The 80 is a GP38 that was built by EMD in 1968 for the Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia Railway (The TAG Route). It was the first high hood version of any GP38 model to be built and as a present to the long time vice president of the railway, it was named after John A. Chambliss on his 80th birthday (hence its number). It would go on to serve the TAG for only 3 years before the larger Southern Railway acquired the line in 1971. It then became Southern 2879 and would receive a number of mechanical upgrades shortly after its acquisition, including the addition of dynamic brakes & being reconfigured to run Long Hood Foward.
The engine would go on to serve the Southern & sucessor Norfolk Southern until 2001 when the engine was put up for auction. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum would go on to acquire the locomotive & with the assistance of Norfolk Southern, the engine would eventually receive a full mechanical overhaul to operation & would finally makes its operable debut in March of 2017. Today, it can be seen as one of the common diesel locomotives used in operation at TVRM.
