Norfolk Southern Announces Six (!) America250 Patriotic Locomotive Paint Schemes

Norfolk Southern America250 Locomotive “The Bell” (Rendering courtesy of Norfolk Southern)

ATLANTA –– Just over one month before America's 250th Anniversary, July 4, 2026, Norfolk Southern announces one of the most robust set of America250 locomotives yet.

In the “From the Dome” column of the November 2025 RT&S and the “Editor’s Notebook” column of the December issue, I lamented the likely absence of a 2026 version of the American Freedom Train that was a big hit during the 1975-76 U.S. Bicentennial celebration. An earlier version of the AFT toured the country from 1947-49 to remind Americans of the principles on which our nation was founded, and began it’s tour two years after the end of World War II.

While this topic is a bit outside of the normal focus of RT&S, I felt it was important to acknowledge this in November and, unfortunately, it was recently announced that there will not be a 2026 edition of the AFT. I also noted in December that it would be great if the Class One railroads would paint some modern locomotives in patriotic paint schemes to celebrate the 250th. Fortunately, this is happening, but a bit more slowly than we’d like to see.

In early March, we reported on the two Class Ones that were first out of the gate with America250 schemes, CPKC and CN. Last week, we reported on BNSF’s America250 liveries. Today, we’re very glad to report on Norfolk Southern’s contribution to the effort, six locomotives (three EMD/Progress Rail and three Wabtec/General Electric), each in a different patriotic scheme. A neat video and renderings of each individual locomotive are below. (Video and all renderings, courtesy of Norfolk Southern).

Locomotive 1776 — The Bell

Locomotive 2026 — The Lady Liberty

Locomotive 250 — The Freedom

Locomotive 8118 — The Stars and Stripes

Locomotive 8096 — The Soaring

Locomotive 8143 — The Patriot

John Orr, Norfolk Southern Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer said, “These locomotives represent more than American symbols and milestones. They reflect the people and the work behind them. Across our railroad, and especially with the skilled teams at Juniata, our railroaders will bring this series to life with craftsmanship, pride, and a deep sense of responsibility. This is a historic moment for our country, and we’re proud to recognize it through this commemorative series.”

Tim Lasure, Carman, Juniata Locomotive Shop, said of the upcoming work on these engines, “We take pride in every engine that comes through here – that’s just how we do the job. These units are no different, but it does mean a little more. You’ve got a whole crew putting their hands on them, making sure it’s right, because it’s going to represent something bigger. These are about America’s 250, our railroad, and the work we do every day. When they roll out, we know we did it right, and we did it together.”

Which is your favorite?