VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — Norfolk Southern's decision to move its headquarters to Atlanta is a business decision, but it feels personal for some longtime residents.
The company's legacy is intertwined with the stories of people who grew up in Hampton Roads, which is why one 90-year-old man is sad to see the company take the tracks to Georgia.
Ed Williams has always had a fascination with trains. It started when he was a child in the 1930s.
"At 9 or 10 or 12-years-old, riding or even looking at a train was a huge deal," Williams said.
Williams said in the late 1930s a Norfolk Southern railroad worker offered to let him ride a train in the Back Bay area. He said it changed his life.
"I felt like I was on top of the world," Williams said.
Now at 90-years-old, Williams has a toy train track in his home, and he used to have a track running throughout his entire garage. He said that one offer to hop on a Norfolk Southern train sparked a lifelong fascination.
The Norfolk Southern company that exists today is a very different company, but Williams said he still made a personal connection with the brand.
"I was quite disappointed that they moved, but it's business, and that's what it amounts to," he said.
Williams said he donated some of his train collection and Norfolk Southern memorabilia to the company's downtown museum. He said the company's departure feels almost personal, though he can still crack a joke about it.
"Since they're going to Atlanta they can now call it Atlanta Southern, what's wrong with that," Williams said.
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