In 1980, there was no internet, and news of a new locomotive or paint scheme came via magazines a couple of months after the fact, the “railfan grapevine”, or happenstance discovery. While on a trip to see some western New York short lines, we were surprised to see a westbound Delaware & Hudson train appear near Horseheads, New York. The power appeared to be three freshly painted C424’s, which were actually C424m’s. The D&H had recently purchased nine former Erie-Lackawanna and Reading C424’s from GE, who had rebuilt them with 2000 horsepower 12-cylinder 251-C engines, replacing the original 2400 hp 16-cylinder 251-B’s. We were on our way to the Genesee & Wyoming, and as it turns out, so was the D&H train. This was the so-called “salt train, with empties returning to the mine at Retsof, New York for reloading. At Hornell, two of the Alco’s were run around to the back of the train to facilitate reverse running over the G&W. Here the one remaining on the front of the train prepares to proceed west from Hornell. Check out that assortment of ‘70’s Detroit iron in the A&P parking lot.
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
