The NS Research train heads westbound

[PapaXpress]

Thought this was neat

[Hawk]

What are they researching?

[styckx]

Track geometry

[Chessie8638]

NS' Geometry Train. Measures track, ballast, and the like.

[Csxgp38-2]

Thought this was neat

That poor old passenger car, they chopped the end off and stuck giant windows on... Nice catch though, much more interesting than the "action" here in Apex when the local clears the main and then the northbound comes 1 hour later....

[Hawk]

Thanks guys.

[steve_the_slim]

What the heck is that thing in between the locomotive and the passenger car? Did they take a road engine and turn it into a track geometry car?

[PapaXpress]

indeed they did.

I should have included the link. It had some details.

[Chessie8638]

The track geometry slug, NS 34, originally started off its life as Norfolk and Western SD35 No. 1530, delivered in 8/65. It was demolished in a wreck at Lynchburg, VA in in 5/76 when it hit a standing ballast train at track speed. It was rebuilt by the N&W Roanoke Shops and outshopped as N&W RP-E6 (Remote Power - EMD 6-axle) road slug No. 9921. This unit and sister 9920 (rebuilt from a wrecked Erie Lackawanna SDP45) were each mated between a pair of SD45 masters. The 9921 was renumbered to N&W 9951 in 5/81.

Following the N&W and Southern Railway merger in 1982, the slug became NS (N&W) 9951. It was retired and placed into storage in 10/89 and then leased to the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway in 5/90. It was returned from the W&LE in 9/92 and once again retired and placed into storage.

In 7/94, the NS Roanoke Shops began work on the 9951 to convert it for track geometry operations. Work on the unit took place over a period of five years when things were slow in the shops and it was finally released as NS 34 in 7/99. The slug carbody had been rebuilt with taller areas at each end, the fuel tank had been shortened, the traction motors had been removed with track measuring devices added to one truck, and a generator had been installed in the carbody to power the measuring equipment. The unit was painted in NS tuscan red and lettered in dulux gold.

had a cab installed for computer equipment and was repainted. It isn't really a slug since it has no traction motors, but it weighs as much as a regular locomotive. It has lots of equipment on the trucks to measure track geometry.

[PapaXpress]

Thanks Chessie!

[Chessie8638]

No problem.

NS also has this one: NS38 "The Brick"






NS 38 which was N&W #1620 (SD40). Serves the same purpose as 34, but has a double cab for computer equipment.

[Csxgp38-2]

No problem.

NS also has this one: NS38 "The Brick"






NS 38 which was N&W #1620 (SD40). Serves the same purpose as 34, but has a double cab for computer equipment.

No offense to NS, but that is the ugliest thing they have ever made. I suppose it does it's job though.