Altho, I'm a B&O fanatic, I liked the "Dip" paint the gothic "B&O" an the all blue loco, an the wide yellow stripe, as I did the B&O's "Sunburst Sceme" too... But CSX bring back history with the B&O/C&O look an all is ok, but I still liked the looks of the CSX "Bright Future" sceme, didn't matter what version of it as their were I think 2 or 3 versions, including the white roof version... As for the weathering an road grime, it seems that the "Dark Future to me in southwestern Pennsylvania is holding out.. How it is in other locations I'm not sure about but it doesn't seem to be weathering all that bad, altho I have seen the "Dark Future" looking pretty shabby with dirt an grime....But not very rusty.... Which is what the new paint was ment to do, keep the loco's from rusting to the extreme...
I will share a few more thoughts on the dark future. I too am a fan of the dip paint job. I model N&W for cryin' out loud Most of the dark future paint jobs I have seen have been on new units, though a couple of C-40-8w ex-Conrail units are showing up. But mostly the units I have seen are the 500 series units and these are usually on the intermodal trains. These units do appear to have a lot of road grime. As for improving the dark future. I would love to see a yellow or gold sill along the side. I would also love to see them take the yellow, on the rear of the unit, all the way down to the sill. But of all the schemes, I think the one they had on the 600 series when they were new is my favorite. I love the yellow letters shadowed in blue. As for best present day scheme any railroad, I do like BNSF Heritage II pumpkin. So I guess I don't always favor the "dip" scheme after all [ 29. July 2003, 17:37: Message edited by: ajy6b ]
A.J. Yes I was a big fan of the ole B&O/C&O dip paint! I still am! Altho, I like the "Sunburst" scheme the best with the dashed yellow side sill..... But I loved the all blue loco with 2 dual stripes, an "Baltimore And Ohio" written out.. an the passenger paint... But as for the "CSX" dip, I'm not to fond of it. Being it was lived in the past by the 2 main CSX predecessors so. B&O an C&O.... As for favorite scheme, yes I have to say your right I loved the YN2 on the 600 series C60AC's! The yellow lettering outlined in blue was sharp! I would have loved to seen a SD-80MAC painted that same way! The C60AC's were the only locomtives to get that lettering too. Not one other loco type got that yellow "CSX" lettering outlined in blue....As I said in a above post, I liked all the "Bright Future" versions, altho I like the one you spoke of the best. the one they put on the 600 series with the yellow lettering outlined in blue.... As for the new CSX dip, I know it sure does show the road dirt an grime.... more then the Bright Future did! They'll be running the loco's through a wash bay quite offen with what I seen, if they want to keep the loco's looking clean....
This is just speculation, but I think that a majority of these Dip job locomotives, especially 500 series, are primarily on Coal Service. I've seen some pretty nasty looking grime on some already around here. They grind coal up to almost a powder here before shipment, so if you are cruising up the line at a good 40 mph, you'll have coal blowing all over the place. Not to mention passing other coal trains. [ 20. August 2003, 14:32: Message edited by: A&A 6183 ]
Sure does kick up the dirt an grime Pat... That coal dust will stick to almost anything. plus if the loco is wet from the weather, that makes it even worse so.... then it all "runs" down the side of the loco so... But CSX should clean their loco's at least some! I mean wow. I seen a CW60AC go through my area a day ago an it was litterally bad! You could barely make out the numbers on the cab!
True, but railroads are constantly money-conservation minded so I'm sure they don't want to build facilities to wash locomotives when they come off of a run. It cost a lot to pay for the hundreds of gallons used per locomotive, the Compressor equpment, the drainage, etc....... Railroading Has always been a dirty job, and I really don't think we can possibly expect it to be Spic and Span these days, either. Back in the day when Passenger trains were popular, after every run, the cars were power-washed on many roads. Not sure if Amtrack does that, they probably do after long distance runs.
Pat, Very true, altho when CSX would maintenance a locomotive being indoors an in the shop an all they could hose the thing off alittle! Which would be part of their maintenancing the locomotives! Being if I'm not mistaken the building have drainage, an so on.... I wasn't meaning make or invest in actual "wash bays" or "wash areas" just a simple hose down spray once the loco was completed in mintenacing an all. Not only would this clean off the dirt an grime but also help to preserve the loco's body, lengthing the life of the loco without having to patch areas from rust an all. Plus keep any preticular loco in service for more years without being all rusted up an so on, which is one of the reasons CSX changed the paint, to help preserve the locomotive body....Its a thought tho... I believe it sure would help some. Plus make it nice for all of us photographers! to have at least a partially clean loco to take pictures of....
lol. It seems like the EMD's (700's) the go by are relative ly clean, minus the normal road mud and grime. But the GE's (500-600's) are unmistakably dirtier. I haven't seen anothing over than an SD70MAC, C44 or C60 for a long, long time. Starting to miss them SD40-2's.
Pat, Recently through here (Sand Patch in Meyersdale, PA) they been running alot of everything. BUT I noticed alot of "leased units" through here lately.... Kinda getting to me.. More leased units with one real CSX loco in a consist of like 6 an 8 loco's on the point! And then to see the leased units leading an the CSX unit tucked on the rear of them with the train coupled to it..... Sad.... really... it is! I'd like to see some real CSX owned units an all in this area but. I guess theu're short on motive power here..... Thats east bound trafic an west bound is just as bad....
