Roger Finally Bags ‘No. 20’ Leading in the Wild

The first of two views of No. 1068 and its train in the yard.

Like many fans out along the railroad these days, I always try to nab one of the Norfolk Southern Heritage units when I can.

A goal of many, myself included, has been to get them all in service after the 2012 Spencer (N.C.) gathering. I’m one of those “trail = fail” people when it came to crossing one off the list. It has to lead or it doesn’t count.

One unit in particular, NS 1068 the Erie Railroad heritage unit, proved to be most elusive to me as a leader.

I had missed an opportunity to catch it back on Nov. 20 due to being at work. This past Sunday, though, gave me a chance, with a little effort, to finally get that hard to catch 1068 and now have all 20 H units “in the wild.”

The 1068 had led a grain empty into Toledo at the end of the week and it would be parked in the former Wabash Sumner Street yard until it was its turn to head for the elevator in Maumee. Reports had it still in that yard Sunday morning, so off to Toledo I went. The sky was overcast but showing a few weak “sucker holes.” Maybe I could get a little spot of sun on it.

I arrived and sure enough it was still there. I did get some filtered sun on the train which helped the look of the photos a lot.

I was still in the process of shooting various angles of the train when a crew showed up. They would start up the units, cut away from the train and run around to the other end for the trip south.

The Erie would at that point revert back to that “trail-fail” position that I’d seen it in several times before. But at least now this one last unit was crossed off my list.

Article and Photographs by Roger Durfee

Overhead view from the I-75 ramp.

A puff of smoke as it starts up.

Nose photo.

The conductor pulls the pin to cut away from the cars.

The two units run around their train.

Now on the south end, the 1068 would trail to Maumee.

Tags: NS 1068, NS Erie heritage locomotive, NS Erie Railroad heritage locomotive, NS motive power