, they 
were renumbered 300-307 in 1956.

To the best of my knowledge, there was never an N&W GP9 numbered 
700-703, the series 700-709 was left empty in the diesel era.

Ken Miller

<Thank you Gordon for setting the record straight on the RS-3s.  I knew 
that from William Warden's book, Norfolk & Western: Diesel's Last 
Conquest.  I just made a mistake with the date. 

cs.

In a message dated 3/26/05 5:13:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

Chuck,

Just to set the record straight, the diesels were introduced to the 
Durham Line in late 1955 instead of late 1956.  Four EMD GP-9s (No. 700 
- 703) were delivered Sept. 1955, and four Alco RS-3s (No. 300 - 303) 
were delivered Sept. and Oct. 1955.  It is my understanding that these 
eight units were used to dieselize the Durham Line.

 The additional four RS-3s (No. 304 - 307) were delivered in Jan. and 
Feb. 1956, after which the N & W switched its Alco purchases to RS-11s.

 Gordon Hamilton>