The Norfolk & Western interchanged with the Ann Arbor Railroad in Milan, MI and Toledo, OH. Famous for its long-lived steam power, N&W was a major Class 1 operator on the eastern half of the United States. N&W ultimately absorbed a number of other lines such as the Virginian, the Nickel Plate, and most notably the Ann Arbor's parent company  Wabash.  In 1980 the N&W merged with the Southern Railway to form today's Norfolk Southern.

 

The picture shown here is intentionally representative of the N&W in 1980, with a purposeful blurry background to address the past and foreshadow the future. The six-axle EMD SD9 is passing beneath a train with C&O and PRR equipment, and it is pulling a Conrail autorack. In the late 1990s, Norfolk Southern and CSX fought for control of, and ultimately split Conrail's empire, and became co-owners of the Conrail Shared Assets properties that remain in service today. 

​

My N Scale N&W models include the Atlas SD9 shown here with DCC/Sound, and a pair of ex-Wabash customized cabooses... and of course I could not resist adding the beautiful J-Class #611 to my fleet too! See project links below: