Aberdeen Carolina & Western E9A
CANDOR, N.C. – The Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway has debuted its rebuilt and repainted E9A No. 103 on the “NODA Express Maiden Voyage” (NODA is short for Charlotte’s art and entertainment district in North Davidson). The restored locomotive led a special move from the ACW shops in Candor to Midland, N.C. A brief stop was made at the Hydro Dam for static photos.
The short line has assembled a collection of several classic EMD cab units. The E9A was paired with the ACW’s former Norfolk Southern F9A No. 276 and F9B No. 271 on a seven-car passenger train. No. 103 was purchased in 2021 during the Iowa Pacific equipment bankruptcy sale.
The unit was built in 1955 for Union Pacific as No. 955. In 1971 it went to Amtrak as No. 430. Retired in 1982, it was sold to the Alaska Railroad and renumbered 2401, before returning to the “lower 48” when it was purchased by Wisconsin & Southern as No. 522, then No. 10A, and later No. 103. It was then sold to Iowa Pacific’s San Luis & Rio Grande before being acquired by ACW.
ACW owns five F9s and four E9s according to Dale Parks, vice president of mechanical for the railway. “There are not that many E units in operation, most of them are siding queens,” said Parks. “We went through her mechanically, repairing corrosion and rot in the car body. Restoration is an ongoing process. They are harder to keep going and maintain them to perform as intended. I’ve done more with ten men in my shop than most large railroads, we have a lot of pride in what we do.”
We have a very interesting mechanical department, not only do we work on our own equipment, but we also are kept busy with work for hire, repairing railcars, locomotives and passenger cars,” said Parks. With all the attention to the cab units, “You’d think the Beatles were coming to North Carolina,” he said.
See full gallery here.
I have not yet heard a valid reason for not building and painting psgr units today like the Es of yesterday.
The paint schemes of today’s psgr units are dreadful, with all the swooshes and swirls that don’t respect the lines of the units.
Do they still have 567’s in them?
The Fs were rebuilt to GP38-2 mechanical specs whilst with NS. Not sure about the E, I never got my hands on the 103 when I was with IPH.
These E’s & F’s show pride in the RR, and employees, etc. N S used to have some of the best looking “covered wagons” in the industry. What does it say, when they determined it was too much trouble, to keep them?????
Woweee, what a paint job. Really attractive.
Always thought Es & Fs running together looked silly but in 2023 I’ll take it.
Nice paint scheme, glad they are committed to keeping the old unit running.