On February 19, 2008, South Carolina Central Railroad GP7u sits on the msin line outside Hartsville, South Carolina. She was built in 1952 as Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe (ATSF) GP7 2728. Some time later, the AT&SF rebuilt her to GP7u specifications and renumbered ATSF 2027. She eventually became SCRF 2027 when the South Carolina Central was a RailTex property.
She survived RailAmerica ownership of the railroad in this classy blue paint scheme seen in this photograph. But not long after Genesee & Wyoming Inc. bought the South Carolina Central, they painted her in the GWI orange, black and yellow paint in April 2013. Atlantic & Western decals were placed on the long hood and front of the locomotive. When I shot her again three months later, they had replaced her A&W decals with South Carolina decals. Ironically, not long after that, GWI sent her to the Atlantic & Western where she worked for years with her SCRF decals. Apparently, she ws then renumbered ATW 1612 with Atlantic & Western decals once again adorning her long hood.
