Norfolk Southern No. 1700 in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Sept. 30.
Norfolk Southern
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Norfolk Southern unveiled the latest addition to its heritage fleet on Wednesday with a blast from the past.
The railroad recently repainted SD45-2 No. 1700 into its original Erie Lackawanna colors at the railroad’s Chattanooga shops. The locomotive was the first locomotive of 13 ordered by the predecessor railroad.
According to a Norfolk Southern news release, the locomotive recently received cab upgrades at its East End Shops in Roanoke and was then restored to its original yellow, red, and grey Erie Lackawanna colors in Chattanooga.
The locomotive will enter revenue service, joining the fleet of five additional 1700-series locomotives presently assigned to the Conrail Share Assets region in Oak Island, N.J.
Paint job looks great; I’ve no memory of any EL loco looking that sharp – and clean! I am curious as to what the cab upgrades are, and other specs of the loco as it is today.
Now that's a REAL Heritage Unit! I like the fact it's a locomotive Erie Lackawanna actually owned. Could they do a Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line Heritage Unit?
Kelly Hogan is correct. KCS has received new power in a retro Belle scheme for the past five or so years. Older power is also getting repainted. I saw a northbound empty grain train with KCS 3936/4794/4000 last weekend, all in the new Belle scheme. The leader and trailing units are older power. KCS 3936 was originally a gray TFM unit, TFM 1636, renumbered and repainted. KCS 4000 was the class unit on the SD70ACe's, and was gray as delivered. Smaller power is also getting repainted, with the GP 40's and 38's both getting the treatment. The dodger that works out of Watts OK last week had a pair of the smaller Belles bracketing a gray unit, and three small Belles is not unusual on this job. There are also switchers in the Belle scheme, though we don't typically see them in NW Arkansas.
William Hays, KCS has gone back to the Southern Belle paint scheme on all new power and rebuilds also I believe, and it's very good looking.
When I first saw the Southern SD40-2, I made a comment in this forum that NS should do a "second tier" heritage fleet of remaining units from their predecessors, in their original schemes, as SOU 3170 was. I don't know if anyone from NS, or who had some influence at NS, saw that comment-I rather doubt it, but if so, thank you for listening-or if someone there had the same idea. Either way, this unit is stunning. If they would run it to Campbell Hall once in a while, that would be a real treat. Imagine it rolling through the curves at Waldwick, or over Moodna Viaduct.
The 13 units EL got were numbered 3669-3681; not to nitpick, but the colors are gray, maroon and yellow. Nice job NS!!
Now, a Lehigh Valley GP 38, CNJ "Coast Guard" SD 40, or Reading apple green GP 40, anyone??
Great looking locomotive!!
Patrick Smith – She's a repowered model.
That picture just made this old Erie Lackawanna fan's day! Thank you, Norfolk Southern! I hope I'll see this running through my town—although since I'm outside the Shared Assets territory, I'll probably have to go hunting…
Beautiful! Is she still an actual SD45-2, or has she been repowered with a 16-645 like all manner of old SD45 and SD45-2 leasers out there?
How about a LEHIGH AND HUDSON RIVER, {original} WHEELING AND LAKE ERIE and TENNESEE, ALABAMA AND GEORGIA Heritage unit to add to the already existing ones. The L&HR is a Conrail fallen flag, the original W&LE is a Norfolk & Western fallen flag, while the TA&G is a Southern Railway fallen flag.
It's nice to see an EL SD45-2 again. At least it will spend a lot of time on or near its home rails on Conrail Shared Assets.
Andrew,
To be specific, all of the original SD45's built in the late 60's had flares. When EMD started the dash 2 series, with all the upgrades, they lengthened the frame and de-flared them. Basically they used the same frame for the SD40-2 which is why we see the big porches on them. These were extra large do to larger fuel tanks that were ordered so the units could run back and forth to Chicago without refueling.
Can't wait to see it out on the main line.
I guess not all SD45s had flared radiators. I learned something new today.
Very nice. Cool heritage programs new locomotives painted in retro schemes, and not surviving locomotives painted in original schemes. I think this is now two locomotives a Southern high-nose SD40-2 and the EL SD45-2. I hope both beauties get donated to museums when NS decides to retire them.
Industrial looking and classy. A big thumbs up!
Of course, for those roads who ran passenger service, there was an obvious effort to coordinate, not always exactly, the color schemes with freight units. The EL scheme is handsome regardless. The most famous effort was Santa Fe post Amtrak.
NS is on a roll, can't wait to see what's next!!
I grew up along what was then an EL line in New jersey
I beleave they will spend their time working out of Oak Island, not roaming this system. It's a NS loco assigned to Conrail S/A.
That is KOOL, I like it that NS displays their heritage roads, I wish more other roads did the same!
Well done, NS! CSXT: your two dinky decals don't make it. BNSF: time to step up!!! CN & CP could do this. CN in green/black/gold, CP in maroon & grey (no script, please!). KCS: past liveries best forgotten…
WOW! Fantastic job by NS, they really value their heritage.
Man, I wish I lived next to an NS mainline somewhere. I keep saying I'm going to make an expedition to an NS track somewhere ( probably Decatur Ala.) but I never seem to get the time. Oh well.
WOW!