CSX’s eighth heritage locomotive honors the New York Central

CSX’s eighth heritage locomotive honors the New York Central

By Bill Stephens | January 3, 2024

| Last updated on August 1, 2025


No. 1853 spent 22 days in the paint shop at Waycross, Ga.

CSX’s New York Central heritage locomotive basks in the sun outside the railroad’s Waycross, Ga., paint shop. CSX

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX’s eighth heritage locomotive is a salute to the New York Central.

The ES44AH, which carries No. 1853 for the Central’s founding year, made its debut today. It took the Waycross, Ga., paint shop crew 22 days to adorn the locomotive with the Central’s classic lightning stripe scheme.

The New York Central locomotive joins units honoring the history of CSX predecessors Baltimore & Ohio, Chessie System, Seaboard System, Conrail, Chesapeake & Ohio, and Louisville & Nashville, and Atlantic Coast Line.

CSX also released a video that explains the painting process.

CSX ES44AH No. 1853 is a salute to predecessor New York Central. CSX
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