Dark Future Slug

I finally got around to posting some photos of the "Dark Future" GP30 slug that I photographed a while back:


Harold

 

Here's a nose view:


Harold

 

Here's the rear view:



Harold

 

Here's a view with its "un-repainted" parent



Harold

 

The white cab roof makes the 30 body style look like it had a Lobotomy ... at least in the side photo.

I've only seen two "DF" ("YN3") units on their way to/from New Orleans, one big GE and one small EMD. I think the new paint scheme looks better on the bigger locos, dunno why ... just personal opinion.

 

The new sceme doesn't look all that bad on that 30! But I HATE to see it on a 80MAC tho. to much blue and all drab.... I don't think the smaller diesels will look as bad with it. as the big ones will.... I can't wait to see a MP-15AC or SW1500 etc with it on them, if they all haven't been retired!

[ 06. December 2002, 07:36: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]

 

I have to agree with you... smaller locos like the GP30 are not as bad looking as the large locos, such as SD60's: http://www.trainweb.org/ncrail/images/CSXT8745a.jpg

I know MP15AC's are still in use, as I saw a pair of them in Charleston this week powering a local switch job!

Harold

 

Harold,
I know it. That GP-30 body based slug looks decent with the new sceme!

Do me a favor, when they repaint the MP-15AC's in Dark Future, nail me a picture if possible. I'm anxious to see what they'll look like! I bet its even better looking then the smaller GP loco's! Still NICE shot! I like the GP-30 body style!

[ 07. December 2002, 06:53: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]

 

The CSX photo archives website has this photo of an SW1500 in YN3 :


Harold

 

How can the 80MACs look that bad in the new paint? It isn't all that much differnt from what they wore when they were Conrail.


Bada bum.

 

Harold,
That looks good! The smaller diesels don't look as bad as the big ones will!

Yoho,
Its not the effect of the Conrail paint, the CR paint was light blue with white lettering, and they had "Conrail Quality" and the CR "Q" on it too, plus the white effects on the cab which broke up LIGH BLUE or better known from the days of "The Rock" Bankruptcy blue, its wasn't dark blue with just a gold nose and rear and side sill strip and yell CSX lettering... This a difference. Its in the color and the way its painted...

 

Could have been an SD45 or SD45-2.... did it look something like this?


Harold

 

No Harold The one I seen and got pictures of was a SD-40 or SD-40-2 from the front of it. It had the long pourch on the front, so...

 

I'm surprised the slug got the new paint job and the parent didn't. IMHO, I like the new paint scheme, big or small loco.

Bob

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what makes this a slug? I thought slugs were like calves - no cab or anything? This unit you show looks like a regular engine.

Jas

 

Slugs have no engine and utilize eletrical power from a master locomotive to power the slug traction motors which provides additional tractive effort in the mated consist.

Calves are cabless powered switcher units that are mated to another switcher (cow) with a cab.

While most slugs are cut down and have no cab, this is not a rule and the CSX road slugs are a prime example. CSX chose to keep the cabs and the crews can operate a consist from the slug cab, which is preferable to crews since the slugs are much quieter on account of no engine.

Chris Toth

 

Look at the long hood on that GP-30 body, its lacking all or most of the loco engine compartment doors. Not to mention all the fans on top the hood, except for the possible dynamic brake fan. These units were like the calf units you speak of.....except they never cut them down and left the cab and controls inside the unit. This in turn left the crew able to control the MU from the slug unit without the noise and all being their was NO prime mover in it. The traction motors on the trucks were supplied power from the MU unit it was mated to, to power the trucks on the loco only. In this therory, it expanded the mother units traction. It gives a basic normal loco 4 more powered axles, and more weight being most were filled with concrete to add weight.

 

I understand there is one 80 mac in the YN2 and that is the 801. There is one other one that has been painted or is about to be painted in the Dark Future YN3 scheme. IMHO the Conrail 80mac scheme was more colorful than the YN3 scheme. But, I guess I liked the white smiley face and white cab of the Conrail units. The white under the cab windows looked nice until the CSX renumbering. The patch numbers are kind of ugly.

 

The #812, or #813 is at Huntington shop being serviced and is to be painted in the YN3 "Dark Future" sceme when it goes out the doors.... I guess we'll see what thats like on an 80MAC when someone nails it for a picture...or sees it!