Normally I can figure out what I’m looking at, as far as equipment, but one I encountered recently has me stumped. I was sitting at a grade crossing, and one of the locomotives in the consist was a strange looking one. It was painted reddish-orange, had a road number but no road name, with reporting initials that I didn’t have anything to write down with or on. It was on the Yadkin Valley connecting branch from Norfolk Southern from Salem yard to Rural Hall, NC.
The engine resembles a late model SD70 series, with a pair of fans at the rear, and what looked like the dynamic fan behind them. On the center of the long hood was a cowl that resembles what we used to see on some old SP SD45s with the elephant ear radiator shrouds that extended downward from the roofline toward the handrails along the walkway.
This may or may not be enough to identify it, and I’ve been kicking myself for not at least writing down the reporting marks on the thing for later.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a lease unit, and the paint on it was almost obscenely clean, fresh and shiny.
Any ideas on this? I know most of us love a good mystery.
The engine resembles a late model SD70 series, with a pair of fans at the rear, and what looked like the dynamic fan behind them. On the center of the long hood was a cowl that resembles what we used to see on some old SP SD45s with the elephant ear radiator shrouds that extended downward from the roofline toward the handrails along the walkway.
This may or may not be enough to identify it, and I’ve been kicking myself for not at least writing down the reporting marks on the thing for later.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a lease unit, and the paint on it was almost obscenely clean, fresh and shiny.
Any ideas on this? I know most of us love a good mystery.
