Norfolk Southern’s Business Train - Diners, Exhibit, and Power Cars

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This article will cover the two dining cars that Norfolk Southern uses on their business train, the power car used to generate electricity for the fleet, and the exhibit car. While the exhibit car is not technically part of the business car fleet, it is still an important car to cover and it does wear a classy paint scheme to match its business car brothers. In the future, the page will be expanded to include the few coach cars that Norfolk Southern also uses with the business train.

Norfolk Southern 18 “New Orleans” - Diner

HERITAGE - NORFOLK & WESTERN

AMTRAK # - 800783

Norfolk Southern diner 18 “New Orleans” went through an upgrade (as mentioned by Norfolk Southern below) and now provides a spacious dining area that can be configured with separate tables for four guests or a combined “farmhouse” style table for many guests. Of note is the SOU identification under the NS 18 on the sides of the car which are incorrect and should have NW markings.

History as provided by Norfolk Southern:

“For those who know the history of Gen. William Mahone, the name of this dining car is quite appropriate. Mahone's hobbies included politics, poker - and cooking, which was quite ironic since he suffered from chronic dyspepsia and weighed a mere 100 pounds.

Pullman built the car in late 1949 as a 48-seat diner for the Powhatan Arrow, a NW passenger train, and numbered it NW 493, a designation it carried until 1971 when Amtrak bought the car. The car was assigned the name General William Mahone until 1957.

After ownership by Amtrak and the Lake Shore chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in Pennsylvania, it rejoined the Norfolk Southern family in 1984. It was then named after Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the founders of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In the early 1990s, the car was reassigned its original name, General William Mahone.

The General William Mahone currently is going through a makeover. The kitchen will be upgraded and the dining room will be fitted with six round tables and a seating capacity of 36.”

Norfolk Southern 19 “Kentucky” - Diner

HERITAGE - NORFOLK & WESTERN

AMTRAK # - 800773

History as provided by Norfolk Southern:

“Pullman built the Kentucky in October 1949 as the 36-seat diner NW 494 for service in the NW passenger train Powhatan Arrow.

The car was named Frederick J. Kimball, honoring the NW chairman and president who in the 1890s had guided the railroad on an expansion that changed it from a minor agricultural road into a regional line relying mainly on coal. The name was removed in 1958 to allow the car to be operated in other NW passenger trains.

In 1984, the car was renamed the General William Mahone. In the early 1990s, that designation was transferred to N$ 18, and the car was given its current name, Kentucky.

Today, the Kentucky is seen most frequently at Union Station in Washington, D.C., next to the Marco Polo, the Norfolk Southern office car that once was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's private rail car.

The Kentucky is now a dining-lounge car that can seat 32 guests for a meal.”

Norfolk Southern 39 - HEP Power Car

HERITAGE - NORFOLK & WESTERN

Norfolk Southern 39 is a power car used to generate the electricity needed to operate the cars. On Conrail’s OCS train, the E8A locomotives were equipped with Detroit Diesel generators that could power the train. Similarly, Amtrak diesels also have this capability, but without dedicated passenger power (anymore), the Norfolk Southern train needs a power source to keep the lights on the cars. NS 39 fits the bill perfectly. While many of the cars have their own generators, it is more efficient and quieter for the passengers to run the generator in NS 39.

Norfolk Southern 27 - Exhibit Car

HERITAGE - SOUTHERN

History as provided by Norfolk Southern:

“The NS Exhibit Car educates and entertains audiences of all ages with a nod to the company's heritage and with displays showcasing the benefits of rail freight transportation.

The Exhibit Car, a restored 1926 Pullman passenger car, was converted to a mobile museum in 1971.

A game, Load the Line, challenges players to match freight products with the correct type of rail car in a race against time. Images and information about Norfolk Southern's employee volunteer program and its sustainability and safety initiatives demonstrate the company's commitment to the communities it serves.

Visitors to the car can view the website Explore the Line at www.explore-ns.com to learn about how Norfolk Southern benefits local communities and creates jobs; and through the website Protect the Line at www.protecttheline.com they can find out how to keep the rails safe. A photo booth takes four quick pictures of guests against a train backdrop and emails the photos. An electronic guestbook allows visitors to comment about the displays.

A perennial favorite of guests is a locomotive simulator, complete with throttle, brake, and horn, putting guests in control of a virtual freight train.”

Explore my Norfolk Southern business car series:

An Interview with Casey Thomason, NS Company Photographer

Norfolk Southern Business Train Series Introduction

Norfolk Southern Observation Cars

Norfolk Southern Sleepers

If you have stories from your time riding or maintaining the train, business train booklets, or other collectibles from the NS business train, please contact me as I begin researching the train in more depth for a possible new book.