Reposting part of a thread from the NS HS list here since some of you SPF
might find it of interest:
Tom, one commodity not usually associated with the old NS were occasional loads of sutomobile frames stacked in gondolas going to a Ford assembly plant in Charlotte in the late 1940s-early 1950s. I remember seeing these as a small child on passing freights when visiting family relatives in Midland NC. By the way, does anyone have a photo of the old Midland NC depot? If so, could you share it with us online?
Ted Snotherly
Top Cat:
Ted certainly makes a good point.I'd have to say automobile frames were the best
revenue generator NS had. They were received from PRR at Little Creek and went
to the Southern at Charlotte for GM's Doraville, GA plant. The reason NS got the
haul was because loaded frame flats wouldn't clear PRR's B&P tunnels in Balto.
Cigarettes probably came in second. But pulpwood was a real loser. Pulpwood
rates are based on cords, not tons. Recalling my days at Plymouth, a car of
pulpwood from Ferrells Siding to Plymouth yielded about $20. Railroads hauled
pulpwood at a loss to get the finisihed paper, and that, too, yielded pretty good
revenue. Harry
Harry Bundy was an employee of the old NS.
Little Creek is where the PRR car floats came in. PRR interchanged there with NS; I have seen a photo of a PRR Baldwin switcher next to one of the NS DRS6-4-1500s.
