Attempting to stay true to its corporate motto, "Southern Serves the South," the railroad, headquartered in Washington, D.C., extended throughout much of the South, with main facilities in Spencer, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Birmingham. By the time the line running from Meridian, Miss., to New Orleans was acquired in 1916, the railroad extended 8,000 miles across 13 states-its territorial limits for almost half a century.
Several noted North Carolinians played a role in the development of the Southern Railway. Among them, John Motley Morehead and Alexander B. Andrews served as president of two of the Southern's predecessor lines, the North Carolina Railroad and the Western North Carolina Railroad, respectively.
The Southern was efficient and innovative. By mid-1953, it was the first large railroad to convert its entire operation from steam to diesel engines. Known for excellent passenger service, especially on the Southern Crescent running from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans through Piedmont North Carolina, the Southern also developed novel systems to manage and move freight, such as its oversized grain hopper car known as "Big John." In 1979 the Linwood yard opened in Davidson County, replacing the freight yard a few miles south in Spencer. The former yards and shops at Spencer were donated to the state and reopened as the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
In 1982 the Southern merged with another well-managed railroad, the Roanoke-based Norfolk & Western Railroad. The merger formed the Norfolk Southern Railroad, with headquarters in Norfolk. By the early 2000s most of the old Southern Railway lines and facilities operated under the Norfolk Southern name.