Odds and Ends

When Southern's subsidiary New Orleans & Northeastern acquired control of the 21-mile shortline Louisiana Southern Railway, it inherited what would be its sole GE 45-ton centercab model. Louisiana Southern had rostered two of the diminutive models, but the previous unit (#501) was retired before Southern's takeover. LAS #502 bounced around among various owners before landing on the Southern's switcher roster. It was sold in 1972, but was wrecked in transit to its final owner.

By means of shortline acquisitions, Southern acquired 7 examples of General Electric's 70 ton end-cab switcher model — making it one of the few Class Ones to roster a locomotive almost exclusively used in the shortline scene. All of Southern's 70 tonners were built between 1946-48, some received the road's black and white "tuxedo" paint scheme, and all were retired by 1978. 1 went to a metals industry, 3 went to locomotive dealers, and 3 were traded to EMD.

Southern #2100 was one of only 13 NW5 units constructed by Electro Motive Division. The unusual model was basically a NW2 switcher body extended behind the cab to accommodate a steam generator, plus the addition of Blomberg road trucks. No. 2100 spent its entire career working the light industrial trackage of the former Louisiana Southern in New Orleans. Retired by the Southern in 1979, the unit was sold to a dealer and stored at Tennessee Valley Railway Museum. Later that year it was purchased by the Massachusetts Central and placed in service on its branchline. In the mid 1980s, the unit was stored out of service for five years during which time the prime mover was replaced with a 567B engine from an ex Boston & Maine SW9 switcher. By 2001 the locomotive had been changed to short-hood forward, made MU compatible, converted to 26L brakes, and had a snow plow added to the pilot.

When the Southern merged the 67-mile Georgia Northern into its system in 1966, it inherited the shortline's rare Baldwin end-cab switcher model DS-4-4-660 #172. Although the Southern itself had sampled various Baldwin switcher products, by the time of the GANO absorption all its Baldwins had been retired. As such, #172 was never repainted into a Southern scheme. It was renumbered Southern #12, but its time on the mainline roster would be brief: it was traded to EMD in the fall of 1969. Incidentally, the New Orleans Public Belt purchased 6 of the same model from Baldwin.

Although Southern was a big owner of Alco's road switcher offerings — 36 of the second series; 148 of third -- the only examples of the first model, the RS1, were acquired through shortline absorptions. Six of the units were later inherited from the bankrupt Tennessee Railroad, most dating from the early 1940s. But Southern picked up its first RS1 from the Atlantic & Eastern Carlina line in 1957, built in 1951 and numbered 500. It received standard Southern paint and new number before roaming around the Carolinas in various yard switching and branch lines assignments. Retirement came in 1972 with a trade-in to General Electric.

Alco RS11 #11 was the only example of this model on Southern's massive first-generation road switcher roster, acquired through subsidiary Carolina & Northwestern. Despite its solo status, the RS11 model was basically an Alco RS3 with an updated carbody — of which the Southern rostered some 148 examples. Traded to General Electric on a U23B order, #11 was resold by the builder to Chicago & Northwestern.

Southern's entrance as a purchaser into Electro-Motive's six-axle diesel offerings came with order #5606 for 48 SD24s built between 1959-60. But the Central of Georgia merger brought to the system roster earlier examples of the "SD" six-axle line: 6 SD9 units built in 1955, and a sole SD7, built in 1953. Although the Central's sole SD7 had been road power for the regional, after the merger Southern upgraded it to SD9 standards and used it alongside former Central SD9s in yard service around the South.