I've always enjoyed researching railroad operations, both past and present. I've compiled this list of Southern Railway freight train numbers from using their "Freight train schedules and blocking instructions" dated Feb 1, 1979. Most of the train numbers carried over to Norfolk Southern after the merger with N&W in 1982. Enjoy!
SOUTHERN RAILWAY TRAIN NUMBERS CIRCA 1979
75 WINSTON-SALEM, NC - GREENSBORO, NC
76 GREENSBORO, NC - WINSTON-SALEM, NC
78 RALEIGH, NC - NORFOLK, VA
79 NORFOLK, VA - RALEIGH, NC
80 SELMA, AL - BIRMINGHAM, AL
81 BIRMINGHAM, AL - SELMA, AL
83 RALEIGH, NC - SPENCER, NC
84 SPENCER, NC - RALEIGH, NC
87 COLUMBIA, SC - SPARTANBURG, SC
88 SPARTANBURG, SC - COLUMBIA, SC
111 MACON, GA - BRUNSWICK, GA
111 EAST ST. LOUIS, IL - KNOXVILLE, TN
112 BRUNSWICK, GA - MACON, GA
112 KNOXVILLE, TN - EAST. ST. LOUIS, IL
114 HOUSTON, TX (MP) - NEW ORLEANS, LA - BIRMINGHAM, AL
115 BIRMINGHAM, AL - NEW ORLEANS, LA - HOUSTON, TX (MP)
116 ATLANTA, GA - CINCINNATI, OH - COLUMBUS, OH (CR)
117 COLUMBUS, OH (CR) - CINCINNATI, OH - ATLANTA, GA
118 MACON, GA - POTOMAC YARD, VA
119 NORFOLK, VA - RALEIGH, NC
119 GALESBURG, IL (BN) - CENTRALIA, IL - LOUISVILLE, KY
120 RALEIGH, NC - NORFOLK, VA
120 LOUISVILLE, KY - CENTRALIA, IL - GALESBURG, IL (BN)
121 ASHEVILLE, NC - ANDOVER, VA
121 PRINCETON, IN - CHATTANOOGA, TN
122 ANDOVER, VA - ASHEVILLE, NC
122 ATLANTA, GA - PRINCETON, IN
123 EAST ST. LOUIS, IL - MACON, GA
124 JACKSONVILLE, FL - ATLANTA, GA
124 CHATTANOOGA, TN - EAST ST. LOUIS, IL
125 CINCINNATI, OH - KNOXVILLE, TN
126 KNOXVILLE, TN - CINCINNATI, OH
127 EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (TRRA) - KNOXVILLE, TN
128 KNOXVILLE, TN - EAST ST. LOUIS, IL
129 LOUISVILLE, KY - CINCINNATI, OH
130 CINCINNATI, OH - LOUISVILLE, KY
131 WINSTON-SALEM, NC - CHARLOTTE, NC
132 CHARLOTTE, NC - WINSTON-SALEM, NC
133 CHATTANOOGA, TN - BIRMINGHAM, AL
134 NEW ORLEANS, LA - CHATTANOOGA, TN
135 SAVANNAH, GA - BIRMINGHAM, AL
136 BIRMINGHAM, AL - SAVANNAH, GA
137 AUGUSTA, GA - BIRMINGHAM, AL
138 BIRMINGHAM, AL - AUGUSTA, GA
139 KNOXVILLE, TN - MACON, GA
140 MACON, GA - KNOXVILLE, TN
142 ATLANTA, GA - SPENCER, NC
143 CINCINNATI, OH - ATLANTA, GA
143 ATLANTA, GA - JACKSONVILLE, FL (PICKS UP 199 @ VALDOSTA, GA)
144 (JACKSONVILLE, FL) VALDOSTA, GA - CINCINNATI, OH (TRAFFIC LEAVES JAX ON 190)
145 RICHMOND, VA - DANVILLE, VA
146 DANVILLE, VA - RICHMOND, VA
146 MACON, GA - SAVANNAH, GA
147 SPENCER, NC - ASHEVILLE, NC
148 ASHEVILLE, NC - SPENCER, NC
149 RALEIGH, NC - SPENCER, NC
149 SAVANNAH, GA - MACON, GA
150 ATLANTA, GA - CINCINNATI, OH
150 SPENCER, NC - RALEIGH, NC
151 CINCINNATI, OH - ATLANTA, GA
152 SHEFFIELD, AL - SPENCER, NC
153 ATLANTA, GA - NEW ORLEANS, LA
154 BIRMINGHAM, AL - POTOMAC YARD, VA
155 POTOMAC YARD, VA - SPENCER, NC
155 SPENCER, NC - ATLANTA, GA
156 SAVANNAH, GA - POTOMAC YARD, VA
157 SPENCER, NC - SAVANNAH, GA
158 KNOXVILLE, TN - BRISTOL, VA
158 SPENCER, NC - POTOMAC YARD, VA
159 POTOMAC YARD, VA - SPENCER, NC
159 SPENCER, NC - ATLANTA, GA
159 BRISTOL, VA - KNOXVILLE, TN
