Norfolk Southern's Plans to Close Repair Shops Is a Blow to Hollidaysburg, Pa.

Byline: Tom Gibb

Nov. 16--HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa.--Norfolk Southern Corp.'s rail car repair shops here are the largest on the planet. They sprawl more than a half-mile, all under roof, on 153 track-crossed acres of central Blair County.

When Norfolk Southern Chairman David R. Goode came here 3 1/2 years ago, cheerleading his company's purchase of the chunk of Consolidated Rail Corp. that holds the Hollidaysburg Shops, he called them "great facilities with talented people."

Yesterday, though, Norfolk Southern said it would close the shops on about March 1, 2001, eliminating 385 jobs -- about $19.2 million in annual payroll --- because there isn't enough …