NS AC44C6M No. 4004 at the Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pa.
Norfolk Southern Corp.
ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern’s latest DC to AC conversion locomotive has been released from the railroad’s Juniata shops in Altoona in a paint scheme slightly different than previous rebuilds.
NS AC44C6M No. 4004 is part of the railroad’s DC to AC conversion program and the latest locomotive to be rebuilt by the Juniata shops. It features a “black mane” paint color variation different than any other locomotive in the system. The paint scheme is similar to the program’s prototype locomotives, but instead of a blue and grey scheme, No. 4004 features a black mane.
NS says the “black mane” denotes that the locomotive was rebuilt at the Juniata Shop in Altoona. NS No. 4004 is former GE D9-40C No. 8866.
Best-looking paint scheme of the major railroads.
so how many different paints schemes does NS really have?
I preferred the D&H style blue nose on 4001-2. If you are going for a black nose, paint the hood black too. It is the hood that discolours from exhaust smoke and oil carried over. I see Juinata still like the “triple sinusoid” that appeared on the SD80MACs when new, and on some SD80MAC repaints at Juniata. They even put it on five SD90MAC-H Phase II units rebuilt for Fortescue Metals in Western Australia as SD9043MAC. I was really amused to see the symbol in Port Hedland so far from Pennsylvania…
I saw an individual on the Indiana Railroads Bull Session that had an idea for the horse mane two or three years back. I hope he got some credit!
Looks like Sonic the Hedgehog.
NS…..Make this your paint scheme
Photo caption should read “Juniata Shop”, not “Juanita.”
I hope the model train manufacturers see this and take note. I would love to have an O gauge version of this engine.
Very slick! I like this scheme. It would be fun to see the entire series of rebuilds painted this way. But then my favorite bicentennial scheme was the IC Eagle. So locomotives painted to resemble wildlife has always been interesting to me.
If it’s coming from Altoona then shouldn’t it have a Brunswick Green mane?
The “mane” looks like flames, I love it1