LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Railfans watching Muhammad Ali’s funeral procession through his hometown of Louisville on television today have noticed Norfolk Southern locomotives that appear to stop or pause until Ali’s hearse passes.
One of the units is reported to be No. 8103, the Norfolk & Western heritage unit, a GE ES44AC. In response to posts about the seeming coincidence on Twitter, the railroad responded: “Float like a butterfly, run like a Thoroughbred! #AliFuneral“.
The response is a take on boxer Ali’s personal slogan about boxing, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and NS’ own slogan as the “Thoroughbred” of railroading. Railroad officials have yet to confirm if the trains’ pauses were planned. According to a map at CNN.com, Ali’s funeral procession was set to cross railroad tracks on overpasses, underpasses, or at grade in Louisville at least eight times on Friday.
Muhammad Ali, a famous boxer, died in Arizona June 3. He was 74.
