Locomotives Archives - Page 22 of 38

Norfolk Southern C39-8E diesel locomotive is one of only two remaining

By Tishia Boggs | October 17, 2022

A black painted locomotive in a rail yard.

Norfolk Southern C39-8E diesel locomotive No. 8688 is one of only two of its kind known to remain in existence in the United States. The unit, made by General Electric, is a diesel-electric locomotive built between 1984 and 1987. An early part of GE’s Dash 8 series of locomotives, 161 C39-8s and C39-8Es were built […]

Top 6 locomotive upgrades of the past 50 years

By Michael E. Iden | October 17, 2022

Three yellow painted locomotives lead a train through an arid landscape.

Top 6 locomotive upgrades from Mike Iden include: • Improved crashworthiness • Alerters and event recorders • Exhaust emissions • Improved working conditions in the cab • Improved dynamic brakes • Alignment control But before he explained those items, Iden wanted to include a dictionary definition of the word “enhancement”: Enhancement means “To increase or […]

Korean War SW8 diesel locomotives survive in Alabama

By Tishia Boggs | October 17, 2022

Two black painted locomotive together framed by autumn leaves.

Korean War SW8 diesel locomotives survive in Alabama: Deep in the heart of America’s south, we find two able-bodied veterans of foreign war operating on the Calera & Shelby Railroad at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, Alabama. Calera & Shelby 2019 and 2022 SW8 switcher locomotives have a story to tell more […]

Union Pacific Armour Yellow: The paint scheme that never always changes

By David Lustig | October 13, 2022

Union Pacific Armour yellow locomotive with steam locomotive

If there’s one thing to be said about the Union Pacific Armour yellow paint scheme, it’s that it hasn’t changed much since it was first introduced in 1934. Or so one would think. The presence of Armour Yellow has been pretty much constant, but everything else has been in a state of subtle and not […]

Bangor & Aroostook locomotives remembered

By | October 13, 2022

Six red, gray, and black diesel Bangor Aroostook locomotives on train in wilderness

Let’s celebrate the variety and color of Bangor & Aroostook locomotives! The Bangor & Aroostook didn’t purchase its first diesels (EMD F3s) until 1947, but dieselization then came quickly, with the last steam operations in 1949. The railroad kept its older diesels in good shape for a long time, supplanting them with GP38s in the […]