No. 3170 rests outside the paint shop at Debutts Yard in Chattanooga, Tenn., prior to its return to service.
Norfolk Southern
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Norfolk Southern has unveiled a new addition to its vaunted heritage fleet: Southern Railway SD40 No. 3170. The locomotive was recently saved from the back lot; rebuilt into operating condition at NS’s Juniata Shop in Altoona, Pa.; and repainted into its original Southern colors at the railroad’s paint shop at Debutts Yard in Chattanooga.
No. 3170 will go back into revenue service, primarily assigned to yard and local service along the Piedmont Division.
Electro-Motive Division built the 3,000 hp No. 3170 in 1971, and the locomotive was used throughout the Southern Railway’s 10,000-mile system. The locomotive carries the Southern Railway’s trademark high short hood.
The repaint marks a milestone for the preservation of second generation diesels, which Trains Magazine covers in the April 2015 issue Preservation column. EMD built the SD40 from 1966 to 1972 with a total production of 1,298 units for American, Canadian, and export.
