ERIE, Pa. — On Sept. 23, a new face in the modernized locomotive world made its appearance.
CSX Transportation No. 7200, the first modernized CSX AC4400CW, was released at the Wabtec plant in Erie for testing. The unit was formerly CSX No. 202 and was in service up until this past April before being selected to be one of the first to be modernized and by chance the first in a new number series for CSX.
Much of the work is similar to what Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific are having done to their alternating current units, including a completely new cab and electrical cabinet. Fifty will be modernized through Wabtec but it is expected that the majority of the fleet with be modernized during the next few years.
That moment you get excited for a weird new paint job, but then realize it’s just the shadows falling on Primer. 🙁
I’m glad to see this happening. That’s not, however, a new number series for CSX. The company inherited U30C’s of L&N and ACL heritage from Seaboard System that occupied the 7200-7280 series. They operated until around 1991.