160 MACON, GA - LOUISVILLE, KY
161 LOUISVILLE, KY - MACON, GA
162 PINE BLUFF, AR (SSW) - MEMPHIS, TN - CHATTANOOGA, TN
162 CHATTANOOGA, TN - SPENCER, NC
163 SPENCER, NC - MEMPHIS, TN - PINE BLUFF, AR (SSW)
164 MEMPHIS, TN (RI TRAFFIC) - SPENCER, NC
165 SPENCER, NC - MEMPHIS, TN (SLSF/RI TRAFFIC)
166 KNOXVILLE, TN - CHARLOTTE, NC
167 CHARLOTTE, NC - KNOXVILLE, TN
168 NEW ORLEANS, LA - BIRMINGHAM, AL
168 BIRMINGHAM, AL - ATLANTA, GA
168 ATLANTA, GA - SPENCER,, NC
169 SPENCER, NC - NEW ORLEANS, LA
171 TOLEDO, OH (B&O) - CINCINNATI, OH - ATLANTA, GA
171 CHARLESTON, SC - ASHEVILLE, NC
171 ASHEVILLE, NC - KNOXVILLE, TN
172 KNOXVILLE, TN - CHARLESTON, SC
172 ATLANTA, GA - CINCINNATI, OH - TOLEDO, OH (B&O)
173 POTOMAC YARD, VA - MEMPHIS, TN (SLSF)
174 SHEFFIELD, AL - ATLANTA, GA
175 ATLANTA, GA - JACKSONVILLE, FL
175 BIRMINGHAM, AL - SHEFFIELD, AL
176 SHEFFIELD, NC - BIRMINGHAM, AL
177 SPARTANBURG, SC - ASHEVILLE, NC
178 ASHEVILLE, NC - SPARTANBURG, SC
179 CHATTANOOGA, TN - BIRMINGHAM, AL
179 CHARLESTON, SC - COLUMBIA, SC
180 COLUMBIA, SC - CHARLESTON, SC
180 BIRMINGHAM, AL - CHATTANOOGA, TN
181 CHATTANOOGA, TN - BIRMINGHAM, AL
182 MEMPHIS, TN - SHEFFIELD, AL
183 BIRMINGHAM, AL - MOBILE, AL
183 ATLANTA, GA - MACON, GA
184 MOBILE, AL - BIRMINGHAM, AL
184 MACON, GA - ATLANTA, GA
185 MACON, GA - ALBANY, GA
185 CHARLOTTE, NC - COLUMBIA, SC
185 BRISTOL, VA - KNOXVILLE, TN
186 ALBANY, GA - MACON, GA
186 COLUMBIA, SC - CHARLOTTE, NC
186 KNOXVILLE, TN - BRISTOL, VA
189 ATLANTA, GA - MOBILE, AL
190 MOBILE, AL - ATLANTA, GA
190 JACKSONVILLE, FL - BIRMINGHAM, AL
191 BIRMINGHAM, AL - SHEFFIELD, AL
191 SHEFFIELD, AL - MEMPHIS, TN - LITTLE ROCK, AR (MP)
192 LITTLE ROCK, AR (MP) - MEMPHIS, TN - SHEFFIELD, AL
192 SHEFFIELD, AL - BIRMINGHAM, AL
193 BIRMINGHAM, AL - NEW ORLEANS, LA - HOUSTON, TX (SP)
194 HOUSTON, TX (SP) - NEW ORLEANS, LA - BIRMINGHAM, AL
195 SHEFFIELD, AL - MEMPHIS, TN - NORTH PLATTE, NE (MP/UP)
196 NORTH PLATTE, NE (UP/MP) - MEMPHIS, TN - SHEFFIELD, AL
197 BIRMINGHAM, AL - SHEFFIELD, AL
197 SHEFFIELD, AL - MEMPHIS, TN (MP)
198 MEMPHIS, TN (MP) - SHEFFIELD, AL
198-199 SHEFFIELD, AL - JACKSONVILLE, FL (198 BECOMES 199 @ ALBANY, GA. COMBINES WITH 143 @ VALDOSTA, GA)
219 POTOMAC YARD, VA - NEW ORLEANS, LA
220 ATLANTA, GA - SPENCER, NC
221 POTOMAC YARD, VA - ATLANTA, GA
222 NEW ORLEANS, LA - POTOMAC YARD, VA
223-226 SPENCER, NC - HARRIMAN JUNCTION, TN (BECOMES 226 @ KNOXVILLE, TN)
225-224 HARRIMAN JUNCTION, TN - SPENCER, NC (BECOMES 224 @ KNOXVILLE, TN)
229 CINCINNATI, OH - JACKSONVILLE, FL
230 JACKSONVILLE, FL - CINCINNATI, OH
231 CHICAGO, IL (MP) - MOUNT VERNON, IL - DANVILLE, KY
232 DANVILLE, KY - MOUNT VERNON, IL - CHICAGO, IL (MP)
334 BIRMINGHAM, AL - CHATTANOOGA, TN
342 SPENCER, NC - MONROE, VA
350 ATLANTA, GA - CINCINNATI, OH - SHARON, OH (CR)
359 MONROE, VA - SPENCER, NC
360 CHATTANOOGA, TN - LOUISVILLE, KY
361 LOUISVILLE, KY - CHATTANOOGA, TN
373 ATLANTA, GA - SHEFFIELD, AL
443 CINCINNATI, OH - CHATTANOOGA, TN
469 SPENCER, NC - ATLANTA, GA
729 CINCINNATI, OH - ATLANTA, GA